Right, I’m going to start writing about all my fave albums here which are off course classics. I don’t know how much I will write about each one or how successful I will be at it, I guess I’ll see over time or we will if you read it?
I’m starting with this one, well it’s two really, it came out as two volumes released a few years apart in the early to mid 2000’s and it just seems like they go together and prefect first one to write about in my first post. These both are double CD’s with 20+ tracks on each discs. I got them pretty much when both comp albums came out at the time and the booklet liner notes are now well read, used and they’re huge, each band/artist and/or song/track gets almost one page each, it’s all written by Tim Pittmann who’s runs the touring/label Feel Presents who released it.
All these tracks was original from 7″ singles from 1976 to 1990. 1976 is the year I was born, if you want to know? It’s year zero from the underground scene here in Australia, that moment with the D.I.Y. attitude and before this year it didn’t really exist, well to put that the right way some bands were around before but I guess this was the year they started to recorded and released. Also in the 2000’s alot of these tracks you couldn’t really get so it’s pretty much the first time on CD before we were inundated with reissues like we are now. I could say it fill the interested of people like myself wanting to hear this kind music or just to know the history and where we came from. In my opinion you got to know your history or you don’t know nothing really.
Off course you could call it punk and Aussie punk is not as well know as say the English and American but not to be bias but I love all these bands/artists and I would only pick out bits and pieces from those oversea scenes to listen too but I don’t think I really even go out of my way to listen to say Sex Pistols or The Clash or Ramones but then again they have become more like fashion now, does anyone need to see or even wear another Ramones t-shirt again? It’s become not even about the music now, it’s just cool look.
Just to name a few fave tracks from it: I’m Flipped Out Over You by The Victims, Frantic Romantic by The Scientists which are both Perth bands with the same drummer James Baker, Happy Birthday by The Birthday Party which is still my fave track they ever did, three Ed Kuepper songs with This Perfect Day by The Saints, Sometimes (I Just Can’t Live With Anyone) by Laughing Clowns and Also Sprach The King Of Euro-Disco by solo Ed Kuepper, Walking About by Venom P. Stinger, My Pal by God. On Volume 2: Fun Loving by Dropbears, Nothing Grows in Texas by Sacred Cowboys which should be nothing grows in Australia? Dead Eyes Open by Severed Heads, Pumping Ugly Muscle by Primitive Calculators, three more Ed Kuepper with Know Your Product by The Saints, Everything That Files by Laughing Clowns, Everything I’ve Got by him solo, Lighting Scary by Kim Salmon and so much more how about I’ll just put the track listing after I finishing writing about it, OK? Plus I might have to do something like Wicked Songs or something and write about each song or well a few of them, I’m already up to 675 words now, it counts how much you write, cool ah?
Want I totally love about all these tracks is the totally in your face, raw and rough power, there is nothing clear or nice about any of these songs. Nothing “Pop” about these songs, I can hear some “Pop” in some of those UK or US acts, you know what I mean? Maybe a better way to say that is “Pop” is short for popular and at the time they didn’t get as popular as they are now remember but I would say it was always there. It seem these acts on these two comp albums didn’t really have that maybe Australia was so far away from the rest of the world, they were never going to get popular so didn’t have to be “Pop”. Here it was so much more of a do it yourself attitude, you had to do it yourself or your friends did it or someone they know started a label and did it. None did sign to major label deals, oh no I’m wrong, The Saints did because someone in England heard it, call the Australia office to find and sign but then Kuepper left after the first three quick albums. Then again maybe that’s why these bands are still some what unknown to all the masses or “underground” which you got to say is a great thing and another reason I love them just a little bit more. Around the 2000’s I did think the more obscurer the better too.
I think will write some more about some of the tracks that I can find on YouTube over the next couple days or should that be maybe weeks, I guess I will see how I go, it might be pointless saying that because I could get bored doing this. It just might be the only thing I posted here! I will see I guess?
Tales From The Australian Underground – Volume 1 track listing with artist song and times:
Disc 1: 1. Radio Birdman – Burned My Eye 1:50
2. The Saints – This Perfect Day 2:10
3. The Victims – I’m Flipped Out Over You 1:13
4. The Riptides – Sunset Strip 3:16
5. Psycho Surgeons – Horizontal Action 1:47
6. The Leftovers – Cigarettes & Alcohol 1:40
7. La Femme – Chelsea Kids 3:45
8. The Scientists – Frantic Romantic 2:46
9. Numbers – Government Boy 2:11
10. Tactics – Standing By The Window 2:34
11. Lipstick Killers – Hindu Gods (Of Love) 3:19
12. Fun Things – When The Birdman Fly 3:17
13. The Passengers – Face With No Name 2:52
14. The Visitors – Brother John 4:29
15. The Birthday Party – Happy Birthday 3:59
16. Laughing Clowns Sometimes (I Just Can’t Live With Anyone) 4:00
17. Flaming Hands – I Belong To Nobody 2:08
18. Sunnyboys – Love To Rule 4:12
19. Sekret Sekret – New King Jack 3:32
20. Pel Mel – No Word From China 3:34
21. Makers Of The Dead Travel Fast – Taels Of The Saeghors 4:49
22. Sardine V – Sudan 4:21
23. Do Re Mi – Standing On Wires 4:41
Disc 2: 1. Scientists – We Had Love 4:49
2. The Moodists – The Disciples Know 3:33
3. The Triffids – Beautiful Waste 3:21
4 X – Half Way Round The World 3:08
5. Lighthouse Keepers – Ocean Liner 3:12
6. The Moffs – Another Day In The Sun 4:50
7. Died Pretty – Ambergris 4:24
8. The Eastern Dark – Julie Is A Junkie 2:37
9. The New Christs – No Next Time 2:15
10. Ups & Downs – The Living Kind
11. Ed Kuepper – Also Sprach The King Of Euro-Disco 3:21
12. Bamboos – With Which To Love You 4:17
13. Wet Taxis – Sailors Dream 3:44
14. Thug – Dad 2:19
15. Venom P. Stinger – Walking About 2:31
16. God – My Pal 3:21
17. The Mark Of Cain – Lords Of Summer 4:57
18. Someloves – Know You Now 3:39
19.The Celibate Rifles – Johnny 3:49
20. Cosmic Psychos – Lost Cause 3:31
21. Plunderers – I Didn’t See Them At All 2:40
22. Hard-Ons – Just Being With You 3:17
Tales From The Australian Underground – Volume 2 track listing with artist song and times:
Disc 1: 1. Radio Birdman – New Race 4:26
2.The Saints – Know Your Product 3:12
3. Teenage Radio Stars – Wanna Be Your Baby 2:51
4. The Thought Criminals – More Suicides Please 2:32
5. The Boys Next Door – Dive Position 2:44
6. The Hitmen – I Am The Man 2:13
7. SPK – Mekano 2:13
8. Little Murders – Things Will Be Different 2:42
9.The Riptides – Tomorrows Tears 3:03
10. Seems Twice – Non-Plussed 0:27
11.The Singles – Love Of Loves 3:00
12. Shy Impostors – At The Barrier 3:06
13. Tactics – Second Language 2:31
14. Surfside Six – Can’t You See The Sign? 3:11
15. The Birthday Party – Blast Off! 2:18
16. Machinations – Arabia 4:43
17. Dropbears – Fun Loving 3:37
18.The Particles – The Trumpet Song 4:48
19. Minuteman – Voodoo Slaves 2:26
20. Sacred Cowboys – Nothing Grows In Texas 4:15
21. Sardine V – Stuck On You 4:15
22. Severed Heads – Dead Eyes Opened 3:22
23. Laughing Clowns – Everything That Flies 4:15
24. Hoodoo Gurus – (Let’s All) Turn On 3:02
25. Scientists – Solid Gold Hell 3:34
Disc 2: 1. Sekret Sekret – Chimes 5:42
2. The Triffids – Raining Pleasure 2:29
3. The Screaming Tribesmen – A Stand Alone 3:47
4. Salamander Jim – Hot Cakes For Daddy 2:33
5. Lime Spiders – Out Of Control 3:14
6. David Virgin – Give It Up 4:34
7. Inner Sleeves – End It All 2:42
8. Tall Tales & True – Wasted Life 4:32
9. Toys Went Berserk – Guns At My Head 4:48
10. Ollie Olsen – Win/Lose 4:54
11. Primitive Calculators – Pumping Ugly Muscle 5:08
12. feedtime – Don’t Tell Me 2:12
13. Happy Hate Me Nots – Salt, Sour & Brighton 3:31
14. The Stems – For Always 3:05
15. The Hummingbirds – Alimony 3:58
16. The Widdershins – Now You Know 4:08
17. Died Pretty – Eveybody Moves 4:45
18. Proton Energy Pills – Less Than I Spend 4:28
19. Kim Salmon – Lightning Scary 4:47
20. Ed Kuepper – Everything I’ve Got 4:34
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