Rocking Down Under: Kallaj’s Guide To Aussie Rock [PART TWO]

Grabbed another Fosters?



Awesome, then let's get back into it!

1. “Live At Sunbury 1972”: Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs

Ok, this is an album, but bear with me.

Thorpe & The Aztecs started out sounding like the British bands of the era, very beat oriented. They were the best band in all the land until the Easybeats showed up. By the late 60’s, Thorpe was trying to change his image; growing his hair out, playing louder rock music, attempting to try LSD live on TV, the usual moves. Come 1972, the Aztecs reformed, Thorpe started belting the blues and they appeared at Sunbury. What is Sunbury? Why it’s Australia’s equivalent to Woodstock! After a day of great Aussie rock, The Aztecs came out and blew the audience away. Don’t believe me? Well lucky for us they recorded their set.  The only word I can find to describe this is; explosive. Think about it, a long day of music, drinking beer, getting kinda tired from sitting in the hot sun all day, and then the Aztecs walk out, start playing "CC Rider" and poof, you’re along for the ride. The only downside to this, is that some of the songs drag on for way too long, kinda jam band like, but not even close. Regardless, once you get hooked in, you’re good to go!

     2. “Black Eyed Bruiser”: Stevie Wright

Long after the Easybeats, George Young and Harry Vanda became very successful songwriters and producers. Setting up shop in Albert Studios, the duo wrote and produced hits John Paul Young, "Love Is In The Air", and produced the first albums for George’s brothers band, AC/DC. At the same time that AC/DC was working on their first albums, former Easybeat vocalist Stevie Wright was working on a solo career for himself. After releasing the album Hard Road in 1974 to great success, Wright was getting deeper into a drug addiction that proved to be bothersome to the production of the next album. The outcome, Black Eyed Bruiser, would be Wright’s last album for nearly 15 years, and destroy any hope for a truly prosperous solo career. Although not as successful as previous singles such as “Evie” or "Hard Road", this song was one of my first exposures into deeper tracks in Aussie Rock. If you’re an AC/DC fan, this song is for you. That opening riff is very Malcom Young esc, and Wright sounds like Bon Scott for a couple moments.  It’s just a great record to pump you up for a barroom brawl!

       3. "Khe Sanh": Cold Chisel 

Once again, I give you an artist that you probably have never heard off, but this one always strikes me funny. Cold Chisel is one of Australia’s most famous bands and many consider one of the best alongside AC/DC. And why shouldn’t they be?  Their song, ”Khe Sanh”, a song about a returning Vietnam vet, troubled by the war, and his struggles to adjust back into society, has been called one of the best Australian songs by the Australasian Performing Right Association. Cold Chisel combines a lot of different elements into their work; from Hard Rock blasters ("Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)") to more new wave-ish pop songs ("Cheap Wine").  Their sound reminds me of bands like Boston & Bad Company, mixed in part with the new wave feel of The Police. So if you're a fan of the very familiar 70’s/80’s hard rock (you know the songs/bands I mean), I strongly suggest you check these guys out. 

Look out for part 3, coming soon!

Tubby Hayes - Tubbs (1961)

Tubby Hayes
Tubbs
Fontana, 1961

For the last couple months,  I’ve been diving into the mysterious world of British Jazz, particularly of the 1950’s & 60’s. Why is it mysterious? Because we as Americans have never felt the full blown power of jazz from across the pond. During this period, England’s Jazz scene was split by two contrasting sounds. On one side, musicians such as Chris Barber, Ken Coyler, and Humphrey Lyttleton played in the style of the Polyphonic New Orleans tradition, known as Trad Jazz. 

On the other side, musicians were looking toward the modern sounds of Charlie Parker and Horace Silver, inspiring the likes of Ronnie Scott, Joe Harriott, and Tubby Hayes. 

While there is nothing wrong with the Trad Jazz boom, I’ve found the the Modern Jazz scene and sound to be extremely interesting. When I picked up the Tubby Hayes album “Tubbs”, I was gobsmacked. 

This album is somewhat split, some of the tracks feature Hayes playing with a big band, while the other tracks feature him with a quartet. I was shocked to hear a Saxophonist who could easily hold his own and, dare I say, outplay these masters.  Hayes was 26 at the time of this recording, and to put it into perspective, Coltrane was 34, and Rollins was 30. Put on Hayes’s take on "Cherokee" to get the best taste. Even then, on two of the tracks, “S’posin” and “The Folks Who Live On The Hill”, Hayes puts the sax down and shreds on vibes!  

Hayes’s playing has a high level of technical proficiency as heard in the blowing, but also, he gives off a strong proficiency in the blues and shows the appropriate vocab, like in the track “Tubbsville”. All these things mentioned can be seen in each of the other tracks on this album. Even his vibe playing shows great skill, I can’t name another sax player who goes and plays both these instruments very well. 

After hearing this album, I’m left with two questions, Why does nobody talk about Tubby Hayes and why does nobody in America know anything about Jazz in England? Even though Hayes came to America on a few occasions to play, he went practically unnoticed (except for recording an album with Clark Terry, and being the first British musician to play at the Half Note).  I’m always impressed with how music is able to travel, for example, many of these British musicians got their hands on American jazz records somehow. Using Blue Trane as an example, that album was only released in the United States when first released in 1957. The UK’s first official release of that album wasn’t until 1977, twenty years later. So somehow, these British players got American records, but vice versa, American players never got hold of these British records. It’s a shame that most musicians of the time never got to hear these records, but today, thanks to the internet, we can appreciate these breathtaking recordings.

Rocking Down Under: Kallaj’s Guide To Aussie Rock [PART ONE]

Rocking Down Under: Kallaj’s Guide To Aussie Rock

Australia; home of the Sydney Opera House, Koala’s, and The Wiggles.  

Look, I would have said Cold Chisel but you wouldn’t get it

Is it any wonder why this country is great?  What puts this country apart from the rest, despite an obvious location joke, is this country accepts true rock music, just look at their fans.

The Pre Mullet Age of 1973

 When we think of Aussie Rock, bands that come to mind include the mighty AC/DC, Men Down Under, INXS, and Midnight Oil. All of these groups are great in their own right, but I’m going to pass by them today to introduce the cats you don’t know; that you should know. This list is in chronologic order, and each of the artists listed have shocked the pants off me because: 1. I Didn’t know them; 2. They Aren’t the Wiggles, and 3. Are the epitome of Aussie Rock. So sit back, grab a Fosters, and keep your ears open for some great Aussie Rock

1: "Wild One": Johnny O’Keefe

Every country has its Elvis type figure to bring Rock to its respective masses; we had Elvis (duh), England had Cliff Richard, and Australia had Johnny O’Keefe. J.O.K, as many refer to him, was the first Australian to hit local Australian Top 40 charts, and was the first Aussie rocker to tour here in the states. His flamboyant stage attire, stage antics, and influences of American Rock N Roll drove Australia nuts. From the mid 50’s to the early 60’s, J.O.K released countless covers of rock staples to the Aussie masses, as well as hosting one of Australia’s first Rock TV Programs, “Six O Clock Rock”. What separates him from other early Aussie rock pioneers is this song, “Wild One”. The story goes that J.O.K and his group, The DeeJays were playing a gig above an Italian Wedding. One thing lead to another in the mens bathroom, of all places, and a full scale riot occurs. After the Navy came to restore order, J.O.K was inspired to write the song that gave Australia its first big step in Rock history. Now a rock standard, You might not know his version, but you are probably aware of famous covers done by Jerry Lee Lewis or Iggy Pop. 

2: "Sorry": The Easybeats

        If Johnny O’Keefe is the Australian equivalent of Elvis, then The Easybeats would certainly be The Beatles. I think it’s safe to say that if you know classic rock, you have come across “Friday on my Mind” at least once, but there is far more to talk about then that one song. Although they formed in Sydney, all five members of the Easybeats came from Europe. From the end of World War II to the start of the 1960s, many Europeans decided to leave and start over in Australia. At the time, Australia was desperate for an increase in population and the Aussie government focused on immigration by trying to get Europeans to move down under. Without trying to get too heavy into the politics, the families of George Young (Of Scotland), Harry Vanda (of Denmark), Dick Diamonde (of The Netherlands), Stevie Wright and Gordon "Snowy" Fleet (both of England) all were part of this wave of immigration. They were signed by Ted Albert of Albert Records (one of Australia’s first Indie labels), and by 1966, The Easybeats had 4 top 10 singles. Then they recorded their first number one, “Sorry”, and the real story begins. Written by Vanda and Wright, “Sorry” is raw, snotty and loud. The real distinctive quality, though, is Harry Vanda’s choppy guitar intro, climaxing with a slightly distorted guitar solo. This goes on the list of Punk before Punk, right up with “You Really Got Me”.  

3: "Turn Up Your Radio": The Masters Apprentices 

The Masters Apprentices are like no other band, and the first Aussie band I can think of that had their own distinct sound. Formed originally in 1964 as a surf rock band, The Mustangs, they would shift from the Ventures sound towards the Blues only a year later. The Mustangs were now the Masters Apprentices. Their sound was rawer, louder, and fuzzier than any other top 40 band of the day (put on their song “Buried and Dead”). Their sound was badass, but The Masters still marketed towards the younger pop audience. ("5 10 Man").  By the time 1970 rolled around, the band grew tired of their teenybopper image, and recorded "Turn Up Your Radio". Let’s take a look at what this song accomplishes: 1. A Song about Rock Music; 2. One or more musicians were drunk at the time of recording; 3. The song is low key an insult to someone/something.  Yeah, that sounds like a rock classic to me! Just listen to that twisted guitar/ horn section combination that circles though the song. How much more annoying can you get, but you gotta love it! Funny enough, after recording it, Australia got tangled in a Radio ban and the song didn’t get much radio play. Regardless, it still hit number 7 on the charts.

I've only listed three great records here, but I still have much more to discuss. Stay tuned for Part 2  of Kallaj's Guide to Aussie Rock!

The Flying Burrito Brothers - Gilded Palace of Sin (1969)

The Flying Burrito Brothers

Gilded Palace of Sin

A&M 1969

“Any Accolade that I’ve been payed and any kind of acknowledgment of my success, is an acknowledgment of Gram Parsons” - Dwight Yoakum 

Gram Parsons is Cosmic American Music, short and simple. What is Cosmic American Music? Well, it's a mix of American roots music such as Rock, Blues, Country, and Folk, all mixed together. With this, Parsons influence would fall over much of popular music from 1969 until his untimely death in 1973.  His spell was over the Byrds as they created the first true country rock masterpiece “Sweetheart of the Rodeo”, and Gilded Palace is truly what he wanted Sweetheart to be.  To backtrack, when “Sweetheart” was being recorded, Parsons was featured more prominently on vocal duties. When the album hit post production, the story goes that Roger McGuinn felt Gram was getting too much attention, so his vocals were removed from some tracks, leaving him singing “You’re Still On My Mind”, “Life In Prison”, and the seminal “Hickory Wind”.  After leaving the Byrds, Gram formed the Flying Burrito Brothers with Ex Byrd Chris Hillman, Steel Guitarist “Sneaky Pete” Kleinow and Bassist Chris Ethridge. Within these four musicians, they would a develop a deep unity between two similar, but yet opposing, types of music, Rock and Country, with Gram Parsons at the wheel.

      The opening track to the album, “Christine’s Tune”, sets up the listener of what’s to come, country rock music that  got drugged and went to church. Lyrically, this song could be performed by the likes of George Jones or Buck Owens; evil girl out to get you, she’s always around to get at you, and you can never escape from her. What starts to bend reality is the inclusion of that fuzzed steel guitar, supplied by “Sneaky Pete” Kleinow. Listening to it, you loose the sense of that honky tonk/Bakersfield country aesthetic and you peer into the west coast psychedelic beyond. It shows how vital of an opening track it is by foreshadowing this album in a song; this is what you’re getting into and any sense of regularity is long gone. 

If Gram is the heart and soul of this album, then Chris Hillman is blood flowing. Hillman’s contributions should not be over looked. He, like Gram, had a wide taste in music, with big elements of country, as well as bluegrass under his fingers. Hillman’s bluegrass styles are seen heavily on “My Uncle” (which he cowrote with Parsons).  Again, the idea of a traditional country feel is very present, but the lyrics, depicting scenes of the draft and subsequent dodging of it gives the whole idea of making country accessible to a rock audience. 

What wraps this album together is the inclusion of "Do Right Woman" and "Dark End of the Street"; two soul songs.  Country and Soul music share many similarities;  southern oriented, rooted in the church, and an expression of the heart. 

Dark End Of The Street

Do Right Woman

The big three musical elements of this album are Rock, Country and Soul. Many would consider this album as Proto Country Rock, but I disagree with that label. This album offers much more than just Country and Rock, and to label it as such shuts off other idea's that this album has produced. Having three contrasting, but very similar styles pull together, giving off the idea of what Parsons was searching for, Cosmic American Music.