Nada Surf - High/Low

YOURZ

Released right in the middle of the 90s, it always seemed to me that Nada Surf provided the link between the sounds of grunge, the nerd-rock of bands like Weezer and the smart art-rock of Sonic Youth and others.  This despite their first single being a huge anthem to the downside of being the coolest kid at school with Popular.

Unfortunately, while High/Low has travelled the years very well and more recently has achieved recognition as a defining piece of music, this was a long time coming.  It didn't help that the band, full of promise, were completely hobbled by a relentless record company, Elektra, looking for a follow-up hit.  When the band presented their second album, the record company basically turned their back on them, letting the album languish until they eventually dropped the band.

While the centre-piece of High/Low is undoubtedly the single, it is so different to the rest of the album, the way it sticks out from the rest of the album is a bit like a sore thumb (I imagine the band probably feel the same way about the song too).  While there is not a dud track here, I particularly like Treehouse, The Plan, Sleep and the closer, Zen Brain.  Definitely a Forgotten Gem for me, so...

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

Of course I remembered Popular but I hadn't heard any of the rest of the album before, and I was pleasantly surprised.  Good fun, well put together, nice hooks - a shame the "long dark corridor" of the recording industry didn't treat them better.

But it got me thinking - wouldn't this be a great Glee episode?  They could do all those school-type songs.  How about adding in Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus and of course Smells Like Teen Spirit? Then I guess we'd have to have Rock and Roll High School and Beck's Loser.  An episode about high school songs: an instant classic.

Anyway, I loved High/Low and I wasn't expecting to.  Yay!

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information go to http://www.nadasurf.com/

Nirvana - Nevermind

YOURZ

I knew who Nirvana were before Nevermind sent them into the stratosphere of rock.  I was one of those early adopters who bought Bleach and was blown away by their punk-rock-meets-Pixies-pop stylings.  My band at the time (hello former Scruffs!) did a cover of Love Buzz, inspired by their cover.  But then along came this album.  And it changed everything.

Nevermind was such a huge cross-over hit, the music industry had to change the way it was doing business.  Suddenly, 'indie' no longer inspired visuals of sweaty, long-haired lads tooling around the country in a exhaust-spewing van, surviving on bong-loads, beer and biscuits.  Now, every major label was stampeding over each other to find another Nirvana (I love the irony of these words).

Arguably, without Nirvana, bands like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins (and so many more, I could be here for days making a list) wouldn't have found the fame they have done.  While these and many others that followed have had sterling careers, none have had the impact Nirvana has had.  They are indeed, for the want of a stupid, simple analogy, the Gen-X answer to The Beatles.

I was fortunate enough to see Nirvana live at the ANU Refectory in Canberra in the summer of 1992.  There were only 2000 tickets available for this show but another 1000 kids crushed each other against the glass windows, trying to get a glimpse of the band.  When some kids broke a window and poured through, a happy riot ensued.  None of us ticket-holders could begrudge them a chance to see this band live.  But little did we know it would be the first and last time the band made it to Australia.

I can't remember exactly what songs they played, but I do remember when they played Smells Like Teen Spirit, the venue became a single bouncing entity.  I honestly had never experienced anything like this before, and haven't since.  And I'm sure if Kurt knew this, it would make him smile.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

So... what can I add after that?  I have to admit, when this album came out I was firmly entrenched in dance culture, and really didn't get it at all.  I think it took the MTV Unplugged session a couple of years later to reveal to me how good a singer Cobain was and how well he wrote.  And now?  I love it.  The beautiful moment when rock and pop co-exist in perfect symbiosis.  Also shows off what a kick-arse drummer Dave Grohl is.

Essential.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.myspace.com/nirvana

In our collection we also have Bleach

The Pixies - Death To The Pixies

YOURZ

The first Pixies song I ever heard was the their single Here Comes Your Man off the album Doolittle.  In fact, what I saw was the video for the track, where the band mimes with their mouths wide open.  The track itself has such a classic feel about it, I was surprised to find out it was an original composition.  The second song I ever heard was Tame, from the same album.  I remember being absolutely smitten with the song but unable to believe it was made by the same band. 

But the reality is the Pixies were able to pull off great pop and blistering punk rock, sometimes in the same song.  Their soft/loud formula became the template for myriad bands that followed, most notably and widely discussed among them being Nirvana.  Kurt Cobain professed his love of this band numerous times but also indicated they played a big part in the development of his band's sound.

What they did for me was show me, as both a songwriter and fan of both pop music melody and rock aesthetics, that I could write songs combining these two loves and make them into a bigger, better whole.  Of course, my music career never took the same high roads as Nirvana's but nevertheless, the influence was the same.  The band I was in around this time even covered one of their songs, U-Mass, such was our love of the Pixies.

The other thing I remember this band doing is uniting previously disparate groups of people under the single flag of indie rock, with both the American grunge and British music fans falling for this band.  What is mostly amazing to me listening back to this great collection is why the rest of the world didn't see the genius of the Pixies like we did.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

I was never much of a Pixies fan.  I mean, I liked Here Comes Your Man and Monkey Gone To Heaven, but I never owned an album.  So it was interesting to listen to this best-of compilation -  and it's mostly well-put together rock.  Of course my indie-band complaint surfaced pretty quickly - what's the point of having lyrics for songs if you can't hear what's being sung?  But those tunes were thankfully in the minority. 

I have to say, I don't like Debaser even though some might say it's the quintessential Pixies song.  But I did like Caribou and I always appreciate a bite of girl-styled rawk.  I can also appreciate the production - these songs sound like they're almost recorded live.  There's a rawness and an urgency that you generally don't get with a studio sound.  But that's no excuse for unintelligible lyrics.  Not at all. 

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.pixiesmusic.com/

In our collection we also have Come On Pilgrim

Foo Fighters - One By One

MINE

Oh, what to say about Dave Grohl - the Nicest Man In Rock.  He's just so terriffic - the sort of guy you want to invite over for a barbecue and to meet your mates.  And the band - the band that loves my favourite US reality show so much it got itself invited to be the centerpiece of an episode in season 5? (That show is Top Chef and I'm not linking to its website because the latest season hasn't even started here yet and I don't want to know anything about it, lalalalalalala not listening!)

How about the fact that Dave and the band were so moved by the trapped Beaconsfield miners' request to have their music sent down while they were waiting to be dug out in 2006 - he sent them a personal message, then met up with one of the guys at a concert later and put an instrumental track on an album for them.

But when I played One by One the one thing that I really wanted to tell you about the Foo Fighters was that we saw them touring this album!  In 2003, d'you remember Mike and Sandii?  That Big Day Out when YourZ and Mine(self) had just gotten married, and you guys had just moved to Sydney to start your own business, and we used to hang out at our place lots drinking and talking into the early hours.  It was only seven years ago but it's a lifetime away - well, two lifetimes if you count your two gorgeous daughters.  That was a great show, a real rock show.

Grohl for President.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

YOURZ

I'll go one better than Mine - I vote for Dave to be Lord Overseer of the New Rock World (copyright pending so keep ya mitts off!)  He is not only a genuinely nice bloke, but he happens to have a work ethic that would put most of us to shame, having worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry (and I'm not talking about Nirvana, okay?)

Oh sure, that band helped Dave get his start, but it has been his attitude and his ability to write majorly kick arse rock songs that have seen his star rise and shine brighter than the ill-fated Nirvana ever did.  No use speculating either because nothing can change what has unfortunately passed. 

One By One sees Dave and gang continue working on their award-winning formula of anthemic modern rock, with a sound that has spawned thousands of imitators around the world, but none nearly as good or as successful as the magnificent Foo Fighters.  After having gone through a number of personal changes leading up and following the recording of predecessor, There Is Nothing Left To Lose, this album was also the first recorded with the now-stable lineup.

I am sure Grohl himself would be the first to admit the Foo Fighters aren't doing anything new (he has more or less done so in many interviews).  He's such a humble, down-to-earth bloke, it would be totally out of character for him to brag and say Foo Fighters are the best band in the world at what they do.   But I will.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.foofighters.com/

Violent Femmes - Add It Up (1981 - 1993)

YOURZ

The Violent Femmes were a big part of my life around their first album.  I can't tell you how many times I've sung Blister In The Sun.  For a time, I was regularly playing solo sets at a local restaurant/nightclub in the aforementioned big country town and Blister... was a regular house favourite.  I've had chorus' of very drunk football players accompanying me, I've had a roaming trumpeter jump up and play an unforgettable solo accompaniment and I've had just about all the bar and wait staff on the stage one night, backing me up.  It's a true classic and one I never tire of hearing.  I still have the single of their version of Children Of The Revolution.

Listening to this collection takes me back to the start of the 90s, when, over a period of a few weeks, I saw The Violent Femmes, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Nirvana, all at the same venue in the big country town known as the Capital of Australia, Canberra.  It was crazy, it was wild and it burnt away more brain cells than I care to think about (not that I can tell, anyway).

My Violent Femmes story starts when, as a music journalist for a street-press publication, I was given the task of interviewing the bass player, Brian Ritchie, before the show.  Ever the consummate professional, my nerves got the better of me and I asked the most inane question of him right off the bat - why he had cut his well-known long hair.  His response was basically "its just fucking hair, who cares?"  Suffice to say, the interview didn't go too well after this horrendous start, despite my fawning.  At least I still got my free tickets.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE:

Huh.  Odd, after yesterday's Teenage Fanclub fiasco, I can now tell you about a band I successfully saw at Selinas.  And the only mosh pit I've ever been in (for any time, that is, I did try and mosh to The Cult but that crowd was BIG and MEAN and we ran away quickly.)

So this would have been in about 89 or 90, right in the middle of this compilation, which as far as I'm concerned gives you all the best Femmes songs.  Gone Daddy Gone, Blister, Add It Up, 36-24-36, Gimme The Car - I can go on, but hey, if you like the Femmes, but don't want to buy all the albums, this is the CD for you.  It has some great live versions too.

So there I am, about three rows of heaving humanity from the stage at the Femmes and this guy falls down in the mosh pit in front of me.  I'm doing my best not to fall over or stand on him, and he reaches back to grab me to help him up.  And this other guy, moshing next to me, who sees that I am about 50 kilos wringing wet (those were the days) reaches out, grabs his hand and helps him up.  A polite mosh pit, but then wouldn't you expect that at the Femmes?

Unlike the Pogues, who I saw later that year and where I counted about 10 to 15 people emerging from the pit bleeding from varous parts of their bodies.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.vfemmes.com/

Jeff Buckley - Grace (Legacy Edition)

YOURZ

Oh fuck, where do I start?  There has been so much written about Jeff Buckley, so many emotional platitudes, it would seem almost redundant for me to add my own to the myriad voices.

So I guess I should start by admitting a stupid mistake and quite possibly one of the few musical regrets I have (I'm generally of the belief that regret is just another hangover of my long-abandoned Catholic upbringing so I try to have a few as possible).

As I've previously mentioned, I have worked for various music publications (read: street press) over the years.  In this capacity, I have interviewed and reviewed many artists.  The benefits for doing this have been free music, names on guest lists and passes into lots of sold out shows and occasionally getting to talk to a cool creative person.

While I never spoke to Jeff Buckley, I did receive a call to review a gig on what would be his last tour of Australia.  Of course, I jumped at the chance.  But, as events conspired against me, I had to abandon my tickets to a lesser mortal in favour of staying home and nursing a sick girlfriend (yeah, I know, I'm soft like this). (Mine says: thank goodness it wasn't ME folks!)  Of course, the rest is a tragic story of yet another incredible talent taken before he even got properly started and yet another on the list of could have seen but didn't, damn it!

When ever I think about this, that little pang I have worked so hard to suppress grabs my testicles and gives them a good shake.  (I'm kind of sorry for putting that picture in your head but also kinda not hahahaha...)  At least I got to see Nirvana.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

This is actually one of the occasions where I've behaved kind of like YourZ.  When he and all his friends told me I'd LOVE Jeff Buckley, I was a little "well how do you know that?" about it.  But it's obvious - the man had so much talent I defy anyone to be "meh" about him.

My husband's mate Dave (hi Dave!) tells the best story about his Buckley obsession.  When he was living in Melbourne, he lived in a block of flats and played this album over and over again.  I guess it was part of his musical therapy after a break-up.  Anyway, the playing got to be a bit much for one of the other residents, who sent him a note headed: Dear Jeff Buckley Fan and begging him to play something - ANYthing else for a while, even though the music was gorgeous. (YourZ sez: oh, I'd forgotten about that story - good one, hon.  It still makes me smile)

I can understand why anyone would feel this way about him - after having the obligatory listen to Grace before writing this review, I loved it so much I started at the beginning and went through it again.  It's so beautiful...

I've just had an "Of course" moment about Lilac Wine - after asking YourZ if it's a Trad. Arr. song he wasn't sure, but now Mr Google's told me where I've heard it before - one of my friends was a mad Elkie Brooks fan and it's one of her hits!

VERDICT: TURN IT UP (again and again and again)

For more information: http://www.jeffbuckley.com/

In our collection we also have: Sketches for my Sweetheart the Drunk, Live at the Olympia, and another copy of Grace because it contains a bonus Australian tour EP.