Sydney just another step in Patti's spiritual, rock and roll journey

Details

By Edwin Garland

Edwin Garland

15 April 2017

Hits: 6206

_{Steve Lorkin photo}

More than a decade ago, I was sitting in a Sydney pub with a beer after a Bob Dylan concert. I was amidst Dylan fans, including Jenny Kee, the ’60s fashion icon, “OZ” magazine figure and Buddhist. Jenny is a deep thinker and was peeling back layers on the Dylan show we had both witnessed. She turned to me in mid-conversation and asked a question I won’t forget.


“Do you think Dylan is deeply spiritual and has soul consciousness on stage?”

My answer after much thought was: “I can’t answer that, as I believe Bob lived many lifetimes and always felt he was guarded on that level, except in his born-again phase. That said, his songs are from the heart and mostly from his mind.” 

Jenny responded. “I saw Lou Reed last year. I believe he does, as he is on that journey.”

“I can’t say that about Bob or even Lou Reed. But after seeing Patti Smith live, I believe she does and that it comes from a very deep realm, in fact one could call it soul consciousness.”  

That was my answer all those years ago that night in Haymarket. I've always believed Patti is indeed a special performer.

• live
• sydney
• bob dylan
• patti smith
• horses
• lenny kaye
• state theatre
• jenny kee
• edwn garland

Read more …

On Air - Queen (Virgin/EMI/BBC)

Details

By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

14 April 2017

Hits: 3894

The Barman didn’t want me to write this review, or submit it, or publish it. What is it about Queen, Barman? 

“Over-arranged, over-played and over-compensating for the fact that, at least initially, nobody liked them.”

Well, that last is true. But I think we can all name bands that nobody liked initially who became megafauna. Anything else spring to mind?

“Sure. Overblown pompous crap.”

• bbc
• on air
• on air - queen
• freddy mercury
• brian may
• pompous

Read more …

Follow The Sun - Various Artists (Mexican Summer)

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

14 April 2017

Hits: 4151

Question: Who is this compilation of 20 songs of Australian folk obscurities of the 1970s for? Answer: Head to your nearest record collectors fair.

These are mythical gatherings, full of badly-dressed people with body odour problems who are entirely bereft of social graces. They clamber over each other, poring through crates and boxes while entirely oblivious to the other’s existence. They wear T-shirts commemorating concerts that nobody went to or that occurred before they were born. Or so the cliche goes.

• mikey young
• eddy current suppression ring
• follow the sun
• mexican summer

Read more …

Heartbreaker - Badass Mother Fuzzers (Pitshark)

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

14 April 2017

Hits: 4797

Badass Mother Fuzzers (BMF hereafter) is a trio from the French city of Toulouse, the name of which always brings to mind a famous Johnny Thunders throwaway line about being “born too loose”.

Musically, BMF is a much different kettle of fish but it’s a fair bet they’d appreciate the play on words being applied to their place-of-origin. They sound like they’ve been trying to corrupt Toulouse for years. “Heartbreaker” is more Hip Priests or Zeke than “Live At The Speakeasy”, but the intention is the same: Hit ‘em hard and hit ‘em again.

• garage
• french
• pitshark
• garage punk
• badass mother fuzzers
• heartbreaker

Read more …

It’s About…Love - The Lonely Dogs (self released)

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

13 April 2017

Hits: 4490

And it’s about rock and roll. Eleven tracks of it from a French four-piece from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the country’s south-east.

Many people say French garage bands can’t cut it because they weren’t brought up on rock and roll and lack that attack and swing that sorts the great bands out from the pretenders. There’s no rock without roll.

That might be true for many of them but there are exceptions to the rule. As rock and roll is pushed further down the cultural mine-shaft, the really good ones struggle up into the daylight. Which is what The Lonely Dogs have done.

• garage
• french
• the dogs
• johnny cat
• the lonely dogs
• jean cataldo

Read more …

Brat Farrar III - Brat Farrar (Off The Hip)

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

13 April 2017

Hits: 3904

It’s his third minimally-titled, full-length offering and Brat Farrar has toned down the electro sounds and gone straight for the throat with guitars at warp speed. It’s more raw, edgy and melodic punk-cum-stoner rock with a true DIY spirit shining through.

Brat (aka Sam Agostino) was half of Digger and The Pussycats and a third of Kamakaze Trio. He might bill himself as a bedroom musician but he’s still to be seen performing in his home city of Melbourne and in Europe, where Digger and The Pussycats had carved out a fan-base. Farrar is nothing if not prolific, churning out a dozen releases in varying formats, and plays everything on his records.

• digger and the pussycats
• brat farrar
• kizmiaz records

Read more …

Crowd Surfing With The Molting Vulures: The Best Of - Molting Vultures (Off The Hip)

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

13 April 2017

Hits: 5785

No less than Psychotic Turnbuckles elder statesman The Grand Wizard provided the good oil about this Adelaide band, who remain largely unheard outside their home town and more enlightened parts of Melbourne.

You might be surprised, then, to hear that The Molting Vultures have been going since 2004 and have four albums under their belts. “Crowd Surfing” picks the eyes out of the albums and presents them on one disc, with a couple of newly-recorded songs thrown in.

• garage
• adelaide
• exploding white mice
• molting vultures
• crowd surfing with the molting vultures
• best of

Read more …

Stinkwhistle - Fear and Loathing (EC Productions)

Details

By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

12 April 2017

Hits: 4137

Biased? No, I'm not biased. Why do you ask? See, Adelaide's Fear and Loathing (aka FAL) is the band everyone should see, experience or endure, at least four times in their lives.

First gig: At the sight of a bunch of late 40-somethings making what they sometimes call music and what everyone else calls punishment, you will feel an uncontrollable urge to get extremely drunk. You will not remember getting home.

Second gig: Still hungover from last time, you turn up because you've realised that you didn't quite take it all in, and they've got this hypnotic scrunch about them. By now you're tapping your toe, occasionally jiggling along gingerly. You find yourself buying the band numerous jugs of pale ale. You find yourself driving home at midday, fairly certain you're going in the right direction.

• fear and loathing
• punk rock
• stinkwhistle

Read more …

Glory Days of Aussie Pub Rock Vol 2 - Various Artists (Festival)

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

12 April 2017

Hits: 4556

Another 90 Oz Rock songs for 20 bucks. Can’t go wrong, eh?

This is Festival’s second “Glory Days” offering and it’s inevitably subject to some “mainstreaming”. There’s more chart action and a sprinkling of what might be regarded as lesser-known tracks or rarities, although you could argue they’re skewed from a Melbourne perspective. It's the lesser-known cuts that make this collection tolerable. 

• oz rock
• pub rock
• glory days of aussie pub rock
• volume 2

Read more …