NUMEROLOGY - The Numbers (Aztec Music)
The Australian pub rock boom of the late 70s/early 80s was more than just about the Chisels, Tatts, Rads and Oils etc. There was also some pretty interesting combos who never quite made it into that above mentioned group of Tooheys skulling boogie superstars. The Numbers probably played on bills with all of the above combos as well much cooler bands like The Hitmen (cool?), Thought Criminals, X and XTC.
It was a time when a band like The Numbers who when starting out and only had a small following could be playing gigs during most nights of the week, from Blacktown to Bondi.
Personally I found the Numbers' first release from 1979, the "Government Boy" EP, to be their most dynamic and interesting. Three tracks of guitar slashing high energy power pop...Cheap Trick, Kiss, The Who, with punk energy. It was during this period of the band that I saw perform at venues like The Civic Hotel, Stagedoor Tavern and The Bondi Lifesaver (note The Other Side were advertised as the headlining act at this gig, too bad nobody had actually booked them to play... X substituted).
Following the moderate success of the first EP and a small but consistent live following. The band signed to the Deluxe label who, along with advice from managers and producers, promptly steered the band into a more marketable and radio friendly guitar pop sound.
Which was not necessarily a bad thing; it simply the energy dropped a tad, the songs became more pop structured, lead vocal chores moved from guitarist Chris Morrow onto bass player Annalise Morrow and quite simply the transition worked quite well.
Two albums were released, a self titled LP in 1980 and "39.51" in 1982. Aztec have put together this CD which combines all of the debut EP plus the cream of the tracks from the two above mentioned LPs plus a few non album B-sides.
As far as guitar pop goes this is a well done release, Chris wrote great melodic songs (I’m trying to think of a comparison here for all you Birdman –Esq rock heads…umm...maybe a style not a million miles away from "Everybody Knows" by the Hitmen) Chris was truly a great versatile guitar player with a killer tone. Bass player and Vocalist Annalisse has a solid melodic and charismatic vocal style with plenty of dynamics and her bass playing is punchy and effective (some sort of brother/sister telelapathy seems to be going on here).
Various drummers came and went including Simon Vidale (whose brother Tony was in the Hitmen)
I personally like these songs more so now than I did back in the day, (I was a one eyed Detroit rawk/60s garage rock pig back then …unlike today of course…ha ha)
Needless to say Aztec Music have done a faultless job on the mastering (a very under estimated art form I might ad) and on the packaging. - Steve Lorkin
