World Wide Woozle episode #466

I hope you've all had a good time over the Christmas break with time to take stock of 2018 and maybe to look ahead to 2019. A cartoon I saw asked what 2019 would bring. The answer was 365 days of opportunity. Fair enough.

Last week I told you about the signed lyric sheet that I received as a gift. Well, it inspired me to pickup my guitar for the first time in quite a while. The result is a recording, by yours truly, of the song in question. A few of you will have heard it by now and given that the reaction has been quite favourable I'm going to take a deep breath and put a link to it here. It's a fairly straight ahead cover version but putting it together was fun.

Rob Woozle - Under The Milky Way (The Church cover) - https://soundcloud.com/robwoozle/under-the-milky-way/s-WNOAK

For those of you interested in the recording...it's just my (cheap) Taylor acoustic guitar plugged straight into an old Roland Edirol interface. This is a guitar that I don't like the sound of acoustically but it records really well. The recording software is Reaper, which is free. I used a Sennheiser MK4 studio condenser microphone for the vocals, with thanks to Tim at GuzBox Sound. The whole thing took about 3 hours. I've got another two tracks ready to record so along with this one and two I did a while back that's enough for an EP I think!

On Christmas Eve I went to the cinema to see Bohemian Rhapsody. A great many people had recommended it, including my Mum, so I took advantage of $9 tickets and off I went. On the whole I really enjoyed it. The music was great, the acting was solid and visually it was spectacular in all the right places. There are quite a few issues with the storyline in terms of accuracy and the actual timeline but for the vast majority of viewers I'd highly recommend it. The actors playing John Deacon and Brian May are almost dead ringers for the actual people; it was uncanny.

Queen - Who Wants To Live Forever - https://youtu.be/_Jtpf8N5IDE

"Who Wants To Live Forever" appears as part of the soundtrack by Queen to the film, "Highlander". It's possibly my favourite movie of all time. I saw it for the first time in the 80s at the Moe Drive-in. If you haven't seen it then do yourself a huge favour and organise a viewing. UK prog-rockers Marillion apparently turned down the chance to provide the soundtrack.

I spent some time this week listening to John Moreland's 2013 long player, "In The Throes". It's down to earth folk, rock and blues. Actually it feels to me like how Bruce Springsteen might sound if he was starting out today. John is an understated but fantastic exponent of the acoustic guitar and he has a rough and rich voice as well. I'm not sure why he's not a household name. Probably because...

John Moreland - Nobody Gives A Damn About Songs Anymore - https://youtu.be/hopckxCEXg8

I may have played that song before. Sadler Vaden also released it on an album. But it's John's song and it's a cracker.

Last time I played a track by Ocean Colour Scene. Well DJ CherryP told me that she'd seen them play supporting Paul Weller a while back. You all know Paul...the guy from The Jam right? Well he's been putting good music out for many years now. Of course you can groove away to "In The City" or "That's Entertainment" but there's much more to Paul than those hits.

Paul Weller - Days of Speed (live/acoustic) - https://youtu.be/OzNJGGULLMI

H told me about his trip to Newcastle to see Jim Moginie's band play. Jim is one of the guitar players in a band you might have heard of called Midnight Oil. His other band, one of them, The Family Dog sounds like a lot of fun. I've just started listening to their latest album, "Bark Overtures". If you like The Hoodoo Gurus, White Stripes, Russell Morris or Radio Birdman then there's something here for you.

Jim Moginie & The Family Dog - I'm Happy - https://youtu.be/jZNNxtl1kGM

There are three days left in the year and I've well and truly eclipsed my all time yearly cycling mileage record. You can't say kilometreage, it sounds silly. At the moment I'm at 13,630km. Even without the current heatwave conditions I'm not going to get to 14,000km; that would be more madness than I'm capable of. I was happy to beat my record and then to hit 13,500km as well. But that's enough. Anything else I manage in the next few days is a bonus. I've looked back at my year on the bike and the longest break I've taken is 3 days. I need to do better in 2019 at taking a rest here and there. But until then I'll ride on.

Icehouse - Crazy (live 1988) - https://youtu.be/aYf8W6f-vc0

There you go. A shorter episode than last week but it's all quality stuff I promise. I'll be back next time with the first episode of 2019 and news of a big listening project I plan to undertake.

Thanks for listening in 2018,

Rob

"Jimmy joined the Army 'cause he had no place to go...", Rich Man's War, Steve Earle, 2004

World Wide Woozle episode #465

Hi everyone,

After a week off from the World Wide Woozle, I'm back with a bumper edition just in time for your listening pleasure over the Christmas break. I've tried really hard to have something for everyone this time around. OK, let's go...

I really, really like the Danish band "Volbeat". Their sound is a bit metal, a bit rock and roll and sometimes a bit rockabilly too. Vocalist Michael Poulsen has a really strong voice and writes a good melody. The band also includes former "Anthrax" guitarist Rob Caggiano. A live album has just been released and here's a track from it. To save you time; the chorus is in Danish. "For evigt" means "forever" (at least I think that's right)

Volbeat - For Evigt (live) - https://youtu.be/ssFkvwCN_RY

You may remember that Paul McCartney released an album recently. It's been on my playlist for a while now and I must admit that for a guy who is obviously making music for the pure joy of it, he does it well. One of the songs has just been released as a single with a fabulous video clip. What a great rock and roll track!

Paul McCartney - Who Cares - https://youtu.be/7WOb6ePqjIE

Another new live concert release is the set from David Bowie recorded at Glastonbury in 2000. The concert aired originally on the BBC and was truncated. The full version is now available (2 CDs and a DVD) for you to purchase and enjoy. What I've heard so far is pretty good. His band is rock solid and the man himself is in fine form.

David Bowie - I'm Afraid Of Americans (live) - https://youtu.be/t1Jkqy04beg

Let's stay in the UK for the moment but head north to Scotland. Glaswegian Gerry Cinnamon is making big waves in the music scene there with sold out shows all over the place and a debut album (Erratic Cinema) doing very well. It was a crowd-funded effort. Gerry, who cites Oasis and Dylan amongst his influences, sometimes sings in his Glaswegian accent (rhyming hair with floor...). Personally I've had the album playing almost non-stop for a week or so and I really like it. To add to this, Gerry's enthusiastic live performances really add to the music; he's obviously having a ball. Definitely an artist to watch...

Gerry Cinnamon - Belter (live) - https://youtu.be/w6puO67bDg4

Gerry Cinnamon - Lullaby (live) - https://youtu.be/wOjrTwbwTPI

One of my absolute favourite 80s songs is Nena's, "99 Luftballons". It's a great tune but also reminds me of having to learn the lyrics in Year 10 German! I know that DJ Doc is a fan too. I've probably played the tune recently but a little while ago I heard this version and really enjoyed it. American punksters Goldfinger really rev the tune up and as a bonus they also sing a verse in German.

Goldfinger - 99 Red Balloons (live) - https://youtu.be/Kqe9jZ17JFY

After listening to Gerry Cinnamon, Spotify decided that I should be grooving to the next band. The algorithm was correct. Great band, great tune. Ocean Colour Scene are English but for some reason I thought they were Canadian...who knows why?! I like the insistent beat in this tune as well as the wah guitar. Maybe a Doors vibe going on?

Ocean Colour Scene - The Riverboat Song - https://youtu.be/brzzM31G4x8

Cookin' On 3 Burners are a funk trio originating in Melbourne. Other than that, I know nothing about them. I've been listening to their album, "Lab Experiments Vol. 2". The cool beats and the Hammond organ make for a great fun sound. Maybe someone out there knows more about them?

Cookin' On 3 Burners - The Jump Off - https://youtu.be/PDhSh-yTP2Q

The Dollyrots are one of my favourite pop-punk bands. They're crowdfunding a new album over at PledgeMusic if that sort of thing interests you. They've also released a Christmas song that's sure to have you pogo dancing all over the house. If you spend some time watching their live footage you'll see Luis on playing a Gibson Joan Jett signature guitar....I used to have one of those. Foolishly I sold it. D'oh!

The Dollyrots - The Dollyrots Do Christmas - https://youtu.be/DG3-ea_q5v8

Bruce Springsteen recently did a run on Broadway. It was him telling stories of his life and playing songs accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and piano. In the interests of providing you all with a decent review I have listened to the whole thing twice. I wish I hadn't. Whilst his storytelling is pretty good my opinion is that he really murders some of his best tunes. At the start of the show his guitar sounds particularly dreadful which doesn't help. You can watch the show on Netflix should you choose to and you can listen on Spotify or by purchasing the CD. There are some very good moments in there but the not so good bits far outweigh them. I was majorly disappointed.

And so this is Christmas. There are plenty of songs about this time of year and some of them are even good. I was in the waiting room at the doctor the other day for an excruciating 20 minutes of dreadfully chirpy Christmas songs. I'm sure that the staff there will need therapy to deal with the after effects. If you must play songs of yuletide over and over can I recommend the Elvis Presley Christmas album? Or perhaps the excellent compilation, "We Wish You A Metal Xmas"? Or this....

Keith Richards - Run Rudolph Run - https://youtu.be/KDMDMLF2j1A

My personal favourite Christmas song is up next. Hard to beat.

Paul Kelly - How To Make Gravy (live Double J) - https://youtu.be/FozoWgvh-m4

I was surprised this week by an amazing Xmas gift from my friends Todd and Suzy. I knew that they'd recently been to see "The Church" but what I didn't know was that they'd got some handwritten and autographed lyrics from the band and had them framed for me. I was totally blown away by this. It's a song that I used to play with the band when I was in "Junk Sculpture" as well which is awesome. Thanks you two, you really made my day.

The Church - Under The Milky Way (live) - https://youtu.be/b8sTa95rJmQ

Colin Meloy from "The Decemberists" has a very unique voice. As soon as I heard him sing I knew which band I was listening to. They've released an EP called "Travelling On" and this song is from it. I'll get to listening to the whole EP in the next couple of weeks but as it is made up of outtakes from the sessions of their most recent album it promises to be a real treat.

The Decemberists - I Will Not Say Your Name - https://youtu.be/xAOZvHYmkP8

Neil Young fans both casual and serious should enjoy his album "Songs for Judy". It's made up of live solo recordings from 1976. Neil opened his shows with "Crazy Horse" by playing a solo set. Neil is just as at home playing songs by himself with quite a deal of introspection as he is rocking out with a full band.

Neil Young - Mr Soul (live, solo, acoustic) - https://youtu.be/tbDiegR0vXQ

I may have played a track from Melbourne band "Press Club". And then again my memory could be failing. Regardless, they are a great and energetic independent punk band. I'm sure I played some footage of them from Halfway Records. Anyway, they did a rather cool version of a well known track for JJJ's Like A Version and I thought I'd finish with it this week. All the elements of a great cover are there; energy, attitude, musicianship and soul. It's fun.

Press Club - When We Were Young (Killers cover) - https://youtu.be/zIg5ejhou18

There you go folks. Enough music to get you through the next few days I hope. Have a wonderful holiday however you choose to celebrate and be kind to each other.

Rock on,

Rob

"You're a bum.

You're a punk.

You're an old slut on junk..." - Fairytale of New York - The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl, 1987

World Wide Woozle episode #464

December is here, the sun is out and it looks as though Canberra's magpies have almost all finished attacking wary cyclists. There's still a few episodes to come this year so check your boarding pass and squeeze into the cattle class seating for more nonsense with the World Wide Woozle.

Mashups; some are clever and most are a bit clunky. There's a guy called Bill McClintock, however, who creates simply amazing combinations of the most unlikely tunes. Check out his YouTube channel sometime to be astounded. Here's just a couple to whet your whistle.

Guns N Roses / Stevie Wonder - Living For The Paradise City - https://youtu.be/S9LArNV5pkU

Wham! / Slayer - All She Wants Is South of Heaven - https://youtu.be/JjKqeyb1IL4

Continuing on from last week's trip through some 90's Aussie Alternative classics I came across this little beauty. Great beat and a fun song. The clip seriously got me interested in a Firebird guitar but every time I've tried one something just hasn't clicked.

Swoop - Apple Eyes - https://youtu.be/jVhcEh-lOGk

The other thing that last week's listening reminded me was how many really good female artists are represented in Australian alternative and independent music. 

Killing Heidi - Weir - https://youtu.be/01aq2JWk3d0

The Preatures - Girlhood - https://youtu.be/kiv661bl6yA

The Beautiful Monument - Sins - https://youtu.be/Y33hS49a1-8

I read this week that Mark McEntee from The Divinyls is touring in 2019. This has resulted in quite a few negative comments given the fact that singer Chrissie Amphlett passed away in 2011. So what do you think? Should Mark not tour using the band name he co-founded, playing songs he co-wrote? Or should he be allowed to rock on whilst acknowledging and celebrating the greatness of Chrissie? Personally I'd go to one of the shows. After all, I went to see Dragon play a few years ago and with their only remaining original band member (Todd Hunter) having the night off sick it was still a good show.

The Divinyls - Science Fiction - https://youtu.be/AiCv9F_GRBA

You might like to read this article from The Guardian. Essentially it's about the fact that there are a lot of ways to cope with what life might throw your way but there is a lot of wisdom to be found in music. It might just save you a hefty therapist's bill; who knows? The article made me think about the way music has influenced my life and the pivotal moments that I can identify.  One which I have written about before is being given a cassette with AC/DC's "TNT" on one side and "Back In Black" on the other. I was an instant fan and I remain so more than thirty years down the track. AC/DC's grit, drive and swagger may have encouraged me to play the electric guitar but there was something else that happened a few years later that changed everything. In 1990 a friend loaned me an LP that he thought I should listen to. At the time my music collection was mostly hard rock and metal with a sprinkling of band such as The Pogues and Redgum. The LP I was given was Billy Bragg's "Back To Basics" collection. It's made up of his first three releases, "Life A Riot With Spy Vs Spy", "Brewing Up With Billy Bragg" and the "Between The Wars" EP. Even though it's a pun, it's safe to say that this record turned my world upside down. It was one man, one guitar and lyrics that meant something. Billy's music made me feel that it was alright to question our social order, our politics and the world around us. Looking back, it probably led me to be a little too idealistic at times but that's the price of youth. Billy's punk rock folk music opened my ears and my mind and as a result I eventually spent more time listening to lyrics as well as how the guitars sounded. If you've got a pivotal moment in your musical journey I'd love to hear it.

Billy Bragg - It Says Here - https://youtu.be/riMTjJMytpc

I've refrained about commenting about politics for quite a while now on this blog. The main reason being that I continue to despair at the inability of the majority of our elected representatives to actually do anything meaningful. A recent study shows that around 42% of Australians are satisfied with the way our democracy works. In 2007 that number was 86%. So what does this mean? Well a major disconnect with our major political parties for one. If the ALP is to be the next government as polls would have us believe, I think that they won't have won, the LNP will have lost. Neither party looks good to the voters and I imagine we'll see more MPs and Senators from minority parties or as independents. This means that we may face minority government with those on the cross benches wielding quite a deal of power. But there's a reason that the minority parties are that...because they have big ideas about their own special area rather than for the whole function of government. I dunno folks, it's a huge mess up there on the hill. I really wonder why we pay some of those oxygen thieves.

Redgum - The Drover's Dog - https://youtu.be/J3e1fakSHIY

On a happier and less serious note, Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) has a new album out. It's called "Warm" and it's safe to say that if you like Wilco you'll like this. I think that Jeff's voice is much better suited to quieter tracks and this release seems to showcase that. Well worth a listen for anyone who likes the non-airbrushed version of country music or introspective indie-rock.

Jeff Tweedy - I Know What It's Like - https://youtu.be/zz2v2Ix7FwE

Ok then; that's probably enough for another week. Let's finish with one of the greatest bands of all time...

Electric Mayhem (with Dave Grohl) - Learning To Fly - https://youtu.be/0x2WL_9bVyw

Move and ride along folks,

Rob

"...I'm not growing up,
I'm just burning out..", Green Day, Burnout, 1994

World Wide Woozle episode #463

Once in a while I get stuck in a bit of a musical rut. And by that I mean listening to only a couple of releases over and over again. For the last few weeks it's been the remix/remaster of The Beatles' 1968 classic known as the "White Album". It's funny really because I was never a fan of it in the past. Apart from that I have also had Midnight Oil's most recent live release, "Armistice Day", playing as well. I've written enough about The Beatles for a while...it's a great. So let's move on to Midnight Oil and then what I did to get back to my regular eclectic range of listening.

I didn't see Midnight Oil play on their last tour. At the time they were doing these shows I'd had enough of their music having been playing it solidly in the band for a number of years. I'd dissected live videos and recordings in order to learn how to play lots of their tracks and I really didn't feel the need to revisit that feeling. Plenty of my friends and family, including my daughter, saw the band in various locations and the reports were very good. Fast forward to the present day and there is a live DVD, BluRay, CD and LPs of the gig in Sydney along with a swag of extras depending on which version you buy. Why the complete super deluxe set isn't available on BluRay has left me completely at a loss. The advantage of paying for Spotify is that I can try before I buy with no feelings of guilt; I don't like music piracy. All in all it's a solid release. The band has plenty of energy, they play well and the setlist isn't just a greatest hits parade. There are only two things that I didn't like. Firstly, the version of "Koscisuzko" is very, very average. It's one of my favourite Midnight Oil tracks and I think the reworking they've done is average at best. Worse though is the hollow, tinny snare drum sound that is there through the whole concert. Maybe that's exactly what Rob Hirst wanted his snare to sound like but every time he hits it I feel the pain of a dentist's drill buzzing into my teeth. In general I think the band actually play their songs a lot better than much of the live footage I've examined and Garrett sounds good too. I'm looking forward to actually watching the gig, as opposed to simply listening to it. A year later I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't get to go to one of these shows but I have the fantastic memory of a very very hot and sweaty Oils gig in Brisbane in 1999.

Midnight Oil - Power and the Passion (live) - https://youtu.be/e-_s2UzdSek

So, I hear you ask, how indeed did you get out of the Beatles and Oils listening rut, Rob? Well, after the grim realisation that I'd managed to do this to myself I decided to listen to some new releases. They bored me...I wasn't in the mood. So I headed for one of the multitude of playlists that Spotify comes up with. Avoiding such titles as "Sunday Chill", "Mellow Dinner" and "Monster Dance Hits" I selected "Aussie Alternative Classics". That did the trick. It was a bit like listening to Triple J radio when I enjoyed it with artists like Custard, You Am I, The Cruel Sea, Falling Joys and The Whitlams...you get the idea. It was all jangle, crunch, sticky carpet and lyrics carefully crafted. As a result I'll play a few tracks for you here.

Firstly let's have The Falling Joys. They were a Canberra band with moderate success on the national stage so it was great to hear them pop up on the playlist as I headed to work.

The Falling Joys - You're In A Mess - https://youtu.be/-ZiXyKorkIU

The Cruel Sea were the surprise package for me at the Livid Festival in Brisbane in 1994. DJ Laff and I went to see The Mark of Cain (first band of the day), and Rollins Band (the last) with all other bands being really a bit superfluous to our way of thinking. Jello Biafra failed at holding our attention...a spoken word gig outside in 35 degree heat was never going to go down well. Supergroove were a bit of fun and You Am I must've had an off day as they were simply rotten. But The Cruel Sea were fabulous. Their bluesy, rootsy sound was downright primal that hot night and the crowd adored them.

The Cruel Sea - Better Get A Lawyer (live) - https://youtu.be/S4R1EAFTWqY

I'd forgotten about the next band until they popped up on the radio this past weekend. Another band that didn't last all that long. Sad really as this is a great song.

Fini Scad - Coppertone - https://youtu.be/BLILsNl7FPo

But by far and away my favourite song on the Aussie Alternative playlist comes from Wollongong stoner rock band, Tumbleweed. I saw them play live a couple of times with the highlight being when they, along with Kim Salmon and the Surrealists, supported Rollins Band at Festival Hall in Melbourne in 1994. Tumbleweed's album, "Galactaphonic", is essential listening for those who like their rock and roll loud, sludgy and with a touch of psychedelia. I used to play this song in a band now long gone...

Tumbleweed - Hang Around (live) - https://youtu.be/se_8jkuyyqo 

In interesting and rather unexpected news, DJ Bogus (who is still in Canada) has been getting into The Grateful Dead. Funnily enough they are one band I've not spent that much time with. I did listen to a very recently released live recording during the week and it warrants further investigation. 

The Grateful Dead - Touch of Grey - https://youtu.be/mzvk0fWtCs0

Lastly this week, a shout out to my good friend DJ Ronnie. His radio show (Ronnie's Rock Fusion) is now able to be streamed world wide from the website https://www.valleyfm.com/ . Listen in on Friday evenings from 6pm-9pm Canberra time. For those down south in Tuggeranong it's 89.5 on your FM dial. I can guarantee you'll enjoy a great range of tunes.

Sports - Who Listens To The Radio - https://youtu.be/L4f7HVnLh18

Later,

Rob

"A letter to you on a cassette,

'cause we don't write anymore..." No Aphrodisiac, The Whitlams, 1997