World Wide Woozle episode #581

Hi everyone, I'm coming to you direct from the new HQ World Wide Woozle; hooray! I'm all set up so if you're in Canberra and want to come over for a visit and a chat just let me know. My previous place wasn't really the best for entertaining and whilst I liked what it represented to me at the time, I was a bit embarrassed by it. That's not a problem any more.

A new place to live really has lifted my spirits immeasurably. Maybe the tunes will reflect that.

This one is simply hilarious. To paraphrase RJ Hawke, "if you don't like this then you're a bum".

Thumpasaurus - Struttin' - https://youtu.be/1B1RJiOGPUI

I love it when listeners send me recommendations. This one is from DJ El Jumbles. It's a band I hadn't heard of before but he sent me a whole lot of tracks to try out as well as reasons that he liked them. Apparently this song has over 12 million listens on Spotify. It's definitely catchy and a lot of fun.

Los Campesinos -  You! Me! Dancing! - https://youtu.be/Nj6SO_yKMe8

DJ Laff reminded me of this track during the week. Hoodoo Gurus are a great Australian band who really don't sound like anyone else. 

Hoodoo Gurus - Tojo - https://youtu.be/-cejAebJM68

My mate DJ SAB always talks about this song. The lyrical content is deep and the melody and song structure are almost impenetrably complex. Ripper of a track from 1964.

Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - Mashed Potato - https://youtu.be/br5y-qozYO0

Today (Saturday) was a good day. I walked about 9km this morning in glorious sunshine around Lake Burley Griffin. It was a good day to be out and pretty much everyone else I saw looked fairly pleased with themselves. Winter is almost over! Then I came home and made pancakes. Yum. In the afternoon I cycled about 40km (without being attacked by magpies) and then chilled watching the Canberra Raiders absolutely flog Manly. Not bad at all. 

Jimmy Barnes - No Second Prize - https://youtu.be/LkFXbmELw6c

I think that's enough for this week. I've got a book to get back to reading and some LEGO to build.

Rock on (and come and visit),

The Woozle

"There was fifteen million fingers

Learnin' how to play
And you could hear the fingers pickin'
And this is what they had to say..."

AC/DC, Let There Be Rock, 1977.

World Wide Woozle episode #580

Hi everyone, to paraphrase those deep thinking philosophers called Whitesnake, "here I go again…"

How cool is the original version of that Whitesnake classic? Better than the hairspray filled version from 1987? Maybe.

I delayed this episode on purpose so that I could report back about last night's Russell Morris show. I'd seen a while ago that he was coming to town (well, almost to town) and although I've been leading a relatively hermetic lifestyle I couldn't resist. I last saw him when he was touring the Van Diemen's Land LP a few years ago and I was struck by how good a story teller Russell was.

Russell and his band played at the Tallagandra Hill Winery which was about a 45 minute drive for me. It's a top venue that has attracted some great acts in recent times including Jimmy Barnes, Richard Clapton and The Badloves. It's also where I saw Steve Kilbey (The Church). I still think it was a dreadful show. However, Russell was as good, if not better than last time I saw him. For a guy that was recording singles in the late 60s, with input from people like Molly Meldrum and Johnny Young, he is remarkable. Russel has clearly looked after his voice as well as perhaps being blessed with decent genetics because he hit every note. It was also refreshing to be able to hear his guitar, it was NOT just a prop and he took a guitar solo towards the end of the show as well. There was a decent mix from all the eras of his career and the crowd and band clearly enjoyed the show. I hope the bass player watches some footage of himself before too long. He plays really well but we really didn't need all the stupid faces he was pulling as it detracted from the show. Russell has a new album (with Rick Springfield) so check that out. If you get the chance to see him play then you should take it.

Russell Morris - Hush (live 2022) - https://youtu.be/_DEwnoK5lmo

Russell Morris - Birdsville - https://youtu.be/efq7dzfHegs

A long time ago I lived in country Victoria. I moved away to join the Army before I had a chance to get into the local music scene but I did grab a couple of cassettes of a local band called Lethal Dose one time when I was home on leave. The band was pretty good and I played those tapes quite a bit. A local guy, who joined the band a little later, also went on to play with Mortification and is now in a band called Terraphobia. Mick and the band have a new album coming very soon and a couple of singles are available for streaming. This is for those of you who like their music dark, heavy and fast. All the way from Moe to the World…

Terraphobia - Rise - https://youtu.be/p9bNCiwviy0

I've been trying a couple of podcasts when I'm out walking. Some days I want to listen to the birds and nature but if there's more car noise than chirping I'll tune into something. I was listening to an annoying podcast this week. It was annoying in the same way that low brow TV has to remind you every ten seconds about what is going on. After every song there was a complete recap of what had been said less than five minutes ago. In amongst all that and the host talking all over the guests and reminding us ad infinitum what his name is, I did glean a couple of interesting facts. One was about the guitarist Slash and him going to his girlfriend's house to "listen to music" and her kicking him out because that's what he did. It reminds me of a similar conversation after I saw La Bamba at the movies. Anyway, here's a track from the album that completely captivated Slash's attention.

Aerosmith - Last Child - https://youtu.be/DzVwt-1LpxE

I heard about this band yesterday. The review sounded OK so I threw the album on for a listen. I guess it's not earth shatteringly original but I did quite enjoy it. It's not a million miles from Juliana Hatfield or The Dollyrots in an indie pop moment. Great clip too for you Star Wars fans.

Beach Bunny - Weeds - https://youtu.be/aglrswZJosc

Here's something out of left field that I don't quite know how to describe. If Joy Division, The Mark of Cain and Carcass had a musical offspring then Chat Pile might be it. It's uncomfortable listening at times but I'm sure that's the point. Heavy, noisy, lyrically pointed and sometimes a bit dreamy. It's a trip from Oklahoma. Get a ticket.

Chat Pile - Pamela - https://youtu.be/jCdW0tLkOAQ

A while ago now, Bing recorded a version of Midnight Oil's song Time To Heal with me playing some guitar. You can see and hear it by clicking here. As the World sinks deeper into pandemic, political division and religious intolerance, with much of the intolerance driven by the media, it seems like the right time to play the song again.

Midnight Oil - Time To Heal - https://youtu.be/Ibqa1DsERaU

All things being equal, the next episode will be coming to you direct from the new HQ Woozle. Watch this space, rock on and keep smiling.

The Woozle

"A million lights are dancing and there you are, a shooting star

An everlasting world and you're here with me, eternally"

Olivia Newton-John, Xanadu, 1980.

No-one ever clicks on this last link...it's often not what it says...on purpose.

World Wide Woozle episode #579

Hi everyone and thanks for your patience as I know this episode is a little late.

I started writing this stuff in 2008 because I like sharing good music but also exploring how it makes people feel. I know that for me, for a very long time, I've been able to disappear into a song, an album or a concert and feel good. Books are a bit like that for me as well but in a slightly different way. I remember having a cassette of the Beach Boys Greatest Hits in the early 80s. An awesome afternoon for me was being allowed to borrow the small Hitachi radio cassette player and listen to it in my room, or even on the big stereo in the lounge. Often I'd talk into an old light fitting, pretending it was a microphone and I was introducing the songs. Today we have so many options of how and where to listen to music and, whilst I despair that many people never listen to a whole album, I make the most of the opportunities. Before we go on, here's the Beach Boys song that I love the most. I'm not saying that their other songs aren't great because they are. This one just gets me every time. It's not the lyrics as much as the whole sound and especially the first big drum beat with the great reverb.

The Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice - https://youtu.be/dmcNbsLCpBQ

I'd never listened to the next band until about three days ago. Whilst they are quite well known, they're not what I thought they were going to be, It's no secret that I like some fairly heavy music but I like to understand the vocals too. Amon Amarth seems to have found a way to have the guttural, growling vocal delivery of death metal but in a way that is intelligible. I certainly didn't need a lyric sheet for this one. I've since listened to most of their back catalogue and whilst I'm thrilled to find something new to me that's really cool, I'm a bit sad that I didn't try them earlier. Extra points for anyone who knows what the band's name is without using a search engine.

Amon Amarth - Find A Way Or Make One - https://youtu.be/Je3EcJhxUP8

I like to hear people making music for fun. Not necessarily celebrities and stars, just regular people like me! I heard this the other day and as a result checked out a whole lot of videos from the same group. It's really great for making me smile and you might too. If you don't then perhaps loosen up and smell the roses.

Colt Clark and The Quarantine Kids - Band On The Run - https://youtu.be/zw2bYFkydEY

Bryan Adams has re-recorded and released an album of his classic tracks. This is one of my favourite songs of his and I think the new film clip shows, again, someone enjoying themselves. The song is 24 years old, time flies! White sneakers are back in fashion though it seems....

Bryan Adams with Mel C - When You're Gone (2022) - https://youtu.be/wB4fLBULvdE

My birthday is in April. This year my son Angus told me that he'd ordered me something but it might take a while to come. It came last week. It was so late that he was beginning to think it might be a hoax! It's the "ReWiggled" album on double vinyl. One album is coloured red and blue whilst the other is yellow and purple. If you know, you know. It's a fabulous gift and my new neighbours will enjoy it next week for sure!

The Wiggles - Pub Feed - https://youtu.be/x0CGComnvCY

Polish Club - Apples and Bananas - https://youtu.be/JQCR9BvnLZo

Do you know what a hurdy gurdy is? Neither did I other than it was a musical instrument that Donovan sang about. After watching the next clip I spent far too long finding out and it was pretty cool really. The hurdy gurdy comes in after about a minute so don't skip to the end!

Bardcore - Hallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden cover) - https://youtu.be/tpn62QBlHZc

Finally, The Lemonheads. I wrote about this years ago but I doubt anyone will remember. I was in Impact Records (RIP) here in Canberra. I was looking for something new and in the old days you either heard it on the radio, got a bodgy cassette copy from a friend or took a chance at the record store. Well I spotted the next album in the "alternative" section, liked the cover and took it home. It was so cool. The acoustic guitars mixed with the electric to produce a bit of a jangle, fun and poignant lyrics and no-one I knew was into the band or had even heard of them. A few months later they covered a Simon and Garfunkel song, everyone loved them and I was slightly miffed! My copy of the album is the first version, without that cover version. I saw them live the same year at the ANU Refectory and they sucked. The album, It's A Shame About Ray, was recently re-released with extra tracks and it really took me back to a happy time in my life. Music does that.

The Lemonheads - Confetti - https://youtu.be/46hfIVG1LCE

The Lemonheads - Bit Part - https://youtu.be/fECK5XLwlso

That'll do for another week / episode. Thanks for coming back.

The Woozle.

"The databank knows my number
Says I gotta pay 'cause I made the grade last year..."

AC/DC, Who Made Who, 1986.