Song of the Week #329

It's amazing how easily I lost track of what day it is. That's my explanation for this episode being a day late and I'm sticking to it.

It was a good Christmas musically with the family giving me the new AC/DC album and my Brother and his family posting something VERY interesting - more on that one a little later.

The AC/DC album, "Rock or Bust", is pretty good. Remember to take my comments with a grain of salt as AC/DC are my favourite band of all time. Having said that, if you like energetic rock and roll then this would be a good purchase to make. I think that it's not quite as consistent as their last release, "Black Ice", but it's good fun all the same. The guitars bite just the right amount and Stevie Young does an admirable job on rhythm guitar in place of Malcolm. The singles are catchy, the riffs are solid and Brian's voice sounds pretty good when you consider he is 67 and obviously gargles barbed wire. The drums and bass lock in from the first song as you'd expect and stay in a groove the whole way through. If you're a fan you'll probably hear bits of other songs here and there and that's to be expected. In my opinion AC/DC don't have bad albums. They just have good or great ones. This is good and rates a place on my playlist. "In rock we trust...."; indeed we do.

AC/DC - Rock or Bust -  http://youtu.be/_NdHySPJr8I

"Sowing the Seeds" is Appleseed Records 10th Anniversary double album and a celebration of folk and folk influenced music. It features names like Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Ani DiFranco, Tom Paxton, Roger McGuinn and Jackson Browne. This was an inspired Christmas choice from my Brother and his family.If you like songs with meaning, sometimes you need more than "yeah, yeah, yeah", then this set is well worth a listen. Records like this make me reflect on the state of our world and often give me topics to research and think about. 

Pete Seeger / Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad - http://youtu.be/NN0gy6fSRkU

The other thing that this CD set has done is pointed me towards the Appleseed Records website. I reckon I'll be checking out a lot more of their releases in the near future.

In band news; planning is well underway for gigs and recordings for 2015. Assuming that all goes to plan you can expect some intimate shows where we'll play Jason Isbell's fantastic album "Southeastern" from go to woe, a CD of original music and the "Bob, John and Neil" show at Vivaldi's in May. The idea for this show was originally a set each from Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Neil Young. This has now morphed into songs from anyone with Bob, John or Neil in their names. You'll have to wait and see what songs we come up with but feel free to throw me some suggestions via the band's Facebook page www.facebook.com/junksculpture or by email.

Bob Dylan - Thunder On The Mountain - http://youtu.be/0RPkJeziNyI

John Lennon - Instant Karma - http://youtu.be/F3qvosHHcWc

Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl - http://youtu.be/aAdtUDaBfRA

I've taken advantage of being on holidays to explore some country roads around Maitland on my bike. So far, so good. Apart from a deadly stretch of roadworks, some thunder & lightning and a few cows on the road I've had a good time. Drivers out here are pretty considerate and the hills aren't all that big. I'll hit my goal of 12,000 km for the year in a couple of days.

Finally I think I'll do all of my 2015 Christmas shopping over the next couple of weeks. This year I was ultra organised and had everything ordered and posted weeks in advance. Of course at least 3 presents are yet to arrive. One company has given me a full refund and I'm still getting the order but that doesn't really make up for the lack of a gift on the big day. I won't even get started on the disaster that is Windows 8.1 on Angus' laptop. Microsoft should be ashamed of releasing something that clearly doesn't work all that well but then what's new? DJ Gobbledok recommends Mac and I'm inclined to finally take his advice.

Eddie & The Cruisers - On The Dark Side - http://youtu.be/tshV-ZyEJpw

That'll do. Internet here is patchy so I'm out of here.

Rock on brothers and sisters and thanks for reading in 2014. I'm about to cull the address list as there are a few bouncing addresses and some people that I know aren't really interested so if you don't get next week's episode and you want back in just let me know. It's always online at www.robwoozle.blogspot.com .

Rob

"I'm made of metal

My circuits gleam

I am perpetual

I keep the country clean" - Judas Priest, Electric Eye (1982)

Song of the Week #328

Hi everyone and welcome back.

The link between Soul Asylum and the Backbeat soundtrack clip from last week is that they are both sung by the same guy, Dave Pirner.

It's been a rather busy week here. Both kids have had their school graduations and then Zoë had a little trip to the hospital to have her appendix out! My fervent desire is that we see 2015 through without a visit to the Emergency Department.

Budgie - Crash Course In Brain Surgery - http://youtu.be/nrJOIXOldnQ

No comments from last week about Belle and Sebastian? Interesting. That's really not indicative of their sound at all but I still liked it. Here's something else from them which is a bit confusing as they use the name of another band in the title!

Belle & Sebastian - The Boy With The Arab Strap - http://youtu.be/pzXV6TICs4Q

Yeah....I didn't know what an Arab Strap was either....

This week's epic failure in terms of customer service goes to a big company whose name starts with G. They run the world's largest search engine among other things. I was told that they'd send me something in 3-5 working days. When I asked about its whereabouts after two weeks I was told that it was on backorder. That's hardly inspiring. Morons.

Anti-Flag - The Consumer Song - http://youtu.be/VBHzkBqF0y4

Righto then, the band, with me in tow, had a final hitout last night in preparation for our New Year's show. Ticket sales are excellent so if you're planning on coming along then get on the phone and book. Remember the deal...7 courses, loads of rock and roll and more fun than you can poke two sticks at. We can promise plenty of songs you'll know. 

Icehouse - Nothing Too Serious - http://youtu.be/H6Zq0JK1PFA

Next week is Christmas. Depending on your point of view that can mean any number of things: a pagan festival rebadged, the birth of Christ, a week down the coast, overeating or simply time with your family and friends. Whatever your "thing" is, how about you do it peacefully and respect that other people may think differently. I won't shove anything down your throat (except good music) and no one really needs to tell me that their way is the best way. I'll play a song for you and stick to my three pronged religion of family, guitars and bikes.

Twisted Sister - I Believe In Rock And Roll - http://youtu.be/rSSJpqADysU

Scouting for Girls - I Need A Holiday - http://youtu.be/vH99HVaj-Mc

Like the vast majority of people I was saddened by the senseless killing that happened, particularly in Sydney and Peshawar. One pointless death is one too many. I'm so tired of people who group all those in the Muslim faith with the Taliban. Do you think that all Catholics were working for the IRA? These events really made me think about religion. The way I see it, religious fundamentalists of any kind fear their supreme being; they are "God fearing". The religious people I want to talk with are those in the majority who see their faith as an expression of love. If your God is love then stop killing people in his or her name.

Yusuf Islam - Peace Train - http://youtu.be/TWgEUGnuwpk

I noticed this week that DJ Duck is off to see John Fanham and Olivia Newton John playing live. I thought Farnham had finished his second or third farewell tour already? These are two singers with distinctive voices and I'm sure it will be an excellent show. I look forward to a review!

John Farnham - Two Strong Hearts - http://youtu.be/tqaMHMooiEU

Olivia Newton John - Magic - http://youtu.be/oU5t3Ft5JhU

Every guitarist has a sound in their head. It's their ideal tone; how they want to sound. After years and years of trying to achieve that sound I reckon I got there yesterday. It was unexpected in terms of the guitar, my Fender Stratocaster, but it's just such a great feeling to move my fingers and hear what I've been searching for all these years. It's also something that's very hard to describe because the truth is that I don't want to sound like anyone else! 

Neil Finn - Ten Guitars - http://youtu.be/A91v2ZDOQfg?t=3m35s

That's all for this week. Tune in seven days into the future for a post Christmas wrap and more good tunes.

Rob

"I think I'm outta step like Minor Threat baby...you gotta lotta attitude for someone going out of style.." - Danko Jones, I Love Living In The City

Song of the Week #327

Musically it's a bit of a challenge finding time to listen to new stuff when I've got three sets of Australian rock hits going round and round in my head in preparation for the New Year's Eve show. It'll most likely be the last hurrah for us playing many of the Midnight Oil songs and some others too. They are great but I think we all agree that there's a lot of other music to play. I'm hanging out to play tunes like "Forgotten Years", "Hercules" and "Sometimes" like there's no tomorrow.

Midnight Oil - Hercules (live) - http://youtu.be/hih--64WkK0

 

"Consequence of Sound" is a music (and film) review website that I have been coming back to for more than a year now. They have a wide range of reviews and it's a good place to pick up artists you haven't heard of before. They use a simple grading system and even if something gets a C minus I'll give it a go. Their reviews are usually pretty close to the mark.

 

There has been a flurry of activity in the media about school children needing to learn how to write computer code. I'm fairly sure I saw the US President getting some lessons too. I've taught a few students who have gone on to be programmers of one kind or another. I've also taught Computing to heaps of kids that chose other career paths. I learned BASIC programming from a book and some trial and error in the mid 80's. The structures and logic lessons that I picked up have served me well working in IT and in teaching. But recently I was able to decipher a range of computer code to fix a few things at work. It wasn't that exciting; just some HTML, CSS and PHP but if I was relying on a visual editor we would have been stuffed. We don't need every student writing a new version of Windows (not that they'd do a worse job than MS) but some decent exposure provided by people who know what they're doing is a pretty good idea.

 

The Godfathers - Birth, School, Work, Death - http://youtu.be/QO5dcW0P75M

 

In 1987 I went to the drive in with Scouts (we walked there) to see a movie. It was a hot night so we all sat outside and watched "Highlander". It's still in my top 5 films of all time. I loved it then and I still do. Last weekend I sat down with my 18 year old daughter (where did THAT time go) and introduced her to the film. I'm pretty sure she liked it, she certainly liked the soundtrack. That's good parenting 101…ensuring films of cultural significance are introduced to the next generation!

 

Queen – Gimme The Prize – http://youtu.be/VEJ8lpCQbyw

You might remember that when the band toured earlier in the year that we spent some time and played a show for the staff and students at "Crossing the Divide" out at Bundarra. Well this week CTD had its first graduation. I was quite moved when H sent me a photo of Matt Pye along with some of the graduates all dressed up for the occasion. I think about the people we met out there quite often...it really was an experience that changed the way I think for the better.

Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now - http://youtu.be/FscIgtDJFXg

Glaswegian indie popsters Belle & Sebastian have been around for quite a while now. They've got a new album ready to launch in early 2015. This is the first single and I think it's a rather well crafted piece of pop. There's a really funky guitar bit in there that I keep coming back to.

Belle and Sebastian - The Party Line - http://youtu.be/3vS1Hf3CVGs

In 1994 the Army sent me to Melbourne to learn all about computers. It was a pretty good course taught by instructors with a genuine desire to teach us. DJ Al-ee-Sunshine and I hadn't been married very long when I went and 3 months was a long time. She did get to come and visit for a weekend though. I remember that I was rather unwell and that we went to see the movie that the next tune is from. Somewhere I've got the entire soundtrack on cassette. I remember that the artists covering all the songs weren't allowed to use any modern studio gizmos. It turned out pretty well!

Backbeat Soundtrack - Long Tall Sally - http://youtu.be/v454mAro43E

Surprise, surprise...Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters is the drummer on the previous track. Is there anything this man hasn't appeared on??

And now for this week's competition. If you can work out why I've chosen the next tune, other than that I like it a LOT, you'll be doing well. The link is somewhere inside a song in this episode.

Soul Asylum - Somebody To Shove - http://youtu.be/OrrE5bCA5lg

Australian music buyers have never been shy of supporting a novelty tune. I see no reason to buck the trend either. Sometimes life is a bit serious and you need a good laugh. Here's one of the best ever!

Scatterbrain - Don't Call Me Dude - http://youtu.be/NbLhHtaVIO4

That'll do. The Walking Dead are beckoning...

Rob

"Still whining about your bonus
Man up, you're ridiculous
Hell you can't take it with ya
So, give a little extra" - Ian Hunter & The Rant Band, "When I'm President", 2012

Song of the Week #326

Wow, this episode is only about 16 hours late! Sorry folks. Today's show is brought to you by the letter 'S'. Why? Why not.

Sidetrack (that starts with  an 's'); the reason I'm late is twofold. On Friday evening I was too tired to finish what I'd started here. It was a big week with both kids having their school formals and alot going on at work. Rather than pump out something of inferior quality for my discerning listeners I let my ideas ferment overnight. Then this morning the sun was out, the sky was clear and there was no wind. As you may have guessed this meant that I couldn't resist getting out for a few kilometres on my bike. I judged it to perfection though; as the clouds rolled in I put my foot (feet?) down to get home and beat the storm. The ride ended up being shorter than I had planned but getting 91km done and walking in the door just as the rain started was a rather fabulous start to the day.

Solution (there's another 's' word). Last week's quiz asked for the two AC/DC studio albums not named the same as a song. The answers are "Powerage" from 1978 and "Blow Up Your Video" from 1988. One is their best album and the other is rather underrated.

Stevie Wonder, Sesame Street & Superstition. http://youtu.be/_ul7X5js1vE What a great song and look how much fun the kid is having at about 40s in. Stevie Ray Vaughan does a great version of this but Stevie Wonder's is the best. I believe he also played drums on the original studio recording.

Scouting for Girls are the next band to assault your aural senses. I got a copy of their first album when it came out but it never really piqued my interest. Lately I've been adding albums like this to my iDevice to see if my thoughts have changed. They have with this track; it's great! Poppy Brit Rock at its best.

Scouting for Girls - Elvis Ain't Dead - http://youtu.be/3jpLo1A4x_g

She Makes War is Laura Kidd's solo project. Laura is from Bristol. I went to school there once but that's beside the point. She Makes War is really cool gloom quirky pop. If you follow her via the web then she's always popping up playing online gigs as well as regular ones. I like her voice, the attitude and the songs too. If you listen and decide it's good stuff then head over to http://www.shemakeswar.com/ for free stuff, CDs to buy and the chance to support the recording of album #3. I have the first two albums here (bought direct from Laura) and they are never off my iDevice.

She Makes War - Scared to Capsize - http://youtu.be/5w-utqTYpeo

It wouldn't be an 's' show without Paul Simon I don't think. His album with Art Garfunkel, "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" has been on high rotation in my office this week. It just never gets old. The space and majesty of the title track is almost sonic perfection. I wonder if Sesame Street still has cool people on it?

Paul Simon - Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard - http://youtu.be/G1dlWmrRstc

Slayer have a new album coming in early 2015 (date if you believe the internets...). It will be their first without founding member and guitarist Jeff Hanneman. They released a track (below) online back in May. Wow, it's hard to believe all the haters. Slayer are THE original thrash metal band and just the fact that they are carrying on without Hanneman is amazing. It sounds like Slayer to me. I rated their last album highly and I'll be in the queue to buy the next one. It isn't music I listen to every day but it has its place in my playlists.

Slayer - Implode - http://youtu.be/k0gVs_UcxKY

Safia are a Canberra band hitting it big on the international scene. They recently toured with NZ sensation Lorde. Seriously groovy stuff...electronic r&b in a good way.

Safia - Paranoia, Ghosts & Other Sounds - http://youtu.be/J5CDzhnMTMI

I've been mucking around with some software that does amplifier modelling for guitars. Basically, you plug into the iPad and go wild. It's pretty cool stuff and I'll be interested to see how it sounds at volume with the rest of the band, It may or may not translate well. Having an electronic template of a dozen or so amps and being able to modify them is a lot of fun. DJ NotRoz complained that the dials didn't go to 11 though.

Spinal Tap (and all their friends) - Big Bottom (live) - http://youtu.be/iN42uzNFVmQ

Years and years ago now DJ DadofIke turned me onto a band called The Sisters of Mercy. I liked bits and pieces of their music but I did cringe at some of the bootleg stuff. I'm sure it was good if you were there. We used to play one of their songs (Something Fast) regularly in The Dark Violence of Beauty. It was amusing to hear the original version after 6 months playing our take on it!  Today I'm playing another one of their tracks that I like a lot. You don't have to be a Goth to like the Sisters, just someone who appreciates good music.

The Sisters of Mercy - Dominion - http://youtu.be/AeFC-rfQkVk

I'll close with a tune that Angus put me on to. Usually he's listening electronic or dance style stuff but the other day I heard guitars and my heart soared. Kingswood are a Melbourne rock band whose first album was released this year. They've been playing with such bands as The Living End, British India and The Saints as well as a number of festivals. It's good honest rock and roll and I'll check out more of their stuff very soon. Their band name might not start with an 's' but the song title does - ha!

Kingswood - Suckerpunch - http://youtu.be/mgVG-nS-X9c

Hoo roo,

Rob

(Language warning on this one if you couldn't work it out from the title!)

"Negative are all your views,
So you can prop up your fake cool,
A puppet all the same...political" - Skunk Anansie, Yes It's F*cking Political, 1996. 

Song of the Week #325

Yesterday was the 21st anniversary of the best party I've ever been to. It was our wedding anniversary. Not a bad innings in this day and age. I'm often genuinely amazed (and thankful) that Alison still wants to hang around with me. It isn't like I'm easy to live with I wouldn't think. The old adage that a true friend is someone who knows all about you and still likes you anyway certainly applies. I met Alison when I was 17.

Elton John - Kiss The Bride - http://youtu.be/xXqFJJ5AX0c

New bike news; in two words "it's awesome". For those of you interested in the detail, the new ride is a 2014 model Cervelo S2 with a full Ultegra groupset. My old Cervelo was a dream and I'll admit that I was unsure that this would be as good. A week of riding later and I'm convinced. Comfy, fast and good looking. I like it. Top marks to Spearman Cycles in Wollongong not only for a great deal but for the knowing about the long lost art of customer service.

The Smiths - Shoplifters of the World Unite - http://youtu.be/lJRN76hxFz0

Australian AC/DC fans should tune into the ABC's 7:30 Report on Monday evening for an interview with Angus and Brian. In the preview Angus was speaking about the first signs that Malcolm was unwell. It must be incredibly difficult to carry on as a band without him. Remember that they've been doing this together since the early 70s. More AC/DC at the end of this week's episode.

The ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) awards were on this week. What a joke. They imported One Direction and Katy Perry for the show. What does that say about the industry's own view of itself? I can think of plenty of top notch Australian acts that deserve a place over those two. At least One Direction actually performed I suppose. I also learned from credible sources that 5SOS are not a "boy band". I'm sure they don't want to be labelled as such but when you tour supporting One Direction it's kind of a label that's going to stick for a while regardless.

5 Seconds of Summer - Amnesia - http://youtu.be/X2BYmmTI04I

Personally, this is what I think a boy band with guitars should sound like...

silverchair - Israel's Son - http://youtu.be/k2d6iwOSAfQ

There was more nonsense in the press this week about cyclists paying registration. Yawn. Let me reiterate my points of view very briefly.

• I commute almost every day on my bike and I also ride it for recreation. Once in a while I even race. I average about 300km a week.
• I ride a bicycle and I don't break the law. Some cyclists do and they suck.
• I drive a car and I don't break the law. Some drivers do and they suck.
• A bicycle will never win an argument with a car or a truck no matter who is in the right.
• I'm happy to register my bike/s but then I'll actually expect a lane to myself, bike lanes that actually go somewhere, or decent bike paths.

As you no doubt know, the new AC/DC album will be released on December 2nd. The tracks already released sound fantastic. To me AC/DC are more than a band, they are a huge part of my musical DNA. I've been a fan since I was a teenager and that wasn't yesterday. Essentially they play simple, blues based rock. What they do differently to many other bands is that they do it well, don't take themselves too seriously and seem to genuinely be enjoying themselves. With 16 studio albums there's a lot of good material in there. I popped the question on StalkerBook this week as to what some friends' favourite songs were. I was pleasantly surprised. Using their input, here's a top few tracks any rock and roll fan should listen to once in a while. These are in no real order.

• Hell's Bells - from Back In Black (1980)
• fabulous intro riff along with the bell. What a great track to open an album.
• Let There Be Rock - from the album of the same name (1977)
• a live show staple but this original version probably has the roughest, ripping guitar sound they've ever put on tape.
• It's A Long Way To The Top - from TNT (1976)
• the first rock song I ever played live to an audience and of course the best bagpipe solo ever.
• Sink The Pink - from Fly On The Wall (1985)
• yeah sure, it's about snooker.
• Crabsody In Blue - from Let There Be Rock (1977)
• only appeared on the Australian release, as DJ Broose says, it just highlights Bon's wicked sense of humour
• Gone Shootin' - from Powerage (1978)
• my personal favourite from what I think is their best album
• Big Jack - from Black Ice (2008)
• a album track that is just pure rock and roll.
• Whole Lotta Rosie - from Let There Be Rock (1977)
• plenty of good versions of this one with the album track being nothing short of incendiary. As Brother Laff says; chant with me, "Angus, Angus, Angus!"

Righto. Here's a quiz question for AC/DC fans. No Googling. There are 16 studio albums by the band. Only two aren't named the same as a song title included on that record. What are those two?

This next tune has just turned 50. It speaks for itself really. I'll be over on the Group W bench listening to it. Feel free to join me.

Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant - http://youtu.be/m57gzA2JCcM

That's enough for this week. There are teenage boys playing SingStar in the other room and now would be the moment to have bought those noise cancelling headphones.

Rock on Brothers and Sisters,

Rob

"Only the good die young..." Iron Maiden 1988 - http://youtu.be/Yq9ntSgEI78

All the news that's fit (?) to print...

For years now I've been on a constant search for decent news delivered via the Internet.

A while ago I had a really neat page setup using iGoogle. All I had to do was choose a list of topics and iGoogle fed me stuff to read. It was pretty good and not hard to tweak. But, because it was so good it was discontinued.

So, here's what I use and recommend at the moment. You can take my seal of approval with a grain of salt though; just because it works for me doesn't mean it'll be your kind of thing.

• The Financial Review (www.afr.com).
• to be honest, unless you're prepared to pay for the subscription this is useless. I'm fortunate in that my employer does this. 
• The Fin Review is more than just business reporting and has a wide range of fairly well written articles. I particularly like their technology section.

• The Conversation (http://theconversation.com/au)
• independent and well written
• funded by many Australian universities
• good topical writing and usually well fact checked
• there's still drivel here but not so much as a commercial news service

• The Atlantic (http://www.theatlantic.com/)
• a wide range of interesting and generally well written pieces
• includes some great longer feature pieces
• for an American publication it has a decent international focus as well
• more of a new magazine than a newspaper

• Zite (app)
• Zite is a news tool that works a bit like iGoogle did
• Choose your interests and Zite feeds you stuff
• Zite also "learns" what you're interested in
• Sadly, not available as a website but it works on Apple devices, Android and now Windows phones too. Blackberry users...well...move with the times!

• Canberra Times (canberratimes.com.au)
• I'm putting this out there because the app is reasonable and there is SOME local content.
• It isn't great and you get a lot of stuff from the associated Fairfax papers so read critically.

• ABC News Radio
• Beats ABC TV news 24 hands down
• Great content, no nonsense rolling news
• Also plays programmes from BBC, NPR, Deutsche Welle etc.
• Well worth a listen

Song of the Week #324

This week I could tell you about any of the following things that have made me feel good;

• enjoying my work,
• spending a few hours with my Dad,
• Chief playing my Stratocaster and pronouncing it awesome,
• finally taking delivery of my new bike,
• reading some books,
• Alison being on the mend after knee surgery,
• Angus doing homework on a Friday night, or
• meeting up with interstate friends...

...but I won't. What I will tell you about is that Zoë has finished high school. We both started school on the same day in 2002 and it seems fitting that we both finished about the same time. She's been an amazing student and I'm a proud old Dad. Not everyone has the kind of brain that allows then to write a novella and have it published and also have a true love of Science. Zoë's next adventure is volunteering in Vanuatu for 6 months, travelling in Europe and then coming home to go to university. Sounds pretty good to me.

Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science - http://youtu.be/1p6fTDGLHGQ

The next song was a huge hit in 1984. I think the singer has a great voice and I was surprised to read about how many artists have covered the tune. Look for the Alison Krauss version sometime. I'm playing the original though. The reason I remembered it this week was that I was in a taxi and the driver was singing along, at a decent volume with the track. It was hilarious. Usually I get in a cab and the driver turns off his music. Most times I tell them to turn it back on because anything is better than talk radio or silence. This song and his rendition was a real treat!

John Waite - Missing You - http://youtu.be/k9e157Ner90

Jason Isbell, whose work I rate very, very highly, just won song of the year for this next one at the Americana Music Awards. He also won album and artist of 2014! Keep a look out in 2015 as the three piece version of our band are planning to perform Jason's album, "Southeastern" cover to cover. I better buy a checked shirt.

Jason Isbell - Cover Me Up - http://youtu.be/fkHyP3hpB5c

During the week, H, via DJ Dylan sent me a link to the next video. They were both rather amused and I can't blame them. What follows is AC/DC's first single. It's pre Bon Scott. In fact the only band members in the video and on the recording that made it through to record the debut album are Malcolm and Angus Young. Malcolm's outfit is just beautiful I'm sure you'll all agree.

AC/DC - Can I Sit Next To You Girl (1974) - http://youtu.be/uRG1wPCWWw4

If you want a comparison to just a year later when Bon was singing, Phil was on drums and Mark on bass check this link. It's the same song but a much tougher and more polished sound.

AC/DC's new album is out in 6 days. I quite like the first single but I really do NOT like the video. Here it is with just the audio. The guitars sound great and the rhythm section are in the pocket as always. Brian's voice sounds pretty good for a 67 year old chain smoker.

AC/DC - Play Ball - http://youtu.be/cIE8F_OL_Ds

US pop-punk band The Dollyrots have been on tour in the UK with The Buzzcocks. Pretty cool! They've just released a new single and it's well worth a listen.

The Dollyrots - Get Weird - http://youtu.be/xZnfIrY2tGg

When I first became a Billy Bragg fan I didn't realise that "Ever Fallen In Love" wasn't one of his. It was obviously a good choice to cover! Here's the original.

The Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love (live) - http://youtu.be/Bif2q_Zo3-4

While I'm in a punk rock mood I think that it's certainly the right thing to do to give this video an airing. I got such a shock as a young man the first time I heard this track. In the Army we'd marched to part of the tune and of course I knew the surf guitar track too but this was just uber cool. 

Radio Birdman - Aloha Steve and Danno - http://youtu.be/J5Jjg-5ouaI

If you watched "Happy Valley", the rather bleak English police drama then you will have heard this next song. It's the theme song. Thanks to DJ AngryPete for pushing the song my way. Jake Bugg isn't that old but he's obviously a Dylan devotee. The TV show is worth a look as well...but not if you're feeling down OK?

Jake Bugg - Trouble Town - http://youtu.be/WTM9rV8uKpI

I must say that I've really enjoyed the fact that Bob Geldof's efforts to record a single to raise money for the fight against Ebola have raised some eyebrows. Indeed, why should we listen to someone worth millions about giving to charity? I think that donating to a charity is great; they need the cash so choose a couple and dig deep. But always remember that giving something more than your money is what is actually needed to make real change. How you do this is up to you, not Sir Bob or even Bono for that matter.

Bad Time To Be Poor - Rheostatics - http://youtu.be/HjSx2YFMSpU

I'll finish with something a little different. This song was playing in the car today. I've always liked it because it has a bagpipe solo. But I remember how absolutely massive it was when first released. This was the kind of single that had teenage girls swooning and the rest of the country singing along. It seems a bit cliched these days and probably overplayed but I still like it.

John Farnham - You're The Voice - http://youtu.be/tbkOZTSvrHs

If you're in Australia don't forget to watch the Countdown retrospective at 7.40pm on Sunday. It's a bit of a rose coloured glasses view of things but it's entertaining nonetheless.

Rock on brothers and sisters,

Rob

"y'all don't know what it's like,

being male, middle class and white..." Ben Folds, Rockin' The Suburbs (2001)

Guitars...

This is the awful truth and only guitar lovers will really be interested.

At the end of 1987 I bought my first electric guitar with help from my Mum. It marked the start of a lifelong obsession and passion.

Below are some notes about all the electric guitars, amps and pedals I have owned. It's a bit scary looking back and I don't know all the dates but the chronological order is about right... (asterisked items are the ones I still have)

• 1987 - first guitar; red "Applause" brand Stratocaster copy*. Purchased with my Mum at Northern Music Centre, Porirua, NZ.
• this guitar has been rewired a number of times. For ages it had a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails pickup. Nowadays it houses genuine Fender Noiseless single coil pickups.
• it's comfortable to play and seems bulletproof.
• for a "cheap" guitar people are always surprised by how good it feels and sounds.

• 1987 - first amplifier; Ross Fame 10 watt solid state. Purchased at Northern Music Centre, Porirua, NZ. Sold when I bought the Crate amp.

• 1988 - first pedal; Boss OD-2 Turbo Overdrive*. Purchased with my Dad at Allan's Music in Melbourne CBD. Modded and upgraded in 2014 by JK Pedals.

• 1988 - pedal; Rocktek Flanger.* Purchased by my Dad so that I could do spacey sounds for a school performance!

• 1990 - pedal; Boss DSD-2-  Digital Sampler/Delay. Sold to Graeme from "The Entwined".

• 1991 - amplifier; Crate G160XL solid state. Purchased at a guitar shop in Morwell, VIC. Traded.

• 1991- guitar; Gibson SG 1976. Purchased with Sutto at Downtown Music, Annandale, NSW. Traded.
• and herein begins my problems with these guitars. I'd love to have one but the necks are all too wide for my hands. Note that I don't give up on Gibson as time goes by.

• 1991 - pedal; Marshall Guv'nor overdrive pedal. Purchased at Pro Audio, Canberra. Sold for peanuts. What a twit.
• these days the Marshall Guv'nor pedal is very much sought after and expensive. I found the sound a bit harsh compared to the borrowed Boss Super Overdrive I was using at the time.

• 1991 - reverb/delay unit; Yamaha R100*. Purchased at Pro Audio, Canberra.

• 1993 - guitar; Washburn 335 copy; Purchased at Pro Audio, Canberra. Traded.
• This guitar sounded great plugged in or not. Probably the best guitar I've ever owned for writing songs on for some reason.

• 1993 - amplifier; Marshall Valvestate 8080, Purchased at Better Music, Canberra.Traded.
• Great clean and crunch sounds but the lead channel never thrilled me.

• 1994 - pedal; Morley Wah. Purchased at Better Music, Canberra. Sold to Ron from "The Sly Dogs".

• guitar; Gibson SG 1972. Purchased at Better Music, Canberra. Sold to the band "78 SAAB".
• another go with an SG but in the end the same neck problems got me.

• 1994 - guitar; Fender USA Telecaster 1992. Purchased with Alison in Melbourne VIC. Sold.
• I sold this because I wasn't playing much. It was a mistake as this Tele was a great guitar and fun to play.

• guitar; Peavey Telecaster copy with two humbuckers. Purchased at Better Music, Canberra. Sold to B.
• a fine rock and roll machine. Simple and effective.

• pedal - Zoom. Purchased with Alison at Northern Music Centre, Poririua, NZ. I forget but I think I sold it.
• I had a lot of fun with this and it was great for playing through headphones.
• The Zoom lasted a couple of gigs with DVoB but I really only used the tremelo style sounds as the rest were tinny when volume was significant.

• amplifier - Laney VC-30 valve amp with matching extension cabinet. Sold.
• Laney's version of the classic VOX AC-30.
• A big, fat sound. I could use one of these at the moment!

• guitar - Samick TV-20. Purchased at Pro Audio, Canberra. Sold to G from DVoB.
• an ugly guitar with a great sound.
• you can probably pick these up for a song nowadays so I must look.

• 1998 - guitar; Epiphone Korina Flying V. Purchased from Pro Audio, Canberra. Sold.
• For years this was my main guitar. I upgraded the bridge pickup to a Gibson JB. The V always turned heads. More Gibson neck size issues finally forced my hand.

• amplifier - Ampeg SuperJet 12R. Purchased from Pro Audio, Canberra. Traded.
• this lasted a couple of rehearsals and one gig.
• good little amp but little was the issue at the time.

• 1998 - amplifier; Marshall JCM2000 50 watt valve head with 1936 2 x 12" cabinet. Purchased from Pro Audio, Canberra. Traded.
• I had this amp for almost 15 years. It was loud, it never had any issues. But it weighed a ton and I got sick of lugging it around.
• Sadly, the trading of this amp ended up costing me money as the two MESAs that I went to from here were awful.

• pedal; Ibanez Tone Lok CF7 Chorus/Flanger. Purchased from Pro Audio, Canberra. Sold.

• pedal; Ibanez Tone Lok DE7 Delay/Echo. Purchased from Pro Audio, Canberra. Sold.

• guitar; Maton Mastersound MS500. Purchased from Better Music, Canberra. Sold.
• A heavy beast of a guitar with a big fat sound. Sold after being repaired when a punter knocked it over.

• 2006 - guitar; Fender Stratocaster "Classic Players Strat". Purchased from Pro Audio Canberra. Sold. Beautiful looking guitar but the neck was horrid.
• The made in Mexico version. Thin reedy sound but a rough neck to play was the main issue.

• 2006 - amplifier; Kustom practice amp. Sold.

• guitar; Gibson Joan Jett signature Melody Maker. Purchased from Better Music, Canberra.
• Didn't sound like Joan's guitar. Harsh pickup and the ubiquitous fat Gibson neck. Will I never learn?

• 2010 - guitar; Burns Steer.* Purchased from NZ importer. 
• Transported to me through the hands of family and friends in Auckland, Wellington and Geelong. 
• It's not a signature guitar but it's one that Billy Bragg made famous.
• In terms of versatility I think it could play any kind of music well.
• This one is a keeper for a number of reasons.

• 2012 - pedal; MXR Black Label Chorus*. eBay.

• 2012 - guitar; Gibson Les Paul Deluxe.* Purchased from Davis Wheeler Music, Canberra. Bridge pickup swapped to a Gibson '57 Classic Plus in 2014 for a smoother sound.
• Aha, I hear you say...another Gibson and what about the neck? Well folks, it's a different profile neck to any Gibson I've ever played and it's as comfy as a well worn in pair of shoes.
• This guitar went on tour as my only electric and didn't miss a beat.

• 2012 - pedal; original Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive*. eBay.
• Finally bought an old one of these. I used a borrowed one in my first couple of bands and it was the only drive I needed at the time. Still sounds good.

• 2013 - pedal; Redwitch Eve Tremelo*. Direct sale from manufacturer.

• 2013 - pedal; Jim Dunlop Cry Baby Classic Wah. Purchased from Better Music, Canberra.

• 2014 - amp; MESA Express 5:50. Purchased from Better Music. Traded. I hated the drive on this amp.

• 2014 - pedal; Hotone EKO delay pedal. Purchased via eBay. Sold to J. Delay is not my thing.

• 2014 - amp; MESA Lonestar. Purchased from Better Music.Swapped.
• A seriously expensive amp that I toured with and just couldn't love. It always sounded harsh and/or messy to me.

• 2014 - amplifier; Jet City JCA20HV valve amp with 2 x 12 cabinet*. The answer to all my tone issues. Purchased from Pro Audio, Canberra.
• This is a very simple amp. It has one channel and no reverb. And it sounds great. Very much a rock and roll machine. Plug in, turn up, start playing.
• Ideally I'd like a second one beside it for a cleaner tone but I can work with what I've got.

• 2014 - guitar; Fender Stratocaster Plus Deluxe 1990 model*. Got this one in the swap for my amp.
• This has upgraded pickups made by Suhr (maker of all things guitar for Mark Knopfler). They are quite full and fat sounding.
• Although I hate the 60 cycle hum from a single coil pickup all you need to do is play with the switch at position 2 or 4 and the hum is cancelled pretty much,
• This guitar is a keeper. The only slight temptation is to put the original pickups (which I have) back in one day. Not now though.

• 2014 - pedal; Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal*. Purchased via internet forum. Always wanted one of these as a teen/young man. Now I have one. It rocks.

The future? Well there's no doubting that there are a couple of guitars I'd like to add one day. A nice Gretsch hollowbody and a Jackson Randy Rhoads V are the two that spring to mind. I am on the lookout for a decent amp head and small cabinet that I can use beside my Jet City rig for the clean sounds but that search may take a while. I don't plan to trade or sell any of the guitars I have now, or the amp. It's taken a long time to get something coming out of the speakers that approximates the sound I can hear in my head.

Oh, but if Gibson make an SG with the same neck as my current Les Paul I will be sorely tempted.

Rob

Song of the Week #323

Last week as I wrote I was about to head in to see The Mark of Cain play at the Metro in Sydney. DJ DJ, DJ Drooper and I got there in time to see King of the North play their set as the support act. I'm glad we did. They're a two piece act (guitars and drums) but with your eyes closed you'd swear it was a 'full' band. They have a massive sound thanks to powerhouse drumming and some very clever guitar work. I can't rave enough about these guys. If I had to describe their music it would be a cross between Chuck Berry, Kyuss, The Rolling Stones and Black Sabbath. I guess it's just heavy, energetic rock and roll. The vocals are great, the drums are fierce and the guitar is just...well...awesome. I picked up a t-shirt and CD after the show. Few bands completely blow me away in a live setting if I don't know any of their stuff. Henry Rollins and his band did it back in 1994 and I think this may be the first time since. Check them out, buy their stuff, like them on Facebook, go to their shows. It's absolutely worth it.

King of the North - It's Been Too Long - http://youtu.be/HrlVhmfvsfU

There's not much I can say about The Mark of Cain I haven't said before. They were, as always, a real treat to watch live and the mix of songs was a solid balance of old and new stuff. It's so unusual to see heavy bands sporting Rickenbacker guitars (especially since they are notorious for not staying in tune) but it's just one more thing that makes TMOC a little different. I couldn't get a good look at John Scott's pedal board but I did discover that he uses an old Boss Digital Metallizer pedal. These were around in the 80s and were far from popular. They had a nice fat analog drive in them along with a range of digital chorus effects. Hmmmm....I need another pedal.....

DJ DesperadoSkinflint gave me a loan of Paul Westerberg's 2002 double LP set "Stereo". The second disc is called "Mono". It's a good listen and reminds me of Tom Petty in a good way. I've thrown it on my iDevices to listen to and ordered my own copy. $10 on eBay....bargain!

Paul Westerberg - Let's Not Belong - http://youtu.be/JBRzHkt6jc4

When in Sydney, DJ DJ and I visited a couple of iconic record stores. Red Eye and Utopia are essential destinations for any music fan. There's nothing quite like the magnetic pull of the bargain CD and LP racks. And yes, bargains were had! I picked up a copy of my favourite Motorhead album; one which I only have on cassette, for a song, as well as some other treats I may or may not reveal over the coming weeks. During the previous week I'd been to BelAir in South Australia for a meeting. I couldn't get this next song out of my head all week!

Motorhead - Angel City - http://youtu.be/yW-D7An0dSA

Recently DJ K-Gee let on that she was a bit of a Lenny Kravitz fan. Sure, he's OK...and he was amusing starring in "The Hunger Games". If you like his music can I encourage you in the strongest possible terms to run, not walk, to your supplier of CDs (vinyl if you can) and get copies of "Let Love In" from 1989 as well as 1991s "Mama Said". There is no way that rock and roll fans should be disappointed with either album. Tasty guitars, a bit funky, cool lyrics and if you want to dance then you can. "Mama Said" was the best giveaway cassette I ever got. Listen to this next one through headphones - great guitars panned hard left and right.

Lenny Kravitz - Always On The Run - http://youtu.be/em8JuUW-OOE

Ambient background music isn't something I'm at all interested in. I like music to be something I listen to, engage with and as you might have guessed, think about. Which brings me to the new Pink Floyd long player. Yes, yes, I know that it's stuff they recorded a long time ago now that they've been working on and I know that some people are decribing it as little more than lounge music...I'm not sure. Let's all have a good listen to a track and mull it over. Personally, I'd listen to almost anything David Gilmour played on at least twice before even considering making negative comments.

Pink Floyd - Louder Than Words - http://youtu.be/Ezc4HdLGxg4

A few years ago I bought an album by a group called "TV on the Radio". I didn't think a lot of it and it has been quietly sitting in the rack probably feeling unloved. I admit that at the time I made the impulse purchase because I thought the band had a cool name. This week I found out they have a new album and I think the single is pretty good. If you liked the Aussie band "Regurgitator" you might like this. I do.

TV On The Radio - Happy Idiot - http://youtu.be/OaKVy-FlaUA

OK, that'll do this week. I have bleak, British television to watch. But can I say this. The only upside I've found related to spending a little time in airports and on planes for work is that I've read a few books. It's nice to have the headspace and opportunity to do this. All I need now is a Steinberger guitar to take with me and I'll make good use of hotel time!

Rock on brothers and sisters, Lest We Forget.

Rob

"You never planned on the bombs in the sand
or sleeping in your dress blues" - Jason Isbell, "Dress Blues".

Song of the Week #322

This week I've spent time in Adelaide and Sydney. Plenty of time in airports, hotels and aeroplanes means an opportunity to listen to some new tunes.

First up is a bit of a nice surprise. Taylor Swift has a new album. In the past most of her stuff has been relatively inoffensive, wholesome pop / country and she's been very, very successful with it. The new album, "1989", is a bit of a left field effort. There's drum sounds from the early 90's, some pumping bass lines and atmospherics that remind me of Lorde at times. I like it. And as DJ EmGee pointed out, she's done it all without the need to embarrass herself in a lewd manner on TV or on stage. ZBoots bought the album and I finally managed to wrest it away from her to throw onto our iTunes library before this little trip. I think I've listened three times straight through and it's still enjoyable.

Taylor Swift - Style - http://youtu.be/mST7sj1Lbzw

Tonight DJ DJ and I will be seeing "The Mark of Cain" play at the Metro. The last time I was at this venue was to the "Rollins Band" supported by "The Hard-Ons". That's a tough act to follow but I have nothing but confidence in TMOC. They were on the same flight from Adelaide as I was. There was an opportunity for a fanboy moment but I figured the last thing they needed was me hassling them.

The Mark of Cain - Pointman (live) - http://youtu.be/Kp0if5O19T4

Chief has sent in a request this week. If you've been following the news coming out of New Zealand over the last few days then his choice will make perfect sense...

AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - http://youtu.be/yriW9uX1t0g

I spoke to someone yesterday who told me an interesting Rolling Stones story (the Stones are in the country at the moment if you didn't notice). The person in question was on a flight and had scored an upgrade to 1st Class. Also in the cabin was none other than Mick Jagger and some of his entourage. Mick kept to himself but at some late hour when the teller of the tale got up to stretch his legs he discovered Mick at the end of the cabin doing a series of exercises. Not even a plane flight can stop Mick's routine.

Mick Jagger - Sweet Thing - http://youtu.be/nXZUr3v6gNo

I was in a guitar shop today. But not for long. I lasted until I heard the owner advising someone that a guitar with humbucking pickups was only good for heavy metal music. Let's hope no-one has told BB King, Chuck Berry or Robbie Krieger. What a twit. Here's some humbucking goodness for you...beautiful smooth tone.

Robben Ford - Born Under A Bad Sign - http://youtu.be/Gx6ztc8wbWk

I hope many of you heard, saw or have read Noel Pearson's speech given at Gough Whitlam's funeral. There's certainly a lot of food for thought in there. Look it up.

Chief and I went to see the new film about Jimi Hendrix earlier this week. It's about his life from being discovered by Chas Chandler just up until he goes off to play Monterey. Jimi's estate didn't let the producers use any original music which is a shame. But it's probably to do with the warts and all portrayal of the guitar legend. I thought the movie was pretty good really. Andre Benjamin does a great job as Jimi and is convincing as a left handed guitar player. Kudos to him as well, he had to learn to play the "wrong" way round for the film. I was sad not to hear "Hey Joe" since Jimi didn't write it but there were a stack of other good moments. Can't say the film made me harbour any ambition at all to live in London however. This song featured a lot in the film and it was one of the first tunes Hendrix played that I connected with.

Jimi Hendrix - Killing Floor (live at Monterey) - http://youtu.be/YVUSiTfrty0

By now I'd expected to be riding a shiny new Cervelo bicycle. But it seems that it isn't to be. The dealership in Canberra has changed and they can't fill my order. Aaaarrrggghhh! So now I get to think long and hard about what to ride. I'd prefer to buy locally of course. My current, old, Cervelo is very cool I reckon and I'm not sure I want to change brands...or do I? Time to do some research but I need to get a move on as my bike is on its last legs.

In band news, if you're planning on coming to the New Year's Eve show then you need to reserve tickets ASAP. I hear that they are a hot item! Book now, they don't take your money until the gig. Seven courses and some rock and roll. What more could you want?

Here's a band I really don't like a lot but I have to admit that this is a great track. They can (or could) rock when they wanted to. The problem was that too often, they didn't!

Powderfinger - Stumblin' - http://youtu.be/h_5f8g9Pp54

Rock on brothers and sisters,

Rob

"Look out, Mama,

There's a white boat comin' up the river" - Neil Young, "Powderfinger" (1979)

Song of the Week #321

In times gone by people sent postcards so that their friends knew that they were having a good time on holidays. I suppose if it was a super long break then maybe even a letter. Of course in more recent times you knew when your friends were away from their either increased or non-existent Facebook posts. But now there's an even newer method of tracking your mates escapades... I was riding home last night and pulled up at the lights behind to other cyclists. One said to the other, "oh, I knew you were on holiday in Bali because all of your Strava runs kept popping up". So there you have it. Stalk your friends now by using their online fitness data! Well I thought it was amusing at least.

Barker - Heard So Much About You - http://youtu.be/cul1VVUBVhI

Speaking of fitness, the Noosa Triathlon Festival is on this weekend. Best of luck to all from WMGS Racing who are competing and also to Big Al who's having a dig as well.

Olivia Newton John - Physical - http://youtu.be/vWz9VN40nCA

My daughter got the sack from one of her casual jobs this week. She's been working at this particular establishment for over a year without an issue. As a result it was quite a shock. Now, I fully respect the right of any employer to hire and fire with due regard to their business. But to send a kid a text message during school time with that kind of news is just plain gutless. If anyone is looking for staff, with experience, to work in a cafe part time (especially over the holidays) please let me know. This setback has put a bit of a hole in Z's plans for 2015 and that's a shame. Especially when the first 6 months is all volunteer work and she's paying her own way. If you want to know which cafe to boycott get in contact with me.

Pink Floyd - The Show Must Go On (live) - http://youtu.be/idPfIIsB4Xk

On Tuesday night Angus and I had a little trip in an ambulance and then 7 hours at the hospital. He certainly enjoyed the morphine and the green whistle as various medical people attempted to work out what he'd done to his knee. Turns out it is a small tear in the meniscus and it won't need surgery. Our time at the hospital was a real eye-opener. We saw the best and worst of the human experience including a delusional man kicking and punching doctors and nurses while they tried to help him, a baby about to be taken away by Child Services, various foreign objects stuck in people's bodies (knives, glass) and a whole heap of bodily functions best left not described. Among all of this Angus (drugged to the eyeballs) dispensed fashion tips to one and all and dozed off at amusing moments mid-sentence.

David Bowie - Fashion (live) - http://youtu.be/KDrhwuaaG6Y

Love/Hate - Why Do You Think They Call It Dope? - http://youtu.be/HtAxLs7nmiU

Sad news this week was the death of blues musician Jack Bruce. Best known for his work with the legendary trio Cream along with Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton, Bruce, a Scotsman, was only 71. I like the fact that he was told to leave the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama when they found out he was playing jazz music as well as cello and music composition! Evil stuff that jazz.

Cream - White Room (live) - http://youtu.be/uKyGn_uxkPU

So how do you tell if a band is serious or not? A reasonable amount has been made for years and years about the links of various forms of music with the occult. Ozzy Osbourne has said in the past that the whole cross imagery on early Black Sabbath stuff was purely to get noticed. I guess we'll never know if Robert Johnson made a pact with the Devil either but the stories are out there. Lately, Swedish doom/pop/metal band Ghost have caused a bit of a stir with their lyrics and their outfits. It's hardly subtle but I've always been fairly sure that it's all a big joke to them. Yesterday when they announced a partnership with a watchmaker to produce a Ghost watch my thoughts were confirmed. It's all schtick. Lucky then can play. Check out the watches at http://www.vannenwatches.com/ if that's your thing.

Ghost - Year Zero (live) - http://youtu.be/d8RH8RO0eR0

To me Ghost are about equal parts KISS, ABBA and Mercyful Fate. Try these three tracks and see what you think.

KISS - Unholy - http://youtu.be/kfmrX_WlM2w

ABBA - Does Your Mother Know - http://youtu.be/WkL7Fkigfn8

Mercyful Fate - Evil - http://youtu.be/nZ6s89QWYjc

I'm going to sign off with a couple of friends for my mate Garry. It's just over two years since he died and he's sorely missed. We played the first song in his honour at a gig not long after his death, I'm sure he's approve. And the second song is one from a band he insisted I listen to. RIP my friend.

Johnny Cash - I Won't Back Down - http://youtu.be/N8i5NLyXZdc

Dr Feelgood - Down At The Doctors - http://youtu.be/uvRNRiA_h34

Rock on brothers and sisters,

Rob

"10 million dollars on a losing campaign

20 million starving and writhing in pain

big strong people unwilling to give

small in vision and perspective

one in five kids below the poverty line

one population runnin' out of time" - Bad Religion, Punk Rock Song

Song of the Week #320

STOP PRESS: I waited until after Friday night's gig by The Church to finalise this week's episode. That turned out to be an excellent decision. The gig report is first because, well, it was rather amazing.

The Church are an iconic band. They've been around for about 35 years and have a string of hits, excellent albums and what I would imagine is a decent following. As a result, what ensued last night on the first gig of their tour was probably a shock for most punters and the band too. 

The Church - Pride Before A Fall - http://youtu.be/tuq4KUWtjD4

It didn't start well. They were late, very late. During the gig we found out that the tour bus had broken down but whilst waiting around for over 90 minutes with nothing happening most people were less than happy. The crowd for The Church was hardly young, spry, keen to drink beers, listen to too loud music and wait. Finally the soundcheck was piped into the area we were waiting in...how exciting. And then there was the support band. I'm not old enough to know who Canberra band, The Young Doctors are or were (I do remember the TV show) and it doesn't really matter. They were dreadful. Bing and I weren't sure if they were joking or serious for the first few songs. The frontman (the rest of the band were seated and acoustic) was disinterested at best and read all his lyrics from sheets on the floor. He did sound like Dave Faulkner from Hoodoo Gurus though and that was the only good thing I have to say. Harsh perhaps but that's the way I read the performance. Uninspired.

The crowd was small which makes me wonder if the ANU (a standing only venue) was a good choice. I'm 43 years old and there weren't many people there younger than me. The band, including ex-Powderfinger guitarist Ian Haug played their new album in its entirety. The songs were good, the band were a bit loose (first show of the tour) but it wasn't terrible by any stretch of the imagination. Musically there was a lot going on. At one stage they had a false start for a song and the crowd was taught to count to 7 in order to help them out. 

Peter Koppes and Ian Haug both played an interesting range of guitars. Peter's Gretsch Malcolm Young Signature axe was my pick for the night. I had the chance to buy one years ago and baulked at the price. It would've been money well spent. In the press Steve Kilbey described Haug's guitar work as bringing "crunch and muscle" to the band's sound. I didn't hear that at all. What I heard was an awesome array of atmospheric tones and tasty lead work. Koppes was the crunchy one last night at least.

Which brings me to the setlist. Certainly it was no secret that The Church planned to play their brand new album. But I'm not sure that most of the crowd could believe that they did the whole thing start to finish and then ended the show. No hits, no back catalogue moments, nothing. As Kilbey introduced the penultimate song he apologised for being late. A punter shouted out that he should apologise, "for sucking". At this stage Koppes and Kilbey invited the young man to the front to voice his opinion; which he did. What happened next was poor. Experienced bands should have a thick skin and a couple of witty lines to deal with hecklers. But to invite the man to the front, give him his say and then call him "four-eyes", describe his girlfriend as "fat" and tell him to f-off was pretty awful. The band played the last song, came back for a one song encore and that was it.

I might purchase the new album. There were enough good moments last night to keep me interested. But there were also a lot of times when it felt like we were listening to U2 jamming on their newer stuff. Perhaps the edge to the songs (great pun eh?) wasn't quite there yet being early in the tour.

I read an interview with another band who admitted that trotting out their hits could be tedious every now and then. What they did realise however was the the punters usually only get to see the band on that one show and they're coming along on the strength of the songs they know. I liked the idea of hearing the whole new album in order, it's obviously a group of songs meant to intertwine. But seriously, apart from a few people who were a bit vocal, 99% of the crowd were into the music and probably deserved better than a tantrum and the lack of a decent encore.

Regurgitator - I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your New Stuff - http://youtu.be/Iun4shGD740

It's been a very, very frustrating week at World Wide Woozle Global HQ. After taking my new MESA guitar amplifier on tour and then spending ages and ages afterwards trying to get it to sound the way I wanted I have finally admitted defeat. With a heavy heart I threw some advertisements for it all over the Internets. After being targeted by the standard scammers and then by people too rude to let me know they weren't interested (after they asked a thousand questions) I finally got a buyer. Or so I thought. Although a fair price has been agreed upon I've been stood up more than once with regards to the actual payment of funds and therefore handing over of the amplifier. The jury is still out as to whether or not this guy will finally show up...but I'm not holding my breath. I think I'll just start collecting amplifiers. I've got a big garage after all! Of course, the funniest thing, or is it ironic, is that I had a jam with Chief last weekend and got the amp sounding quite reasonable. Aaaarrrggghhh!

If you're interested, this next track has the rhythm sound I'm looking for. The introduction has tasty guitars that growl without the icepick in the brain harsh edge.

Choirboys - Boys Will Be Boys - http://youtu.be/_jZdirBDAXE

You know, if that's the only thing worrying me then I'm OK I reckon.

I was reminded the other day about band logos. When I was a teenager all the best bands had cool album covers adorned with their name in a logo. AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, KISS, Stryper, Motley Crue; all my favourites had a graphic design that kids everywhere drew all over schoolbags and exercise books. I was rather proficient at the Iron Maiden one which is quite amusing now as my drawing skills are fairly terrible.

Run DMC - Mary Mary - http://youtu.be/QgmyVLheqkQ

Do you know what a fuzz pedal is? No, it's not a hirsute hipster on a single speed bike, it's for a guitar. Probably the first kind of pedal ever made they are designed to mimic the sound of a torn speaker with a really loud tube amplifier going through it. Think The Kinks "You Really Got Me" and you're there. Hendrix used one, Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd) does too and of course a thousand other players. You can use one to make your guitar sound harsh or to push the single note sound to a smooth almost violin-esque sound. I'm getting one. And there's not another like it. John from JK Pedals in Melbourne fixed up my old original Boss Turbo Overdrive pedal a while ago. My Dad and I bought that in early 1988 so it was probably due for some love. But John also build pedals so I put in an order for a "Luxe Lady" fuzz box. He did some tweaks for me to get the kind of sound I'm looking for. Well, the pedal is in the mail and I look forward to unleashing sonic nirvana next week. I'm going to use it mainly to thicken up my lead tone so you'll hear it in action if you come to the New Year's Eve show. Loud and proud.

Joe Bonamassa - Just Got Paid - http://youtu.be/wSQwj3s8Y4s

Speaking of the New Year's Eve show; all the details are on the band's Facebook page here. Funnily enough the show is 31st December and goes into the new year. You'll get 7 courses of food and a band rocking out three sets of all-Australian rock and roll. Who knows, I may have a new amp by then. Book early to avoid disappointment. I know one punter who has already taken 23 seats.

Powderfinger - Baby I've Got You (On My Mind) - http://youtu.be/nTFNm7StOR4

Lastly, I've been right into the first Van Halen album all week. Released in 1978 it's considered by fans and critics as a true classic. I was introduced the album by a friend who used to give me a ride to school once in a while in his old Ford Escort. Van Halen was always in the cassette deck. It's an album with everything really for a rock band. Peerless guitar work, vocals with attitude, a solid bass line and fantastic drumming. No-one else sounded like VH and no one ever has. Their career has been quite a train wreck but there's no doubting their musicianship and songwriting skills.

Van Halen - Runnin' With The Devil - http://youtu.be/cqoybLnrEjw

Van Halen - I'm The One - http://youtu.be/kzkXGIRaxcI

Have a good weekend folks. 

Rob

"I'm gonna be a rock 'n' roll star
Gotta groove from night to day
Gotta blow my honey jar, yeah
Gotta blow my blues away" - Diamond Head, It's Electric, 1980

Song of the Week #319

This week's episode is loud. Perhaps all of the tunes aren't loud in the sense of being recorded or requiring extreme volume, but they're loud to me.

Some weeks I just want to lose myself in music for even 5 minutes to drown out the outside world. To allow the sound of a wall of guitars to knock me over and then caress me lovingly with velvet fingers. To let the kick drum's punch get me right between the ribs; you feel it invading your chest cavity rather than hearing the sound. And for the singer to weave his or her way into my consciousness with lyrics that matter and delivery that is genuine and sincere. Do you feel it brothers and sisters?

Neil Young - Throw Your Hatred Down (live 1998) - http://youtu.be/fdOztNIYybE

There's probably something perverse about me writing about my love of a wall of guitars and then playing an acoustic track. But those machines have been killing fascists for a long time now.

Woody Guthrie - All You Fascists Bound To Lose - http://youtu.be/VwcKwGS7OSQ

BB King says in the film "Rattle & Hum" that Bono "writes mighty heavy lyrics for one so young". You can feel free to argue whether or not Bono thinks he is God but there's no doubting that this was a cracker of a song. Gifting it to BB King was inspired; he's the man who makes this track almost perfect.

U2 & BB King - When Love Comes To Town (live 1989 Australia) - http://youtu.be/eT3rXNPGFOM

If anyone has a lazy $4,000 I can have just click on this link and buy me one of BB's guitars. Beautiful, classic and totally cool.

James Osterberg Jr. has popped up on radio here in Australia (did you see what I did there?!) playing tunes and talking about them. For a man with a relatively light singing voice he surely has a deep drawling speaking voice. I guess he sings down low in "Candy" though. That's a great tune but it doesn't fit my theme this week. His shows are worth checking out online if you can access them. Try the Double J website as a starting point. Or just Google his John Peel lecture.

KISS - I Love It Loud - http://youtu.be/LMcDg2HwOnM

Often when people have a discussion with me about Heavy Metal music they start off with bands like Motorhead, Iron Maiden or Judas Priest. They're the big ones. Metallica too I guess. But these bands aren't really all that heavy. Sure, they're loud, but they're more an extension of rock 'n' roll with more volume and at times a faster tempo. Metal is splintered into any number of sub-genres and the heaviness is relative. Are de-tuned guitars, bass that'll make your insides gurgle and guttural vocals any heavier than Alice Cooper strutting his shock rock shtick covered in fake blood and wearing a straitjacket? Or are the primal rhythms of Sepultura heavier than the insanely dark metal that comes out of Scandanavia? It's all about perception. The dark metal from the North usually just makes me laugh, Alice is a hoot and the de-tuned gurgling wears thin after about one or two songs. Sepultura however mix a lot of it up in a blend of music that is heavy in more ways than one. See what you think...

Sepultura - Rattamahatta (live) - http://youtu.be/6jGiSyH1EeU

There are two shows I'll be checking out in the coming weeks. First is "The Church" here in Canberra next Friday and then not long after that I'm in Sydney with DJ DJ to see "The Mark of Cain". Both different, only one heavy. 

The Mark of Cain - Lockdown - http://youtu.be/iJVVm9OsiwU

Steve Earle sings really, really heavy tunes. "Jerusalem" and "Rich Man's War" almost always stop me dead in my tracks. He was heavily influenced by this next artist. I was in a record shop last wekend (one with records...real ones) and this was playing on the turntable...wow!

Townes Van Zandt - Cocaine Blues - http://youtu.be/hjJePtPVquM

That's the end this week. This music fan needs some sleep after a rather huge week. Kisses to you hop-along!

DJ Rob

"I'm a loadin', loadin' my war machine

I'm contributing to the system, the break down scheme

I'm a shuttin' down, I'm shuttin' down your greed for green baby" - Kyuss - Green Machine

Song of the Week #318

I had an ordinary day this week. Read about it here.

Finally it seems that the telephone and internet debacle is over. What I have learned from this is that "Level 2 Technicians" do not know how to connect to a modem and put in a password. Neither do they know that separate cables are needed for phone and data. Numpties is a fair description. Two weeks of wrangling to get a switch flicked at the exchange and then Zoë and I did the rest.

AC/DC - Flick of the Switch - http://youtu.be/9tqIOE-rPJU

I wonder sometimes wonder how sensible we were for moving to another house on the northern side of Canberra. The only reason I ask myself this question is that it is almost always a stiff headwind cycling home. Southerners must arrive home fresh and with big smiles on their faces whilst I need the heart starting paddles and a shot of adrenalin to make it through the front door to the shower. It must be noted that the reverse is rarely the case in the mornings.

Stone Sour - Tired (acoustic version) - http://youtu.be/hhCQYqt16j8

This week a brand new coffee shop was recommended to me by a colleague. Having just experienced a foul brew from one of the highest rated caffeine dealers around I was up for anything. Superfine Cafe hasn't been open very long but if my first couple of visits are anything to go by then it has a bright future. My initial visit was with the light of my life and we were pleasantly surprised. I had my standard long black with some soy on the side. In reality the soy is only used if the brew is rough or bitter. The barista produced a fresh, smooth and most importantly not bitter cup which was a real treat. I liked it so much that I moved one of my work meetings to the cafe this morning. There's a fab range of food as well and the staff are very friendly so if you're in the city try it out some time. Superfine is on the corner of Mort and Bunda Streets in the bus interchange and right next door to Tonic.

Ice-T - I'm Your Pusher - http://youtu.be/_nODi6OECzs

But the real reason we're here is music. I've got far too many recommendations this week so I'll have to cut it down. After all, does anyone actually click the links and play the tunes?

Seasick Steve keeps on cranking out great bluesy albums. I picked up his latest on CD for only $10 and without wanting to sound like a broken record, it's a cracker! If you like swampy, low down, gritty blues then try any of his stuff. This album, "Hubcap Music" also features appearances from John Paul Jones and Jack White. I did laugh long and loud when I discovered that Track 12 was simply a recording of a tractor! Steve is in his 70s and looks to be placed to carry on forever like lots of bluesmen.

Seasick Steve - Down On The Farm - http://youtu.be/H9qnj09Suhs

As I wrote to H this week (he's on the road doing cool stuff in and around Tingha) I decided that my work recommending music was at an all time high when my Dad sent me a link to an early Rolling Stones tune. As written previously I struggle with the Stones in terms of their complete lack of consistency but there's no doubting that they have the ability to harness the rock and roll mojo when the mood takes them.

The Rolling Stones - It's All Over Now - http://youtu.be/O82FK-v86X8

One of the best things about having the internet back on is that the programme guide on the TV works again. I'm sure it's in the paper as well but seriously folks, hard copy?? I noticed last night that ABC3, usually the kids channel, was playing some music videos and I caught a couple of fantastic tracks.

First up was Joe Cocker. Boy bands, reality TV junkies, twerkers and fashion victims should look no further than Joe before slapping themselves around the head for being so clueless. Look at this video; Joe is hairy, sweaty, moves like someone with their finger in a power socket, has the most awful shirt and shoes on and sings with the most perfect voice. This, my friends, is what rock and roll is all about.

Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends (live) - http://youtu.be/bRzKUVjHkGk

The big shock was this next tune. I had no idea that the collaboration had ever happened. I didn't expect this song to work with The Living End but it really rocks. Jimmy Barnes is apparently unwell again and I hope he is up and about before too long. 

Jimmy Barnes and The Living End - Lay Down Your Guns - http://youtu.be/Wdv9qL7AMj0

Accept are a German metal band who have been around for a very long time. They are most famous for the song "Balls to the Wall" and the album of the same name. There are splits and a thousand lineup changes between 1968 and now but musically not much has changed. It's a good dose of hard rock. "Blind Rage" is their fourteenth studio album. I noticed that it is available with a live DVD as well so I reckon I better plonk my money on the counter before too long.

Accept - Stampede - http://youtu.be/qbUXHTWZ9vk

Is there time for a couple more? How about I just play two songs and I challenge you to give me some feedback on one or either? Time to try something new.

The Growlers - Going Gets Tough - http://youtu.be/zMsluEUPtho

Shellac - Dude Incredible - http://youtu.be/StooJzxAfrc

Wrapping up the show this week are two themed tracks...it's Mental Health Week here in Australia. DJ Doc gave me a very good track to think about last week and these two are moving on from that. Look after those around you folks.

Sinead O'Connor - 8 Good Reasons - http://youtu.be/DXhv9ANCoxM

Romans Are Alive - Cure For The Pain - https://soundcloud.com/kbvrecords/cure-for-the-pain-romans-are-alive

Rock on brothers and sisters,

Rob

"Brother mind what you do

and how your treat your fellow man
if you're like me you'd try to live
the very best you can
for if you spread good all around
you'd be able to sleep when the sun goes down" - Sam Cooke, Keep Movin' On