Released: 5 August 1985 Label: Stiff (UK & Europe), MCA (US & Canada) Genre: Celtic punk, folk punk Producer: Elvis Costello, Philip Chevron
Celtic punk. Folk punk. Yeh this just wasn’t going to happen for me. I can totally appreciate the artistry with The Pogues, the history and storytelling and the musicality of it all, but this kind of thing really grates on me. It would almost be too silly (it’s really kind of pirate music) if it wasn’t for the politics and poetry. Not one for my favourite list – great album title though!
A lot less rocky than prior years, 2014 was a good ‘un – punctuated by a couple of road trips, a couple of trips home, a new role, and a big move back home to Perth. If I was to pick a low I think I’d be hard-pressed… my toothache in November was pretty shocking (actually the worst pain I can imagine), so there’s that, but that was really the low point. So on balance a kind of great year!
From memory I worked through Christmas but was home in January for Maeve’s 30th birthday which turned into a surprise engagement party/laaaate night partying.. in June I also went back to Perth for Tom and Jenn’s engagement party – a surprise that I almost stuffed up via Facebook (damn geo-tagging!), plus I was back in February for Laneway and suddenly we were so back and forth to Perth it made more sense to be back permanently! The reality, actually, was that we had tossed this up so many times previously that once the opportunity came to buying Andy’s sister’s apartment in Perth we knew we’d be moving back in 2014.
Manly Beach
Though there was the week or so where we were seriously thinking about a Sydney gap-year between Melbourne and Perth, which might be something we’ll grow to regret and/or something we need to revisit at some point. Our Easter drive from Melbourne to Manly via the East Coast and back through Canberra was fantastic, not least because Andy couldn’t speak due to a vocal cord injury, and was accented by a gorgeous night in Manly.. one day Sydney, one day. The National Gallery in Canberra was another highlight here, along with Huskisson.
We road-tripped again to Lorne with Dave and Sal and then came the big move, made all the easier through Andrew’s superior packing and full-time coordination, and we rounded out Melbourne in the only way we’d know how – the (now infamous) South/Port Melbourne pub crawl, this time consolidated to a more sensible 12 venues. Actually, Melbourne ended for me with a lone trip to Hobart and MONA, and even though I was sick as hell, it was a serious highlight of the year, yet again.
The drive back to Perth for me was great – you don’t feel freedom like that much, but driving away from a job and a city and a home, even when you’re just driving to a job and a city and a new home is something pretty special. For whatever reason Andy and I love that open(ish) road feeling; we’re hardly adventurous, but we do love a road trip. Having got home, and then sleeping through Tom’s 30th, I vowed I wouldn’t want to do it again. Now I’d do it in a heartbeat!
Head of the Bight
And being back in Perth is just grand. Living in Northbridge is great and it’s so good to be back with mates and family. Perth is SO far away from everything and it’s quieter and a different pace, and work is the usual boring rollercoaster of engagement/hating life, but it’s all travelling in a nice direction.
As for music.. some other stuff that turned me on (some repeat offenders here):
Ariana Grande, “Break Free feat. Zedd”
Maybe one of the best pop songs ever – absolutely the best pop of the year. Such an awesome pumping tune, frenetic at times, vocals that reach space and a coquettish-space-sex-kitten-wet-dream video to boot. And maybe one of the most gorgeous pop stars ever! But honestly, who wrote some of this shit?
“I only wanna die alive Never by the hands of a broken heart Don’t wanna hear you lie tonight Now that I’ve become who I really are.”
One Direction (again), Four
They can do no wrong in my eyes.. though they’re straying close; when this is good it’s great, but you can see the cracks forming. In the meantime, this is a very decent album and builds on the folkier sound their last album had, which any pop artist worth their salt is currently playing. Their vocals are great… if only it had reached the heights of Taylor Swift’s newbie…
1989 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Taylor Swift, 1989
Everyone seemed to have turned on Swift prior to this release, and then BOOM, overnight, the whole word seemed to be miming videos of “Shake it Off” and were, like, totally in love with “Tay”. It’s actually pretty great, some excellent pop songs, beautiful synths, and the slower “This Love” and “You Are in Love” are where this shines brightest. If only the 1D boys had been able to execute as well… 1-0 to Taylor, Harry.
Lorde (again), Pure Heroine
Technically released in 2013 this was one of that year’s best. I saw her at Laneway and was blown away. A go-to album ever since.
Miley Cyrus, Bangerz
Ultraviolence (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Again, released in 2013 and controversially claimed by some as one of that year’s best, we saw Miley in concert and she was outstanding. Outrageous, catchy songs, southern-twang with urban edge, and can pump out a song like the best of ’em (better, in fact).
Lana Del Rey (again), ‘Ultraviolence’
My love for Del Rey continues in 2014 with this release. Things change up just enough and her vocal and song-writing go from strength to super-strength. So brilliant and didn’t quite get the recognition it deserved – but she’s always been divisive hasn’t she?
Ellie Goulding and Disclosure and Bastille
Three Brit acts that dominated at the Brit Awards – these three all popped up in my playlists throughout the year. On trend, electronic, synthpop. All are smart dance-indie-pop acts.
Released: December, 1977 Label: Red Star Genre: Synthpop Producer: Craig Leon, Marty Thau
Good, maybe great. Moody and throbbing as all hell… the songs are all a bit similar but it’s a consistently awesome sound and man, it does make me want to sway in front of them in a darkened, smokey band room hearing them live.
Oh, and “Frankie Teardrop”? Just don’t try and listen to this at night, alone. Or if you’re on mushrooms or something. Jesus christ… It’s good though.
Top tracks: Easily “Cheree” – apparently about a street person and/or the girlfiend of band member Martin Rev, and the only commercially released single. It’s as hypnotic and dark as the others with an off-putting (or is it comforting?) lullaby like tinkle.
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Released: 28 August 1978 Label: Warner Bros. Genre: Punk rock, new wave, post-punk Producer: Brian Eno
For fuck’s sake. This is just ker-razy. I had like really been looking forward to listening to Devo. Not just because of “Whip It”, maybe the only song that I actually knew, but just generally because I thought this would be great fun. I like new wave, I love Brian Eno, the title of the album is complete gold, and the band’s ethos is pretty awesome (down to their name even).
But man, on the first few listens this was tough going. It’s all insane time signatures and disjointed vocals. It sort of sneers at you, daring you to bother listening. Without having the luxury of growing up with it, the virginal listen-through was a disaster. This seemed like CRAP: I HATED the cover of “Satisfaction”. I can only imagine parents at the time being disgusted.
But it grows on you. Keep going. It’s funny (it’s actually really funny), it’s cool, it’s punk and it’s actually pretty listenable once you get used to it. I wouldn’t try and make someone else listen to it, it’s an acquired taste, but you can absolutely hear the influence that Devo have had on a lot of music today and the music I like most nowadays. It is a bit same-y, like it goes nowhere, but it is pretty fun. Seminal, if you can get used to it.
Top tracks: “Jocko Homo” (the best name of a song ever), and maybe “Shrivel-Up” which has a slightly different vocal and tempo.
Released: September, 1977 Label: Epic Genre: Rock, hard rock, power pop Producer: Tom Werman
This is pretty classic rock-pop and it’s all pretty good. Hardly offensive (and if there’s a problem, that’s it) but it’s big-haired, blue-jeaned, eye-lined fun and it’s all completely polished and totally clean. If it reminds me of anything so far it’s KISS or Deff Leppard except they do it bigger and glammer, but sillier too – more of a glint in the eye. I’m sure the purists would kill me, but I would have liked some more cheese here because this is all a bit middling.
Top tracks: “Downed” (where Australia gets a mention <3) and the hit “I Want You to Want Me”.
Released: November, 1972 Label: United Artists Records Genre: Soul, funk Producer: Jerry Goldstein with Lonnie Jordan and Howard Scott
A soul and funk album from the 70’s…? Look this was never going to work. The World is a Ghetto topped the Billboard charts and was the best selling album of 1973 – certainly impressive, but totally missed on me. Somehow music like this all sounds like it’s from Sesame Street, and it all sounds strangely similar. The harmonica playing is impressive I guess, though honestly I’m not sure harmonicas need any more prevalence than they enjoy already (i.e. not much).
Released: May, 1976 Label: Capitol Genre: Rock, psychedelic rock Producer: Steve Miller
So here we are in Perth. Of course I’m writing this months later catching up on the list, but I first listened to Fly Like an Eagle when we first got back to Perth, and have come back a couple of times since. I think this is best when they spin more off into psychedelia (at times not unlike My Morning Jacket ) and otherwise this is fairly classic rock but it’s good rock, and the space noises help..
Top tracks: Well, the hits “Take the Money and Run” and “Rock ‘n Me”, and also “Fly Like an Eagle”, and then “Wild Mountain Honey” with it’s sweet, dreamy, modern feel.
Released: 15 January, 1970 Label: Atlantic Genre: Rock and roll, protopunk, hard rock Producer: Jon Landau
This was interesting. I was listening to this driving across WA and expecting some hardcore punk for whatever reason. Imagine my surprise when “Tutti-Frutti” explodes out as the opening track. Things then settle down a bit into a fairly frenetic but totally listenable punk-meets-homage to the 50’s. It’s all over in a flash but it’s a pretty good flash while it lasts.
Top tracks: “Shakin’ Street”, though it’s the most mainstream.
Released: March, 1964 Label: Verve Genre: Jazz, bossa nova Producer: Creed Taylor
This was never going to be pretty – jazz and bossa nova are some of the most bone-chilling words I hope to not hear much of – and it was on the Nullabor, literally at the start of the plain itself, that I started listening to this. But actually it all started pretty well. I was driving out to The Head of the Bight, across an absolutely flat scrub desert, totally Mexican in it’s influence, and the first track – “The Girl from Ipanema”, was a seriously excellent beginning. So silky smooth. So gorgeous. Admittedly a classic.
But then the second track started, and the one after, and the one after, and I’m forgiving myself for not making a distinction between any of the others, because it’s just all the freakin’ same. There’s just no punch to this music, no attitude, no thrust, no point. Elevator music through and through. Jazz. Ugh.
Top tracks: “The Girl from Ipanema” is great, maybe by virtue of the fact it was a hit already, maybe because it was first.
It’s poetic that I’m writing this today. Actually, it’s because of today that I’m posting this. Which I guess makes it less poetic and more just, like, because of. Is that causal? Anyway, after a HUGE hiatus from writing anything I’m back. I have, in my defence, continued through the list over the last few months (albeit sporadically). And in my other defence it’s been a pretty huge few months.
So that being said I’m prompted to write this today, write something today, because today I had a triple root canal – which was pain I put up with for far too long, probably leading to the same end but with an agonising few days along the way. So I write something today because I’ve been putting this off for too long. Why do tomorrow what you can do today? That’s never been a mantra I’ve subscribed to a lot, but boy do I feel better when I do. And whaddaya know, I feel better already (which might be the painkillers, but whatever).
So here we are – back in Perth and back on the list, and I’ll update on the albums I’ve listed to over the last few months in the next couple of days. Boom! I’m excited again!
thehifielective 