The Great UnAustralian Songbook - Disc 1: Last Century

I tend to not watch TV, unless the ABC is running something worthwhile. But without an iPod and needing some background noise while I write, I happened to hear a few ads for something called The Great Australian Songbook, more than once in the past hour. The concept of a CD, let alone a compilation CD is something which I thought the music industry had given up on, let alone advertising it on TV, so let's look at both of those things first.

Pictured: Old Media

First thing's first, they're two types of old media that I don't particularly get behind but strive constantly to keep abreast on. I want to be apart of TV because I love the medium of television. I think that it's strong and powerful as a storytelling narrative and that I've been watching Buffy for the past six months and I don't think anyone could tell me otherwise...who has psychic powers?

Although I didn't particularly enjoy Dollho- ERRRGH

For music, companies dropped the ball on that by not respecting it's consumers and fanbase, which film seems to be following suit with. Meanwhile, some video game companies continue to thrive based on subscription services and some respect to it's users. Also I'm a bedroom DJ who respects artists and finding new ways to mix music, so I'm not sure where I fit in regards to the spectrum of music.

Depending on your age, he is on either side of that spectrum

But back to the Great Australian Songbook. Now being twenty,  being from Australia and knowing too much about popular culture, I like to think that we have a diverse and interesting series of artists, musicians and just generally talented people working in the music industry. I like to think that, but that's like a pig thinking one day he mighten end up as bacon. It's just not there sometimes. When I think of great Australian songs, Great Southern Land and Beds are Burning come straight to mind. So let's look at the tracklisting on this "Great" Australian Song Book and analyse it to see if it's truly Australian or just a bit of joke.

Actually you can get the album in a special edition from JB Hi-Fi, which is pretty awesome. The album comes with a 90 page book that goes through the facts and history of the artist's who feature on the album. It actually looks pretty cool and interesting if you don't know how to use Wikipedia. That being said, the cover by Rolf Harris is almost as Aussie as you can get. Actually, after doing some research, I found that it's a parody of the classic Sidney Nolan painting, Ned Kelly...Rolf's still more Australian.

Is that Ned Kelly looking backwards on a donkey while holding a guitar on his back? Or did I just not take the right meds?

Anyway, the album is split into two discs. Disc One; Last Century, and Disc Two; This Century. Being a young-un and not knowin' nuthin', I thought I'd look at Disc One first, just to test my musical knowledge.


Track 1: Rolf Harris - Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport.

Starting off with your first track with the guy who did the cover art is a bit of a cop-out, but I think this is definitely an Australian track due to it's use of a national animal, and the use of a term that only five percent of the population uses any more. I'd say this is more Australian than a dead dingo's donger (Yes, I threw up after writing that)



Track 2: Midnight Oil - Beds are Burning

The classic track about land rights and how flammable mattresses are so not cool. Peter Garrett's dancing may  be considered a form of a threat in Sweden, but in Australia, it's alright, by us. The song has one of the most iconic openings and Garrett's vocals bleed through truth and sincerity about the racial and political problems Australia has faced over the years...yeah, it's pretty Aussie.

Vänligen sir stoppa din dans, kommer barn dör

Track 3: Cold Chisel - Khe Sanh

Another classic track. You know how I know it's classic? Because I have a disturbingly fond memory of having to teach my drunken relatives how to use the repeat function on their CD system when I was twelve so they could play it over and over on a stinking hot Christmas party. I may have heard that song forty times but still the opening lyrics to me "I leff mah a hubba bubba to the cattleman Khe Sahn", thanks to my inebriated folks.

The Cattlemen LOVE THIS SHIT!

On actually reading the lyrics, the song itself talks of the hardships of the men and women who had to fight and protect our country from a country we were fighting for not so great a reason, whilst trying to cope with flight delays...nothing more Australian than QANTAS fucking you over and international problems, if you ask me.

Track 4: INXS - Need You Tonight


Need You Tonight is, as I understand it, a song about desperation and then having one of the most catchiest riffs ever. The song by knot enthusiast, Michael Hutchence, came from one of the best albums of the 1980's, Kick, and has stood the test of time on being memorable, interesting and great to listen to. I think the song has more of a universal appeal than anything Australian in it.

Silhouette's are more of a Kiwi thing, anyway

It was remixed later on by the unfortunately fronted by Natalie Basingthwaite, Rogue Traders, back when they were a pretty good DJ duo. The remix actually cracked the top 10, whilst Need You Tonight only ever made it to number sixteen...okay, so for it's undue battler heritage, it can be Australian...good on ya, Hutchy.

Track 5: Men at Work - Down Under


The pivotal classic by Men at Work, Down Under,  always seems like a patronising anthem to what makes this country great, nicking other people's songs and then using lyrics about things we say and do. The Vegemite Sandwich lyric always makes me cringe, mainly because of remembering what Vegemite sandwiches actually taste like, but because the line structure feels unnatural.

You're more of a toast friend than anything else.

Also the fact that Vegemite has been owned by Kraft since 1935, an American company from the great Chicago Illinois area, makes a vegemite sandwich as Australian as Jake and Elwood Blues. The song also has Colin Hay, who if you've watched Scrubs, will know as that weird guy that Zach Braff  JD always likes to appear for songs when he needs help in the second season. Colin was born in Scotland and whilst the band is from St. Kilda, I have to say that Down Under - despite the title - is UnAustralian.

St Kilda also has Scottish origins...

Track 6: The Church - Under the Milky Way

The Church always seem to be one of those unsung bands, literally because most people haven't heard of them and most people don't sing their songs. On the other hand I do, but unfortunately the only reason I know this song is because I was a depressed adolescent and film buff and Donnie Darko is what you watch when you're a depressed adolescent and wanna be deep.

A film as deep as a wormhole.

The film has a sequence, in which, The Church's song plays and Donnie follows his blobby "Abyss-like" centre around a party and things get out of hand, but anyway, that's not why it's not Australian. The reason that it's not Australian is because the Milky Way was discovered by Galileo Galilei over four hundred years ago. Why couldn't it be "Under the Southern Cross, tonight" boys? Huh?! Also you guys aren't even from Adelaide and you call yourselves The Church? What kind of ridiculousness is that?

Track 7: Mondo Rock - Come Said the Boy

I actually needed to look up this song, because I have never actually heard of this song in my life. From my initial impressions, the synth, simple beats and riff are enough to just put an 80's sticker on it and be done with it. But the song is pretty well-done and details the loss of one's virginity, which after doing some research was the cause of it being banned but okay to play at LiveAid...oh well, it was a different time.

...I judge era's by hair.

The overly masculine tones and the plain bridge/chorus of just Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh make it a possible Aussie track. The song is well produced and I actually think I might use this in a mix one day, but for now, it's just number seven on the first disc...although it could have easily been ABC, Flock of Seagulls or any other mid-range 80's band who made this track. I think it's too generic to be Australian. It's a great song, but not a Great Australian Song.

Track 8: John Farnham -  You're The Voice

John Farnham: The man who's made more comeback's than John Holmes at a no-turning-around party. The man has triumphed again and again with songs about being in love and being uplifting but You're The Voice solidified his place in music culture. The man could've just been the guy who once sang Saddie The Cleaning Lady, but he really gave it his own in spirit in this song.

But is it Australian? Well looking closely at the credits for the song, Farnham never had to do anything with the song, writing-wise and will probably never see any royalties from it...unless performing it. In fact, the most famous writer of You're is one of the guys from Icehouse...so yes, yes it is Australian. 

To be fair, this is the only version of The Voice I listen to any more and it will stay that way till I die:

Track 9: Daddy Cool - Eagle Rock

Now I really like the song Eagle Rock, but I think we already know the main problem from the beginning. This song is about African American people dancing. There I said what everyone was thinking. Yes, back in 2001, Ross Wilson was inspired by an article in a Sunday Times liftout, coz that was the cool thing to do back in 1971 and read an article about Blues Music and an image featuring a group of African Americans in a dive bar all dancing with the caption reading 'some negroes cut the pigeon wing and do the eagle rock" Because it was apparently okay to have the word negroes in a nationally syndicated paper in 1971.

Footage circa 1971?

The song went on to be a big hit here and overseas. Especially with the US and UK as Eagle Rock inspired Elton John, songwriter Bernie Taupin to pen Crocodile Rock and wear an official Daddy Cool badge in a promo pic for Don't Shoot Me I'm the Piano Player. But as an Australian song, Eagles aren't really native to our country but I guess, we've appropriated it all the same and made the world better for it.

You're welcome, world.

Reading more about the song apparently it causes idiots to do stupid things they normally wouldn't do as when the song is played "in a public bar...it is common for students to unstrap their belts and hobble around with their pants around the ankles"...okay for something that stupid, this song is pretty Australian

Track 10: The Easybeats - Friday on my Mind

Friday on my mind, is a fantastic pop tune in my mind and whilst it has nothing on modern pop tunes today, it still remains a great song about days of the week and lost love. What other song names multiple days of the week and what you got up to and how fun everything is. 

...oh...

But I think it's more general than really Australian. There's no mention of how Tuesday's bin night or how much I enjoyed watching the footy on the weekend, it's just that when the weekend comes that everything is, as Harry Vanda, tudududduddudu. 

Trolololol was already taken.

Actually, that tududududu comes from a film performance from something Vanda saw as a teen called The Swingle Singers. So being musical thieves and speaking nonsense and still being popular...just Australian enough for me.

Track 11: Skyhooks - Living in the 70's

The Skyhooks have been known for being incredibly eclectic and even more known for their song Horror Movie, which I have always wondered why it's never been used for an Australian horror film.

You know memorable Aussie Horror Films

The Skyhooks first album was called Living in the 70's and was just about that. It was about being good in bed, Lygon Street, Motorcycle Bitches and Carlton. Okay so it was more about living in Melbourne than just living in the 70's, but still the main song of the titular album was pretty general about what was going on. In fact, of all the songs on the album, it's the most generic about living in the 70's.

Did someone say generically 70's?

Again, not UnAustralian just a tad generic. But this was over two decades before I was born, so who knows maybe this was particular Australian in the 70's with a few inklings of how it is today. So who knows...but it's my list and I get to say it's generic. Get your own blog and spend three hours writing about an album you don't particularly care about.

Track 12: Paul Kelly - Dumb Things

Paul Kelly is probably one of my favourite singer-songwriters and honestly, he's Australian, plain and simple.  Dumb Things is a song of tragedy, loss and maybe learning about what you've done, but his voice is so Australian you could cook an Emu with it's vocal strength. 

There's not much else I have to add here except one anecdote. One of the first time I ever heard my mother swear, my parents were singing to Paul Kelly and "To Her Door" came on and there's a part where Paul refrains from the song and says "you're a fucking loser," when a woman is describing the protagonist of the song.

I was just on the cusp of turning ten and just hanging out at my uncle and aunt's house and my mother swears and it is just perfect. My mother says it with such disdain and yet so comically and I'd never heard my mother sound so Australian or hilarious in my life. They take the rest of the song to notice me, but it's too late. Memory has stuck and now it's in digital form. Thanks mum.

Thanks Paul Kelly.

I do have to say the only UnAustralian thing about Paul Kelly is his middle name...Maurice...oh well.

Track 13: GANGgajang - Sounds of Then (This is Australia)

Ganggajang wins simply for having the name Ganggajang. The song, This is Australia is up there with Great Southern Land with songs that just make specific references to Australia both in  landscape and culture. The song is a fantastic and well produced track that helps keep it apart of Australian culture. Fun Fact about Ganggajang is they have a huge following in Brazil...never thought that'd happen.

We love Gangajang this much!

Wow, this list got really serious as it went along...I better stop actually liking these songs, okay what's next...

Track 14: Little River Band - Cool Change

I told you John Farnham would come back. The Little River Band has quite a substantial following in America, enough to have the only pictures of them on their pages to be taken from big American gigs. And to be honest, I have no problem with that. One thing I've noticed about the songs that I really recall from this list, are more often than not, Australian songs that really didn't make a big splash outside of it.

Nothing more farkin Aussie than a key-tair

Go where the money is, simple as that, but it seems that when they do go, they often only come back when they need more money, the Little River Band has never really needed to do this, even when John Farnham left to go be The Voice, but is Cool Change Aussie enough?

Well, the song failed to break into the charts upon release. The band was made up of a member of the ex-band Missippi and Cool Change is a great song to listen to, but is quite generic, which is probably why it's broad appeal worked overseas.

Track 15: Olivia Newton John - I Honestly Love You

Olivia Newton John loses a point already for having a song called By the Banks of the Ohio and also for appearing in Grease and not being stereotypically Australian enough. She loses even more points for having such a generic love song called "I Honestly Love You." 

The song is sweet and sounds beautiful but it almost seems like it's a response to an incredulous lover. Like a girlfriend who has never heard the word's I love you, sincerely and honestly and from the heart. To be fair, if I heard it from Olivia Newton John, I'd probably believe it.

Oh please keep talking...

I don't think the song is specifially Australian. It's not like cuddling up in the back of ute or rolling jaffas down the aisle at a movie theatre, just fairly standard I Love You. Like a birthday handjob instead of birthday sex. And with that initial comment of Olivia not being Aussie enough, I wanted her to turn up on her first day of school with a cork hat and a slab of VB and tell Zooko to stuff it down his hamburger hole.

Danny ya such a pussy

Track 16: Australian Crawl - Reckless

A band so Aussie that every radio station refers to them as Aussie Crawl. I think Boys Light Up is more of an Aussie song than Reckless. Reckless is like the 80's version of Radiohead's Street Spirit. The song is sombre and seems to drag on in some sections longer than it should. It's a good song about knowing your limits but that's not what being Australian is about.

Ladies and Gentlemen: The most Australian album cover ever made.

Both Paul Kelly and John Farnham have covered this song, but that still doesn't make it Aussie enough. Being Australian is about going further than your limits and going out there and doing something Reckless. Aussie Crawl pulls you up by your bootstraps and dusts you off rather than shouts at you in your ear and pokes you with a stick...Man, we have a really warped sense of what's Australian...or I do...next!

Track 17: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Where the Wild Roses Grow (with Kylie Monigue)

I like Nick Cave. He is a likable guy and I like him, however, I don't particularly like his music. I think what he's done for film and what he has written is fantastic, but musically I don't think I can listen to him much before imagining a lot of black haired girls with long sleeves in high school who think he'd come to them in the night and really make them feel like a woman and then record a song about them.

Not Pictured: Talent

One woman who he recorded a song with was Kylie Minogue who, whilst more Australian than her sister, does not have a song by herself on the album. If she could be so lucky, she'd probably be on here for On A Night Like This which I could not not listen to during 2000 due to the Olympics being so magical and spectacular. The song is quite good but not particularly Australian. It's another song about loss of innocence which is a particularly Australian topic...oh well, it's too late now on the list to go back.

Track 18: Icehouse - Great Southern Land

I've probably mentioned this song four times in this list and I still stick by it. This is one of the most Aussie songs ever. It's barren, it's thick, it echoes, it just puts chills down my spine when I hear that echoing synth that sounds like a bunch of bird call as you look up from a cavern and wait for a dingo to howl. Icehouse are a great band and it's hard to be cynical about this song that almost makes me proud to be Australian.

Almost...

Track 19: You Am I - Heavy Heart 

Tim Rogers is one of the only real rock personalities in Australia. None of that prissy, short hair, simple button down clothes, Tim Rogers is the real thing and You Am I are a real band. Heavy Heart gives us the tale of a man who's depths have been plunged by another and is trying to pull himself back up. The more I write this list, the more I realise that if I were to judge Australian music by this list, it'd more often than not have something to do with heartbreak...but this is my list and so...yeah You Am I makes the cut as a really Aussie song.

Tim Rogers is the fucking man.

Rogers vocals are key here and he really sings the story of what it feels like. Also You Am I were one of the first bands to ever have three albums on the ARIA charts at one time...like I mentioned with Australian Crawl, knowing your limits... fuck that.

Track 20: Throw Your Arms Around Me - Hunters and Collectors

Hunters and Collectors is another great Aussie band and this is a ballad that brings the house down with a bunch of Baby Boomers who have had two too many wines. The last track on the album and it brings everything to a close, much like throwing your arms around someone. It's a warm embrace that closes the song. It'd say it's generic or this and that but the song gives me a warm fuzzy feeling...a bit like two bottles of wine.

Final Verdict: DISC 1

At least half of these tracks are Australian, the other half are either generic or UnAustralian hits which served their time in the hearts and minds of Australians but were more often than not remixed or covered and regarded as something else. We'll see in my next entry how the opposite of that came about and why Australian music has slowly gotten worse as time has gone on.

So what else have we learnt? That in the 20th Century of Australian Music, we were dominated with losing our innocence, dancing and acting like prats and finding our voice. But what will the next century hold? Find out in the next post.