Australian bands, anyone?

[Shush]

I remember Australian acts being popular around about 1987 - 1988. Inxs, Crowded House, John Cougar Mellencamp, etc.
It was not really a surprise. If you remember the charts at the time, UK music had reached an all time low. The charts were dominated by the evil "stock-aitkin- waterman" trio. Filling the charts with truly shite acts like Rick Astley, Sinitta etc. Even established pop acts like Bananarama could not compete so joined in with the evil trio.

What little completion there was sought out acts from as far away as Australia to find some light relief from that evil S.A.W. sound of wimpy electronic drum beats. I remember also during this period with the current pop scene being so bad, some companies released songs from the distant past to help us get away from the evil SAW with acts like Jackie Wilson, the Righteous Brothers and others.

So yes, some Aussie bands from that time were quite good and a much better alternative to S.A.W.  The only other good thing about the S.A.W. **** up of the charts is it lead to "Indie" as a backlash 

[lotus]

What`s that? I`m not allowed to quote or to reply to some of the ostings here - logged?
What is wrong to post "I remember INXS, I like some of their songs, saw this some days ago, but had not the time to answer `til now"? 

Mellencamp isn`t from australia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mellencamp

[Rusco]

What`s that? I`m not allowed to quote or to reply to some of the ostings here - logged?
What is wrong to post "I remember INXS, I like some of their songs, saw this some days ago, but had not the time to answer `til now"? 

Sorry, I don't understand. You mean you can't quote some post here? Sounds strange. 

I've found out a bug here at the forum that it's not possible to put out more than three url-links at once. If you'll try it says that "you don't have the access".

[lotus]

What`s that? I`m not allowed to quote or to reply to some of the ostings here - logged?
What is wrong to post "I remember INXS, I like some of their songs, saw this some days ago, but had not the time to answer `til now"? 

Sorry, I don't understand. You mean you can't quote some post here? Sounds strange. 

I've found out a bug here at the forum that it's not possible to put out more than three url-links at once. If you'll try it says that "you don't have the access".

What`s that? I`m not allowed to quote or to reply to some of the ostings here - logged?
What is wrong to post "I remember INXS, I like some of their songs, saw this some days ago, but had not the time to answer `til now"? 

Sorry, I don't understand. You mean you can't quote some post here? Sounds strange. 

I've found out a bug here at the forum that it's not possible to put out more than three url-links at once. If you'll try it says that "you don't have the access".

Sorry, that perhaps was only my personal pc/provider problem - if this quoting works, problem is solved

[Shush]

Mellencamp isn`t from australia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mellencamp

Thanks Lotus, don't know why I thought he was, maybe because he was around at the same time.  Liked his song "Paper in Fire"

[lotus]

"Paper And Fire" was the one to check out more of Mellencamp - and yes, I like some of the songs

[jimmie 8]

words and music double cd by john mellencamp is one of the best collection of songs ever by him and you can get it for a fiver on amazon a real bargain to be honest im a big fan and rate it best collection by anyone 35 tracks and no fillers

[Space]

John Cougar Menstrual Cramp is American and for most of his career he was thought of here as a lame hack. His early songs like "I Need A Lover That Won't Drive Me Crazy" and "Hurts So Good" were so, so bad. He was seen as a record company creation that was designed to hit the charts. They gave him the name "Cougar" because Mellencamp sure wouldn't make the charts (and he bent over and took that name change), and the company made sure he released the most simplistic crap.

But then he did something most in the record biz do not -- he rejected what his record comapny was doing to him. He released records back with his real name and made records that were important to him -- songs that said something. I always hated the guy because of his early stuff, but when his album "Scarecrow" came out, it was "Wow." Some incredible songwriting on that album, and he has continued to be a very good songwriter since then.

He's said to be a first class prick, but his song "Scarecrow" is a first class song. A dark look at the plight of American farming and, by extension, a look at what America had sadly become.

[jimmie 8]

space you should read born in a small town john mellencamp the story by heather johnson well worth a read

[Space]

space you should read born in a small town john mellencamp the story by heather johnson well worth a read

What's in it?

I'm not going to read a book about John Cougar Menstrual Camp. I'm not really a fan of his music or him as a person (I know he also did the typical rock star thing of marrying a model that was in his music video). I heard him interviewed on the Howard Stern radio show a few years ago and Mellencamp came across honestly about the jerk he was (some people say he still is a jerk). At least he is man enough to admit he's been a real tool, not many in rock every get around to admitting that.

[szmurf]

Space - Mellencamp wasn't a record company creation, in fact he got the nick name Little Bastard because he was such a pain the ass to the company.  He started releasing albums with his real name because he was proud of his family and family name.  I like the entire first album released, and found most of his records quite good, up until about record 8 or 9.  7 or 8 solid albums way more than you'd get from most folks.

He was born, raised, and still keeps a house in Southern Indiana.  I'm sure he also has homes in NY and LA, but whatever, he's a rock star.  And yeah - he does have a rep for being a jerk, but again, whatever.

As for the Stern interview; one humongous tool interviewing another.

[szmurf]

Oh - Back to Australia.  I like some of INXS too.

[Rusco]

Oh, please carry on. It's interesting to read all this stuff. 

[jimmie 8]

cold chisel are my favourite band of all time plus jimmy barnes they are legends in aussie rock history every album by chisel and barnesy is a classic like to hear your comments on them space Don walker one of the best songwriters ever i like inxs as well

[Space]

cold chisel are my favourite band of all time plus jimmy barnes they are legends in aussie rock history every album by chisel and barnesy is a classic like to hear your comments on them space Don walker one of the best songwriters ever i like inxs as well

Apart from INXS, I have never heard of any of the musicians you mentioned.

INXS were weak as hell. Sure they had some catchy songs that I did like, but as a band I have no idea what they stood for. Their lyrics were so nothing. All those albums and all those songs and the band amounts to a big nothing because lyrically they were completely vapid.




Best Aussie bands:

The Church
-- I can't even begin to write about them because they are so great in so many ways

Hunters & Collectors
-- "Throw Your Arms Around Me" is a modern folk classic. I have seen Pearl Jam cover that song, everyone in music from Taylor Swift to New Model Army should do a version of that song. No matter who does it, it will still be great; the song is that good.

-- "The Slab or Betty's Worry" has the nastiest bass line in history. Insanely great song. For those here who have never heard it, youtube it and behold a bass line that could win wars.