Great aussie songs

[Rik E Boy]

REB's Good Oil

1. Power and the Passion
2. Place Without a Postcard
3. Best of Both Worlds
4. I don't wanna be the one
5. When the Generals Talk
6. Only the Strong
7. Who can stand in the way
8. Basement Flat
9. Kosciousko
10. King of the Mountain

Diesel and Dust not my favourite Oils disc by a long way but Gangagang are seriously weak. You might as well rate Jenny Morris or the Eurogliders better than the oils if you believe that Carp.

regards,

REB

[zipzap]

king of the mountain is my fav oils song but then again i only like their mainstream type of songs...

sounds of then is right up their with my fav aussie themed song, down under....its up there but not as good

Taste is a funny thing...I'd have that pegged as one of the absolute worst Oils songs by a mile.

I remember liking Gangajang's early stuff, like Ambulance Men and The Harder they Fall. Really liked 'Hundreds of Languages' from later on too.

[Strawb]

Not one John Farnham song listed on this here is some more music to think about
AC/DC - It's a Long Way to the Top
Cold Chisel - Bow River
Midnight Oil - Short Memory
Paul Kelly - To her Door
Matt Taylor - I Remember When I Was Young
Masters Apprentices - Because I Love You
Masters Apprentices - Turn up your radio
Flash In The Pan - Hey St. Peter
Easybeats - Friday on my Mind
Ian Moss - Tuckers Daughter
Jimmy Barnes - No Second Prize
Redgum - One More Boring Night In Adelaide
Rose Tattoo - Bad Boy for Love
The Screaming Jets - Better
The Angels - No Secrets
Stevie Wright - Evie Parts 1, 2 & 3
Strawbs

[PhilG]

..

[Psyber]

Very interesting.... 4 pages of posts and not a single song I can recall ever having heard. Obviously I am well outside the mainstream of the dominant culture here.

+ 1

Perhaps I should explain a little, since it is so startling.

My father played Trumpet and Trombone in Brass Bands, and my sister Piano. At about age 13 I discovered the complexity of classical music and Jazz and largely lost interest in pop/rock. I also collect classical Indian Music, Inca music, and some other interesting ethnic stuff that is different. Somewhere floating around in the collection is at least one old Black Sabbath vinyl LP, one by an obscure US group Paladin Charge, and a CD of the Beatles' Sergeant Pepper. . I think there is an old vinyl of the sound track of the old Aussie film of "Ned Kelly" - Mick Jagger played Ned! Generally I like complex rhythms and interplay - hence the interest in classical Indian music

My wife who trained as a classical pianist has more knowledge of pop/rock than I do, because she worked for a sound and lighting company when she was going to Uni.

There is more than one world in the world!

However, my living room contains eight 25cm bass speakers and ten 12cm square electrostatic mid-range and upper end speakers - the bass speakers handle 850HZ down to about 20Hz, and the electrostatics everyhing from 850Hz to 50,000Hz - which is well beyond the range of human hearing. I did at one time help design some hyperbolic horn loaded speakers for a rock group - large but very efficient - you could fill a small hall with a 100watt amp.

[am Bays]

And talking of Music Max - I watch that reguarly and I rarely see GANGgajang. Midnight Oil get heaps of play.

Phil, rather than say what I perceive or think I thought I'd check the a random list to see how Max rate songs in one of their top 100 lists

from the latest top 100 "themes" on MusicMax, top 100 BBQ songs - Australia Day weekend (in the search function on musicmax.com.au I typed in top 100 lists and this is what came up)

100 I BET YOU LOOK GOOD - ARCTIC MONKEYS
.
.
.
.
.
50 NOVEMBER RAIN - GUNS N ROSES
49 I DON'T WANT TO MISS - AEROSMITH
48 PARADISE CITY - GUNS N ROSES
47 ERROL - AUSTRALIAN CRAWL
46 POWER AND THE PASSIO - MIDNIGHT OIL
45 HOLY GRAIL - HUNTERS & COLLECTORS
44 BETTER BE HOME SOON - NEIL FINN
43 ARE YOU GONNA BE MY - JET
42 I DON'T FEEL LIKE DA - SCISSOR SISTERS
41 BEDS ARE BURNING - MIDNIGHT OIL
40 AMAZING - ALEX LLOYD
39 JANIE'S GOT A GUN - AEROSMITH
38 RUN TO YOU - BRYAN ADAMS
37 JAILBREAK - AC/DC
36 WHITE WEDDING - BILLY IDOL
35 BORN TO RUN - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
34 SLICE OF HEAVEN - DAVE DOBBY/THE HERBS
33 TWISTING BY THE POOL - DIRE STRAITS
32 SMOKE ON THE WATER - DEEP PURPLE
31 TIME OF YOUR LIFE (G - GREEN DAY
30 WE WILL ROCK YOU/WE - QUEEN
29 SOUNDS OF THEN - GANGAJANG
28 REBEL YELL - BILLY IDOL
27 BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY - QUEEN
26 BLACK FINGERNAILS RE - ESKIMO JOE
25 SATURDAY NIGHT - COLD CHISEL
24 CATCH MY DISEASE - BEN LEE
23 THROW YOUR ARMS AROU - HUNTERS & COLLECTORS
22 HOTEL CALIFORNIA - THE EAGLES
21 HEART OF GLASS - BLONDIE
20 RED RED WINE - UB40
19 RECKLESS - AUSTRALIAN CRAWL
18 DANCING IN THE DARK - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
17 WISH YOU WELL - BERNARD FANNING
16 BAT OUT OF HELL - MEATLOAF
15 LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU - ROBBIE WILLIAMS
14 HAVE A NICE DAY - BON JOVI
13 BEAUTIFUL DAY - U2
12 LIVIN' ON A PRAYER - BON JOVI
11 EAGLE ROCK - DADDY COOL
10 STAYING ALIVE - BEE GEES
9 LET'S GET IT STARTED - BLACK EYED PEAS
8 LOVE SHACK - B-52'S
7 BORN IN THE USA - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
6 DOWN UNDER - MEN AT WORK
5 HIGHWAY TO HELL - AC/DC
4 CHEAP WINE - COLD CHISEL
3 WORKING CLASS MAN - JIMMY BARNES
2 SUMMER OF '69 - BRYAN ADAMS
1 KHE SAHN - COLD CHISEL

Obviously it is random and you'd need a larger sample size but at best you can say both songs can be perceived to be iconic and popular in a traditional Australian setting, around a BBQ burning the snags and having a few beers with your mates

Having lived up North I've sat, "out on the patio" and "I've breathed the humidity" "I've watched the lightning", but not over cane fields, Ive laughed and thought, christ I'd rather be down at the Bay watching the Tiges go 'round

[PhilG]

..

[Leaping Lindner]

The Top BBQ songs ????? Well I suppose Hell is a kind of BBQ.

[Leaping Lindner]

king of the mountain is my fav oils song but then again i only like their mainstream type of songs...

sounds of then is right up their with my fav aussie themed song, down under....its up there but not as good

Taste is a funny thing...I'd have that pegged as one of the absolute worst Oils songs by a mile.

I remember liking Gangajang's early stuff, like Ambulance Men and The Harder they Fall. Really liked 'Hundreds of Languages' from later on too.

Have you heard any Riptides ZipZap? That's the Mark Callaghan I prefer to remember Really good early 80's Australian punk.

[Punk Rooster]

ROFLMAO!
Sounds of Then is the "This is Australia" song!

That being the case - I guess it proves that is doesn't stand the test of time. Which was MY root point. How many people don't know the true name of that tune? Aside from me (which doesn't make me ignorant BTW - just human!)

how does you being ignorant of a songs correct title reflect on it's quality?

Sounds of Then was Gangajang at it's best, I don't think anything else they recorded came anywhere near that effort. The only other song of theirs I recall was "House of Cards".
Imo- Sounds of Then is better than any song MO have recorded, yet MO bat at a far higher average overall.

[zipzap]

Sounds of Then was Gangajang at it's best, I don't think anything else they recorded came anywhere near that effort. The only other song of theirs I recall was "House of Cards".

When you can only recall 2 songs I'm not sure you're qualified to write them off so quickly

[Punk Rooster]

Sounds of Then was Gangajang at it's best, I don't think anything else they recorded came anywhere near that effort. The only other song of theirs I recall was "House of Cards".

When you can only recall 2 songs I'm not sure you're qualified to write them off so quickly

I actually have a "Best Of..." album, although I do limit myself to those 2 titles... American Money was also another minor hit I recall.

[Pseudo]

Diesel and Dust not my favourite Oils disc by a long way but Gangagang are seriously weak. You might as well rate Jenny Morris or the Eurogliders better than the oils if you believe that Carp.

regards,

REB

Bah. We Will Together is better than any of the garbage produced by MO

[Pseudo]

Sounds of Then was Gangajang at it's best, I don't think anything else they recorded came anywhere near that effort. The only other song of theirs I recall was "House of Cards".
Imo- Sounds of Then is better than any song MO have recorded, yet MO bat at a far higher average overall.

I think Sounds of Then was a bit of an oddity. The guitarwork is different from the earlier singles - being the first single with Robert James in the band, IIRC - but the song is less formulaic than their later work. More of a poem than a song. Me, I much prefer "Gimme Some Loving" and "Giver Of Life".

The self-titled album is one of the best Aussie albums ever made, not a dud track on it. The second album has its high points and low points. Curiously, I think the singles released from the album were among the weaker songs.

I was aware that the band released later albums but I didn't bother with them at the time. Only recently I acquired the Complete GANGgajang DVD and "discovered" some of the band's later stuff. There are some real gems in the band's later work. Some crap, too. However I can't recommend the DVD highly enough; it's a very complete look at a band which has stood the test of time (hello Phil!) without achieving huge commercial success, at least not in Australia.

[Wedgie]

Bite Your Bum by Pilko or STFU.

[Pseudo]

Oh and for the record (this isn't Aussie of course but) the top 10 of my top 100 is;

1. Beds are Burning - Midnight Oil
2. Doctorin' the TARDIS - The Timelords (AKA the KLF)
3. Jailbreak - AC/DC
4. Imagine - John Lennon
5. I love rockn'roll - Joan Jett
6. Walking on Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves
7. Walk like an Egyptian - The Bangles
8. Department of Youth - Alice Cooper
9. Action - The Sweet
10. Saltwater - Julian Lennon

Most of these exist in my collection

[Punk Rooster]

Sounds of Then was Gangajang at it's best, I don't think anything else they recorded came anywhere near that effort. The only other song of theirs I recall was "House of Cards".
Imo- Sounds of Then is better than any song MO have recorded, yet MO bat at a far higher average overall.

I think Sounds of Then was a bit of an oddity.

their magnum opus no doubt

[PhilG]

..

[am Bays]

As long as the Aborigines continue to battle, songs like Beds are Burning, Truganini etc will always be at the forefront of the Australian psych more than Sounds of Then could ever dream of being.

I bet you'll find most pople love the music of Midnight oil, but couldn't give two fifths of bugger all for the message if they did, as you say, the message behind the music would have pricked our collective consciousness and reconciliation/ environmentalism would have occured 10 years ago......

I'll swith into generalisation mode and go so far to say that the majority of people who like the 'Oils actually don't like their message but are prepared to put that to one side and like the music.

They're bloody popular in Alice Springs, no pre-sold tickets to a show at the Todd Tavern in 2002, so lots of (people not covered by Tangetyera council) cued for eight hours before they hit the stage, still no change to the purveying attitudes of black v white in Alice Springs....

If you want some real reconcillation songs listen to Mainstram by Yothi Yindi and Black Fella White Fella by the Warumpi bands.....

Mainstream finshes with the words.....

We're living togther (living together) We're dreamin' together (dreamin' together)
Yongu, Balanda , Balanda, Yongu, This is Australia.....

Yongu = Black
Balanda = White

Warumpi Band

Black fella, white Fella
Yella fella, any fella
We need more brothers if we're to make it
We need more sisters if we're to make it.

A bit more concilatory and in the true spirit of reconciliation compared to

"The time has come, a facts a fact, it belongs to them lets give it back"

So I think the theory of the Oils being at the forefront of Australain psyche becasue of their message is a myth - maybe it attracts those who have a since of guilt for what has happened over the last 220 years but no real idea of the issues becasuse they have never been outside the major metropolitan centres of this country to live for an extended period of time....

(Maybe we can move this thread to the politics forum now as I feel a change of tack coming on.......)

[Punk Rooster]

ROFLMAO!
Sounds of Then is the "This is Australia" song!

That being the case - I guess it proves that is doesn't stand the test of time. Which was MY root point. How many people don't know the true name of that tune? Aside from me (which doesn't make me ignorant BTW - just human!)

how does you being ignorant of a songs correct title reflect on it's quality?

Sounds of Then was Gangajang at it's best, I don't think anything else they recorded came anywhere near that effort. The only other song of theirs I recall was "House of Cards".
Imo- Sounds of Then is better than any song MO have recorded, yet MO bat at a far higher average overall.

Now why do you think that is, PR? Your view of Sounds of Then is in the minority - that's why/ You are entitled to your opinion, but as you pointed out yourself (batting at a higher average) Midnight Oil are better.

Gangajang scored a century with Sounds of Then, whilst they average 20 with the bat; MO are averaging 40-50 with the bat, without scoring a ton (purely subjective, but that's how I weigh their respective efforts)

To address your point of me being in the minority-

41 BEDS ARE BURNING - MIDNIGHT OIL
40 AMAZING - ALEX LLOYD
39 JANIE'S GOT A GUN - AEROSMITH
38 RUN TO YOU - BRYAN ADAMS
37 JAILBREAK - AC/DC
36 WHITE WEDDING - BILLY IDOL
35 BORN TO RUN - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
34 SLICE OF HEAVEN - DAVE DOBBY/THE HERBS
33 TWISTING BY THE POOL - DIRE STRAITS
32 SMOKE ON THE WATER - DEEP PURPLE
31 TIME OF YOUR LIFE (G - GREEN DAY
30 WE WILL ROCK YOU/WE - QUEEN
29 SOUNDS OF THEN - GANGAJANG
28 REBEL YELL - BILLY IDOL
27 BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY - QUEEN
26 BLACK FINGERNAILS RE - ESKIMO JOE
25 SATURDAY NIGHT - COLD CHISEL
24 CATCH MY DISEASE - BEN LEE
23 THROW YOUR ARMS AROU - HUNTERS & COLLECTORS
22 HOTEL CALIFORNIA - THE EAGLES
21 HEART OF GLASS - BLONDIE
20 RED RED WINE - UB40
19 RECKLESS - AUSTRALIAN CRAWL
18 DANCING IN THE DARK - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
17 WISH YOU WELL - BERNARD FANNING
16 BAT OUT OF HELL - MEATLOAF
15 LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU - ROBBIE WILLIAMS
14 HAVE A NICE DAY - BON JOVI
13 BEAUTIFUL DAY - U2
12 LIVIN' ON A PRAYER - BON JOVI
11 EAGLE ROCK - DADDY COOL
10 STAYING ALIVE - BEE GEES
9 LET'S GET IT STARTED - BLACK EYED PEAS
8 LOVE SHACK - B-52'S
7 BORN IN THE USA - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
6 DOWN UNDER - MEN AT WORK
5 HIGHWAY TO HELL - AC/DC
4 CHEAP WINE - COLD CHISEL
3 WORKING CLASS MAN - JIMMY BARNES
2 SUMMER OF '69 - BRYAN ADAMS
1 KHE SAHN - COLD CHISEL

It appears I'm not in the minority- even the poll is not 100% to your liking, it was polled without bias & enough options are there for it to be considered a true enough representation.

What stands the test of time is music that is well know - by NAME - a long time after it was first released. Quality - which is a personal viewpoint and always will be - is therefore irrelevant.

What does knowing the correct title of song have to do with it's quality?
Do you know the song "Hey Leonardo"?
I bet most people don't.
Now if I asked you do you know "She Likes Me For Me" (Third Eye Blind), most people would say yes.
Guess what? It's the same song.

As long as the Aborigines continue to battle, songs like Beds are Burning, Truganini etc will always be at the forefront of the Australian psych more than Sounds of Then could ever dream of being.

I don't think Sounds Of Then was politaically motivated, or even claims to be.
You admit to liking the song, so what's with the attempt to downgrade it's worth?