World Wide Woozle episode #483

After my rather long and involved blog entry last week I had a look at how many people had read it via the website. Not many. I was a bit surprised but then I guess my rather sporadic output may be a contributing factor. Of course, I have no way to tell how many people actually read the email I send out. I won't lie; I had a bit of a "why am I bothering" moment. The truth, however, is that with the exception of a couple of episodes, I've always felt that I had something I wanted to write about. I'm not a writer, just a guy who always wanted to be a radio announcer and who is genuinely interested in music. So I'll keep writing. It's a bit like playing a gig. You always give 100% because that's what rock and roll is all about. If it's two blokes and a dog in the crowd you still play as if there was a thousand screaming punters. Ever onward...

John Cougar Mellencamp - You've Got To Stand For Somethin' - https://youtu.be/czra89vntkY

In 1992, then Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna was fired from the band. His replacement was John Bush from Armored Saint who would front the band until 2005. It's messy as to when Bush left and Belladonna came back as there are reunion gigs and a whole lot of other stuff involved. My point in telling you all this is that it was recently the anniversary of the release of Anthrax's first album with Bush. "Sound of White Noise" (released on May 25, 1993). I wasn't particularly keen on Anthrax in the pre-Bush era but his strong vocal delivery really added something to the band's sound and any releases that he sang on are well worth checking out. There's also an excellent live DVD available called "Music of Mass Destruction". Anthrax have released some excellent albums with Belladonna more recently but in my opinion, while being a solid singer, they should've hung onto John Bush.

Anthrax - Room For One More - https://youtu.be/XfT25gfatFk

Anthrax - Caught in a Mosh (live) - https://youtu.be/eM11x00D1iI

If you're a metal fan, you could do a lot worse than to follow @ThisDayInMETAL on Twitter. 

Ahab, named for the character in Moby Dick, are a German band who play music that moves from quiet and melodic, through to funeral, doom laden dirges complete with death metal guttural vocals. It's a hard listen at times but, if you're reasonably open minded and don't mind heavy and progressive music then it might grow on you. It's a bit like Jethro Tull and Black Sabbath had a baby with a sore throat...or not.

Ahab - The Isle - https://youtu.be/YyjOvaMo5Ec

Earlier in the week, while walking...trying out my new shoes...I was listening to some old Divinyls songs. What a great band they were. Pure Aussie rock and roll. I didn't realise that guitarist and songwriter Mark McEntee was also in Air Supply way back in the 70s! What a trip! Anyway, here's Divinyls doing their thing...

Divinyls - Sleeping Beauty - https://youtu.be/wdk0vCzs3A4

Divinyls - I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore (live) - https://youtu.be/ChnJlOhZZj0

Alan Parsons, well known for his music as well as for being lampooned by Mike Myers in the second Austin Powers film (click here if you haven't seen it) has a new single. It's quite laid back and would almost fit on a Travelling Wilburys album. Anyway, I liked it and the clip is great as well.

Alan Parsons - As Lights Fall - https://youtu.be/qImCjQ4K988

The next song is from a group of New Yorkers called Vampire Weekend. The track is catchy and definitely reminds me of Van Morrison. And with winter definitely coming here in Canberra this summery tune is a welcome ray of sunshine. I'll be checking out more from this band in the near future.

Vampire Weekend - This Life - https://youtu.be/FwkrrU2WYKg

For many bands, getting to play their songs along with a symphony orchestra seems to be the thing to do. Groups like KISS and Metallica have done it well. This is not that kind of example. It begins well and I love Status Quo but in the end the orchestra is wasted. Maybe it was better on the night.

Status Quo - Whatever You Want (live) - https://youtu.be/SWBRcWDsHkk

Earlier I mentioned my new running (walking) shoes. Well, so far I've had a couple of long walks and one walk/shuffle/jog in them. And without wanting to appear too hopeful it's all going well. I'm off to the Podiatrist shortly for my scan results and to find out if I either get orthotics, continue to limp forever or have my foot cut off. Fingers crossed for a good outcome. The long walks were good and the jog was amusing and it'd be good to be able to run for a bit longer than 1km.

The Spencer Davis Group - Keep On Runnin' (live) - https://youtu.be/TyZrK9meebo

Whilst KISS are travelling the world, lip syncing their way through another greatest hits farewell tour, former band member Ace Frehley is playing live shows and putting out solid new material. Don't get me wrong, plenty of people are loving the KISS experience but even for them feels a bit fake. Ace has just released a video for his song "Mission TO Mars" which comes from his 2018 album, "Spaceman". Good song, fun video.

Ace Frehley - Mission To Mars - https://youtu.be/n92S-3K1WyA

Bruce Springsteen also has a new track available. You can listen to it here. If you're a fan of The Boss then please let me know what you think. Personally I thought it was a bit bland.

What's not bland is the next rendition of a Springsteen classic. How much fun do you think all of these 1000 Catalan folks are having?

No Surrender Festival - No Surrender - https://youtu.be/alorNxGo0FM

On to my two album reviews for this episode.

Album 33/100 - Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)

This is an album I grew up with. My family's record collection included this one as well as 1966's "Sounds of Silence". I still have a cassette I made with one album on each side. Simon & Garfunkel successfully bridged the gap between folk, Americana and popular music. There was something for everyone without ever selling out. From the beauty of the title track, through the complicated and catchy rhythm of "Cecilia" to the deceptively simple sounds of "The Boxer" there is so much to dig into on this record.

Simon & Garfunkel - Baby Driver - https://youtu.be/J8i4Rp3qizk 

Album 34/100 - The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (1971)

In my opinion, this is the best Rolling Stones album. Others have big hits on them for sure but this one is the most consistent to listen to right through. Whatever happened in the writing and recording of "Sticky Fingers" it all just seems to gel. For guitar nerds; this is the first Stones album with Mick Taylor. If you only had to have one Rolling Stones album then I'd recommend this one.

The Rolling Stones - Can't You Hear Me Knocking - https://youtu.be/Gz5mI6tqm_Q

Steve Earle - Dead Flowers (live - Rolling Stones cover) - https://youtu.be/NPCkv-N7GsU

Surely that's enough for one episode. 

See you next time around,

Rob

"Nothing to see where the sleeping souls lie,

And don't it feel good...", Chemical Warfare (don't it feel good), Slayer / Katrina & The Waves, 2019

World Wide Woozle episode #482

I really don't know where to start this episode. A while ago I tried to leave writing about politics to one side but, after Australia's recent Federal Election, it's a hard thing to ignore. Maybe I'll start there. If you aren't interested in Australian politics or my opinion then feel free skip forward a bit.

Midnight Oil - One Country - https://youtu.be/Mz3HShQkdd4

This has been a remarkable election in many ways. Not only did every single pre-election poll get it wrong but so did all of the major political commentators and journalists. Did they underestimate the attraction of the Liberal - National Party coalition? Not really. Only a few LNP politicians recorded major swings towards them in the primary vote. What seems to have happened is that voters not wanting to vote Labor, Green or any left leaning party sprayed their votes among those parties on the right of the spectrum such as the United Australia Party or One Nation. And when their significant number of preferences were brought to bear, the LNP was the clear beneficiary. This has made me sad, angry and frustrated over the past few days. When did it become OK for a billionaire to spend $80m on an election simply to avoid a Labor Government? Why have Australians, renowned for giving people a fair go, voted for a government with an appalling record with regards to the treatment of refugees and minority groups? Why have working Australians voted to allow big business to continue to pay little or no tax? Why did Australians vote to continue to ignore the environment? And why did Australians vote to allow the top 20% of wealthiest retirees to avoid paying tax? I could go on but you probably get the general idea. I do have an answer for you. Firstly, many Australians are almost completely disconnected from the political process. Our politicians, in general, are such a circus that a lot of people simply turn off. As a result, when making their electoral choices they may be greatly influenced by the media without anything resembling a decent level of critical thinking. Secondly, for those actually interested, there is very little balanced newspaper and TV reporting available. I won't even start on the shock jock right wing radio personalities who do little except promote outrage, intolerance and ignorance. The other thing worth mentioning is that the Labor Party went into the election making two key mistakes. One was to actually have a well thought out and readily available range of policies on offer. This was in complete contrast to the LNP for the main part. Voters were scared into thinking that Labor wanted to tax or change everything. And while that may or may not have been the truth, the reality is that many voters made their mark on the ballot paper with one hand on the pencil and the other protecting their wallets. The other mistake the Labor Party made was their leader. Bill Shorten seems to me to be a man genuinely keen to do well by the Australian people (so does Scott Morrison, the Liberal Party leader) but he is simply not popular with voters. And with politics being (sadly) more about personality than substance and policy, he was fighting an uphill battle. In the end, the figures reveal that the LNP got the lowest primary vote they've ever had. I'd say that the message from this election is that the three major parties have a lot of work to do to engage Australians.

The Saints - Know Your Product - https://youtu.be/h9M3b9lh-7s

I've been a Labor voter since I first voted at 18. I was brought up to believe in equality and what Australians call a fair go. At university I discovered, through study and music, political movements and ideals that resonated with me. As a result I lean to the left of the political spectrum. This time around I couldn't vote for Labor though. Whilst no political party is ever perfect there was one issue that stood out for me. The Labor Party committed funding, if elected, to open up coal seam gas extraction (fracking) in northern Australia. This flew in the face of almost everything else they were doing to address issues relating to climate change and the environment. I did contact my local Labor candidate about it but she was either unwilling, or not allowed to comment.

TISM - I'm Interested In Apathy (live) - https://youtu.be/Yv3jcpFjmus

Let me be perfectly clear here, this is not an invitation for discussion about politics in Australia. I'm simply not in a place to be able to do that at the moment. My view is that Australia has ended up with a government that is not at all interested in the values that I think define Australia. Other countries could now fairly see us as xenophobic, greedy and self-serving. 

Spy Vs Spy - Mingle n' Mix - https://youtu.be/gP-QmmQCEhQ

The election, along with a few other issues made me decide this week to take an extended break from Facebook. There's a toxic element to social networking in general that I decided that I didn't need for now. Facebook, and Instagram to a lesser extent, can be wonderful for allowing people to share their holiday photos, significant events and, in my case, this blog. What I have grown to dislike more and more recently is the amount of time wasted on either being angry online or people being self-righteous. I'm only a few days into my self-imposed exile but it feels pretty good so far. I've read more interesting and positive articles on various blogs and have also spent more time offline which I think is healthy.

Kane Gang - Respect Yourself - https://youtu.be/vscJUpNZn78

Good grief; all of that sounds like a therapy session. If you're still with me....THANK YOU!

I've been reading about cyclists who've taken themselves off on longer riding adventures such as across the USA or the length of the UK. In my opinion riding across Australia is simply too dangerous. Our roads aren't designed for it and staying out of the way of cars and trucks is too hard. I did find one interesting ride from the top of South America all the way to the bottom. It's 11,000km. But it's already booked out ha ha! I must admit that there is a certain appeal in setting off on an adventure. For a while longer I'll stick to riding around here but you never know what's coming up...

Metallica - Wherever I May Roam - https://youtu.be/cwPg8gJq_Kw

It's just less than a month before Zoe and I head back to see our families on Pentecost in Vanuatu. It'll be great to be pretty much off the grid and spending time with people who live life at a very different pace to us. That reminds me that I'd better sort out a couple of classic pieces of literature to take with me. In the past I've enjoyed having the headspace to read for pleasure. 23 days to go I think, but who's counting?!

Warumpi Band - My Island Home - https://youtu.be/yZEodxUx2ME

I know that song's about Elcho island in Arnhem Land but you hear it non-stop in Vanuatu and let's face it, it's just a great track.

The new running (walking) shoes have arrived. I was going to buy them locally but the $70 difference in price was too much to absorb. I've only been wearing them today and haven't tried running again but I'll get to it shortly. Canberra is being blessed by fabulous Autumn weather which is perfect for being outdoors. I've also been for my foot ultrasound but I haven't got the results yet. What that means is that the Podiatrist's thoughts were correct, meaning that there's nothing going on down there that he didn't expect. That's good news.

Fats Domino - Walking to New Orleans - https://youtu.be/o-eWAuFmjN0

Gee, I haven't written anything about music yet. The truth is that I've not done much listening in the last couple of weeks. A combination of enjoying Angus being home and working a lot has meant that I've really only had the radio on for the news. I have, however, churned through another couple of supposedly essential albums....here are my broef thoughts on them.

Album 31/100 - Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)

Public Enemy differed from their well known contemporaries, Ice-T and NWA in that their message, although often graphic and uncompromising, offered some forward thinking and solutions. I was a big fan of their 1990 album, "Fear of a Black Planet" even if I had been unable to get through a small crowd to meet them one day in Brisbane after being told by another fan that I wasn't welcome because I was white. That was an interesting moment. However, this is a really good listen. Chuck D has THE voice for rap music and all the elements of PE's particular style are rock solid here. The samples, beats and scratches are now legendary on this seminal long player. A couple of years later the band would team up with thrash metal titans, Anthrax, for a reworked version of "Bring The Noise". If you're thinking that you should have a listen to some rap music to see what all the fuss is about then start here. It doesn't get any better.

Public Enemy - Prophets Of Rage - https://youtu.be/_2JoFPHpYzI

Album 32/100 - Various Artists - Guardians of the Galaxy (soundtrack 2014)

I'll admit that I was taken aback to see a compilation album listed in an essential 100 list. And whilst I'm a big fan of the movie (it's a hoot) I didn't think that this soundtrack should be on the list. If any soundtrack was going to be included I'd have the ones from "Good Morning Vietnam" or even "La Bamba". The thing is, once you listen to the Guardians soundtrack album a few times, especially if you're familiar with the film, it sort of makes sense. It all fits together really well and you understand how much of a part the music plays in making the film so successful as a motion picture experience. So; not my favourite soundtrack by a long shot but still a decent compilation.

Blue Swede - Hooked On A Feeling - https://youtu.be/_ZKZ_lQ5FWQ

That'll do folks. I'll try and be on a more even keel for the next episode. Thanks for listening.

Rob

"...this isn't the land I was told it would be,

it's not so equal and not so free...", The Long Run, Redgum, 1980

World Wide Woozle episode #481

This episode took a while to get finished. My apologies.

A fair bit has happened since I last published a post here so I hope you're ready for a long read. Or feel free to skip to the music links; I won't be offended.

Angus has returned home after 18 months living in Vancouver, Canada. Needless to say the dog was very happy to see him. Sooky, our new addition seems to think that he is OK as well. It looks like Angus will be in Australia for the winter at least and after that, who knows. Meanwhile Zoe is doing her final six week practical placement with the Queensland Ambulance Service. After she does that, her and I will fly off to Vanuatu for a couple of weeks on Pentecost followed by her graduation. The London Ambulance Service has changed Zoe's start date to January so she's off to volunteer somewhere in Fiji. At least she'll be warm and she isn't going in cyclone season!

Primal Scream - Movin' On Up (live) - https://youtu.be/Tx-2_JcKkSk

Do you remember my mate Todd who got hit by a car last year whilst on his last bike training session for Ironman? Well, fast forward a year and he became an Ironman on Sunday at Port Macquarie. It was an amazing day and seeing Todd achieve that goal was marvellous. He has to be one of the most determined people I've ever met. 

Rollins Band - Shine (live) - https://youtu.be/r3vv-dwj2wM

Other friends had told me that being a supporter during an Ironman was hard work and they weren't wrong. I was there at about 6:15am to see the 1/2 Ironman competitors start their race and, after hanging out at the course all day cheering Todd on I got back in the car at about 9pm. Nothing compared to the competitors I can assure you but I was pretty whacked and a bit hoarse into the bargain. But my dodgy foot didn't hurt....why, I hear you ask....read on.

In 2011 I was told that I would never run again as a result of an injury near the ball of my left foot. I was devastated. This meant the end of triathlon for me. As a result I became the mad, and perhaps obsessive cyclist that I am now. And I didn't run again. This year, my foot became so sore that even walking around the house was painful so I decided to see if a Podiatrist could help. Well, he can and I got a big shock. After poking and prodding my foot he told me I could go running if I wanted. All I needed were new shoes and an orthotic. This really made my head spin and to be truthful, it still is. I left with instructions to get an ultrasound, new shoes and to report back in a month. I've got a temporary orthotic that I now have to wear in my shoe. And guess what, I stood up for almost 15 hours on Sunday and my foot wasn't at all sore. Good grief! I'm taking this really slowly but if I can walk without pain I'll be ecstatic. I'm really not sure about returning to running but it's nice to perhaps have the option.

Pink Floyd - Run Like Hell (movie version) - https://youtu.be/q68Qwgz1aXQ

Album 29/100 - Lou Reed - Transformer (1972)

I wanted to like this album as Lou's 1989 long player, "New York", is one that I really like. This one, well, I thought it was dreadful. Everyone knows the single, "Walk on the Wild Side" and it's a great track but the rest of the album just put me to sleep. I found the instrumentation dull and the vocals like Bob Dylan but without soul. Maybe you had to be there in 1972 but I found little to like about "Transformer" other than this song...

Lou Reed - Satellite of Love - https://youtu.be/kJoHspUta-E

Album 30/100 - Prince - Purple Rain (1984)

I already knew that I liked this album. The film of the same name is a classic of 80s music and I've watched it many, many times. "Purple Rain" is an album with four well known Top 10 hits and the rest of the record is all high quality. It's a great pop-rock mix of guitars, synths and vocals delivered with passion and style. Prince's guitar skills are often overlooked but you need only listen to the tortured guitar solo at the end of "Let's Go Crazy" to get a glimpse into his rock and roll sensibilities. "Purple Rain" won Grammies and is also one of the top selling soundtrack albums of all time. I'm not a huge Prince fan but this album is an absolute classic.

Prince - Let's Go Crazy - https://youtu.be/XftVhzWeKvY

Long time readers may remember me prompting you all to listen to the Victorian band, Painters & Dockers. Recently I discovered that they'd put their entire discography online. Given that so many of their albums are nigh on impossible to track down this made me pretty happy. I also hadn't realised just how much material they'd put out. This week I've been giving a fair bit of time to their live record, "Overt and Deliberate". Recorded in 1987 in Auckland, New Zealand it really is a warts and all album. And as a result I think it captures the essence of the band; raw, loud and uncompromising. They're pretty funny too. Given that only 500 copies were released of this album, it's a good thing that it's on Spotify for us all. Dock on!

Painters and Dockers - Soul Child (live) - https://youtu.be/Ys7TXrO7P5w

Painters and Dockers - You're Going Home In The Back Of A Divi Van - https://youtu.be/R5Cw043lPCE

That's enough for this time. See you all next time here on the World Wide Woozle...

Rob

"It might not be my place to help,
But don't,

But don't,

But don't,

Be so hard on yourself", Don't Be So Hard On Yourself, Alex Lahey, 2019