Classic Australian rock bands

Hunters and Collectors, for mine

oh... and the Birthday Party

Hunters & Collectors and Midnight Oil.

I quite liked the album by The Sunny boys if anyone else can remember them...happy man? alone with you? Only two hits but good anyway I thought.

i love all those old early 80s Aust bands. At the time I really hated Cold Chisel, Aust Crawl and Icehouse but now I hear them and it reminds me of such a great period for local music. I'll take the best songs of any of:

Sunnyboys
Models (Atlantic Romantic, 2 Cabs, all of Pleasure of Your Company, Barbados, Big on Love)
Mentals
Jo Camilerri (Taxi Mary)
Sports/Stephen Cummings
INXS up to and including Kick
Flowers/Icehouse
Aust Crawl (Reckless & Oh Not No You Again esp)
some Chisel
Hunters
bits of Paul Kelly (when I First Met Your Ma, Beggar On the St of Love, Most Wanted Man in the World, cover of Reckless)
BCO's first album was pretty good
Richard Pleasance's first album Galleon is one of the best records anywhere, anytime
Soul Kind Of Feeling by Dynamic Hepnotics was a great summer record

2 great Kiwi bands were Mother Goose (!) and Dragon (another band I hated at the time). I can't think of a band anywhere in the world who had a better comeback single than Dragon did with Rain.

Geek Alert!!!
I love Little River Band!! I just saw them live in Minneapolis 2 summers ago and I knew every song! (Though, I don't think they have any of the original members anymore Where the heck is Glenn Shorrock?) They did have the dude that sang "Night Owls" which was great...

I love AC/DC, INXS, Midnight Oil...the Bee Gees count too don't they!!?? (maybe not as Classic Rock exactly but... )

INXS

*Hangs head in tribute to the sex god of music Michael*

INXS
Hunters & Collectors
Icehouse
Midnight Oil
The Church
Big Pig
Frente! (was a fun little band)

Hoodoo Gurus
Midnight Oil

Oh yeah, how could I forget Hunters & Collectors? Love that single from the later years called 'Holy Grail'. Such haunting lyrics...

And of course, Paul Kelly and Nick Cave.

Anyway, a few of my own personal faves...

INXS: 'Kiss The Dirt' (aka 'The Song They Usually (And Wrongfully) Leave Off INXS Greatest Hits Albums'), 'Need You Tonight', 'Never Tear Us Apart'.

Midnight Oil: 'Power And The Passion', 'Blue Sky Mine', 'Forgotten Years' (they especially rock ‘cos they had a song called 'Shipyards Of New Zealand'...oh yeah!). Peter Garrett's the man.

The Angels: 'She Keeps No Secrets From You' (love the Citizen Band connection via Brent Eccles).

Cold Chisel: 'Forever Now' (an all-time classic)

Men At Work: 'Down Under' (hey, even Kiwis can appreciate a classic!), 'Be Good Johnny', 'Who Can It Be Now?'...great '80s pop.

Australian Crawl: 'Reckless', of course...gotta love James Reyne...Company Of Strangers were good, too.

Mental As Anything: 'Live It Up' (a song I grew up with...so catchy and perky), 'If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too?' (ditto).

Icehouse: 'Great Southern Land' (really makes me think of Captain Cook), 'Electric Blue'.

AC/DC: 'Dirty Deeds', etc, etc.................

Oh yeah, and 'Soul Kind Of Feeling'...very much a cruisy, feel-good, summery song. Very cool.

quote:

Originally posted by Semi_Detached_1978:
[qb] Men At Work: 'Down Under' (hey, even Kiwis can appreciate a classic!), 'Be Good Johnny', 'Who Can It Be Now?'...great '80s pop.[/qb]

:Bangs Head:

How could I forget Men At Work, especially when I just saw Colin Hay making a guest appearance on Scrubs the other night!

quote:

Originally posted by Semi_Detached_1978:
[qb] INXS: 'Kiss The Dirt' (aka 'The Song They Usually (And Wrongfully) Leave Off INXS Greatest Hits Albums'), 'Need You Tonight', 'Never Tear Us Apart'.[/qb]

Ah yes, Need You Tonight... also known (in my single days) as "Nat's flirting song."

quote:

Originally posted by Kill Eye:
[qb]

quote:

Originally posted by Semi_Detached_1978:
[qb] Men At Work: 'Down Under' (hey, even Kiwis can appreciate a classic!), 'Be Good Johnny', 'Who Can It Be Now?'...great '80s pop.[/qb]

:Bangs Head:

How could I forget Men At Work, especially when I just saw Colin Hay making a guest appearance on Scrubs the other night! [/qb]

Yes!! I love Men At Work!

Colin Hay played at this music festival I went to...I stood very close to him in the line for cheese curds.....

John... OMG YES, THE MODELS!

Their first five albums are SO THERE on my wishlist... I think I'll be out there buying them all as soon as I land back in Australia (call it survival music. These albums saw me through my darkest days, 17 years ago... they can do it again)

quote:

Originally posted by jenn:
[qb]Yes!! I love Men At Work!

Colin Hay played at this music festival I went to...I stood very close to him in the line for cheese curds..... [/qb]

That just sounds nasty, let's promise not to discuss it anymore! What are you Canadian or something!?!?!

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

i was listening to Love In Motion by Icehouse the other day and was so impressed by the bass and that droning backing keyboards. I'm sure if this song had been popular in the US or the UK it would have been sampled for rap or dance music a million times by now. Boop Boop!

Skyhooks! Very Australian, very high quality songwriting, great arrangements - the complete unit.

and thanks to John for reminding me of the Models' "Two Cabs to the Toucan"... awesome.

edit... and Custard! How could I forget Custard! "Pack Yr Suitcases", "Caboolture Speed Lab", "Anatomically Correct"... fabulous.

Paul.

quote:

Originally posted by Kill Eye:
[qb]

quote:

Originally posted by jenn:
[qb]Yes!! I love Men At Work!

Colin Hay played at this music festival I went to...I stood very close to him in the line for cheese curds..... [/qb]

That just sounds nasty, let's promise not to discuss it anymore! What are you Canadian or something!?!?!

Not that there's anything wrong with that. [/qb]

Nah....that's Minnesota and Wisconsin Fair food... the land of dairy farms ya knoooow!!!

edit: if you are really curious - What is a Cheese Curd?

Any excuse to have something deep fried. They also have deep fried Macaroni and Cheese... I think it's on a stick too! Never tried it.

OK, anything fried can't be that bad. But when I think of Cheese Curds I always think of that vile Quebecois concoction, Poutine. Just VILE!

BTW, is that Minneapolis in you avatar?

quote:

Originally posted by Kill Eye:
[qb] OK, anything fried can't be that bad. But when I think of Cheese Curds I always think of that vile Quebecois concoction, Poutine. Just VILE!

BTW, is that Minneapolis in you avatar? [/qb]

And I thought cheese curds were kinda nasty !! (I usally only have them once a year at a fair - you can have too much of a good thing!) Sorry I looked at that picture man....glad I already ate lunch!!

Yep, that is Minneapolis...the view from Lake Calhoun...

edit: of course right now, the website that hosts my picture must be down...

are you kidding!

My life is dedicated to classic Australian Rock!

I live for it! I honestly think it's the best music in the whole wide world! (obsessive I know)

some of my faves are as follows:

Split Enz (I know it's kiwi but still...)
Crowded House
Midnight Oil
Hunters and Collectors
Cold Chisel
Hoodoo Gurus
AC/DC
Badloves
Chain
Renee Geyer
Paul Kelly
Skyhooks
Stevie Wright
The Go-Betweens
The Mavis's
Yothu Yindi
Billy Thorpe
Little River Band
John Farnham
oh god the list could go on

anyway yeah, I'm an obsessed fan of Oz music!

i was stuck in the 80s when i wrote before (not a bad place to be) so i neglected the Easybeats. Wrote some of the best pop music ever. I'm only really familiar with their hits so I can't speak for the breadth and depth of their music but their best stuff was easily as good as anything produced by anyone - friday on my mind and she's so fine are pure gems.

Another Aussie band whose music I grew up listening to was Pseudo Echo...what a great '80s group!

"Won't you take me to a funky town..."

Love their rendition of that better than the original, especially the guitar work. Nice...

Can't miss out on this one, may be a Pomme but I know my Aussie music OK Some of these may not be 'classic' as such but I think they are good contemporary Aussie rock bands

Aside from Hunters & Collectors and Icehouse which have already been mentioned I must add Powderfinger and Alex Lloyd. OK Alex Lloyd isn't a 'band' as such but he has to be added, I mean he is soooo talented! Also I think Powderfinger need particular mentioning. Saw them in London about a year ago ( I was the only Brit in the audience I think )and they ROCK BIG TIME Nearly forgot The Whitlams as well, I love Blow Up The Pokies, one of my fav Aussie songs Ah yeah don't forget Silverchair, there a very good rocky band, although they seem to be mellowing out rather a lot recently!!!

Wilich

I open myself up for debate here, but IMO, Silverchair have lost it. (The Natalie Imbruglia factor, anyone? Anyone?)

Anyway, back on topic. I thought of one this morning - not sure if you could count them as "classic", but their name sure qualifies as one:

The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band

(what WERE those guys smoking??)