Commissioner Gordon- A Life Less Gordonary

Commissioner Gordon (not to be confused with the garage rock band from the USA), are an Australian ska band from the early 2000s. They were a pivotal part of Melbourne's ska scene, as American bands such  Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake and Mighty Mighty Bosstones brought on a resurgence in ska's popularity.

Prior to this review, I haven't listened to this CD for a while, so it's a nice surprise to discover just how much fun it is. The band have a unique take on 3rd wave ska- adding punk, swing and funk to the mix. Their unique sound also comes from the way the horns are used, the walking basslines and endearingly "ocker" lyric style.

That Was Fantastic has nice contrast between syrup-smooth verses and immature punk choruses, and the real skill is getting them to gel seamlessly. The use of horns is one of my favourite things about Commissioner Gordon, they are very intricate for a ska band. Also, they are carefully woven into the song, as opposed to the usual approach of using them as cheesy response lines. I Want to be Sued continues in this style, again with amusing and immature lyrics, and again the results are very enjoyable.

I don't want to spoil the surprise to anyone who hasn't heard this version of Bernie Got Wise, other than to say that the sneaky musical references thrown into the intro always make me smile!

Psychotic Panelbeater combines menacing slow reggae verses, a "circus music" chorus and brilliantly whimsical lyrics. It works, albeit in a silly way. Somehow it reminds me of the insanity of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Perverted Happiness works to a similar formula.

RnBFX would be the most "normal" ska song on the album, sometimes sounding like a song from The Toasters. But the unusual song structure and insane (in a good way) lyrics result in a song that is still wonderfully oddball.

Favourite songs

That Was Fantastic, I Want to be Sued, Bernie Got Wise, Psychotic Panelbeater, RnBFX, Perverted Happiness (yes, all of them!)

Would I buy it again?

There's probably too many great memories tied up in these songs for me to be able to listen to them objectively. Maybe an unbiased listener would find it dated and immature; but I still thoroughly enjoy it, and would purchase it again in a heartbeat.

Cake- Fashion Nugget

Fashion Nugget is Cake's second album. It was released in 1996, two years after Motorcade of Generosity.

Frank Sinatra is a brilliant opening song. It is almost an instrumental, and I really like the way it plays with layering whilst maintaining a laid-back groove. On the other hand, The Distance has a much more determined and energetic groove than most other Cake Songs, as driven by the lyrics.

I Will Survive is a great twist on Gloria Gaynor's hit- somehow the seriously funky bass and drums, deadpan lyrics and smooth trumpet combine brilliantly. Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps is given a similar treatment, although its fragmented style makes it less catchy.

There are also some silly songs which don't take themselves seriously: Friend is a Four Letter Word, Daria and Race Car Ya-Yas. Personally, I enjoy the gentle whimsy. Then things go completely silly with a tongue-in-cheek country song (Stickshifts and Safetybelts and She'll Come Back To Me) and waltz (Sad Songs and Waltzes).

As for recording quality, on the surface it sounds fine. But listen closely and it reveals itself as pretty lo-fi: the drum sounds lack polish, the bass can be muddy and in general it can sound pretty cheap and cheerful. Perhaps it's a deliberate choice to keep things lighthearted, but I tend deal with it by thinking of it as a live album.

It's hard to tell whether the heavy funk of Nugget is meant to be tongue-in-cheek or not. But they make the funk less serious for the tale of consumerism nirvana, Italian Leather Sofa, which results in my favourite Cake song.

It seems that history will remember the band Cake with Short Skirt Long Jacket off their 4th album,  however there are also many gems on Fashion Nugget.

Favourite songs

Frank Sinatra, The Distance, Open Book, I Will Survive, Stickshifts and Safetybelts, Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps, Its Coming Down, Italian Leather Sofa, Sad Songs and Waltzes

Would I Buy It Again?

Yes. It's unique, and fun.

Magic Dirt- Dirty Jeans

This is the hit single from the album What Are Rockstars Doing Today, which shot Magic Dirt into 15 minutes of mainstream fame. It was released in 2000.

Dirty Jeans is a simple ditty with an interesting song structure- a bit like a rock version of a round. Also, in my book it earns bonus points for the double hand-claps.

Kidbug is a grungier style, with more venomous vocals and dirty guitars swirling around in the background. And Supernova is somewhere between the two. Neither are particularly memorable for me, but are decent headbanging fun at the time.

Favourite songs

Dirty Jeans, Supernova 

Would I Buy It Again?

Probably not. Back then it worked well as a quirky pop song, but for me there isn't any lasting appeal.

Bob Dylan- Self Portrait

Self Portrait is Bob Dylan's tenth(!) album. It was released in 1970.

On a personal note, many years ago, I thought that my CD collection could use some Bob Dylan (presumably to gain some cred as a person with credible tastes!). In particular, I was after Like a Rolling Stone and this CD- probably in the bargain bin- had that song, so I naively grabbed it and have listened to it rarely ever since.

What a controversial album I happened to have grabbed! Released after his highly successful 1960s era, this album resulted in the following reactions:
- "what is this shit?" (Rolling Stone)
- great concept, poor execution
- also it has been suggested that the album was deliberately bad because Dylan was frustrated with his fans' constant attention (how arrogant of him!) or a parody.

The songs are mostly covers, and actually covers a lot of musical styles- although it isn't immediately obvious these days because all of them are very cheesy...

For example, All The Tired Horses, I've Forgotten More Than You'll Ever Know and Early Morning Rain are in a very dated ballad style, dripping in excess choirs and violins. Bob Dylan also tries his hand at Blue Moon and, yes, the results are as painful as you would expect!

Dylan's trademark "gravelly folk" style appears on Days of 49, Little Sadie and Like a Rolling Stone, which at least have some feeling of integrity to them. Unfortunately, this version of Like A Rolling Stone is live recording with poor audio quality, and a sloppy band.

I must admit I'm still not very familiar with Bob Dylan in general. So to maintain any form of respect for his work, I seriously hope this album is a case of trolling his fans. That's about the nicest things I can say about it!

Favourite songs

Belle Isle, Alberta #1, Like a Rolling Stone, Gotta Travel On, Take a Message to Mary, She Belongs To Me

Would I buy it again?

There's enough good songs to make it worthwhile, but I can't shake the feeling that this album is just plain insulting to the audience's intelligence.

Metallica- "the black album"

This "black album" (officially known as "Metallica") was a massive success for Metallica. It was released in 1991, three years after ...And Justice For All.

Like Dave Brubeck, this is an intimidating classic to comment on! There is not much to say that hasn't been said, starting with the classics of Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters. The massive cheese-cutter guitar sound has already been discussed at length, as has Lars's neanderthal drumming (Nothing Else Matters would have greatly benefited from a set of brushes and some valium!). So the best I can do is remind you of the goodness of the less-remembered songs.


Sad But True is a slower, grunting song which clearly influenced Rage Against the Machine's style.
Holier Than Thou cranks the tempo back up for a ...ahem... vehement discussion about religion...
To me, the verses of Wherever I May Roam get a bit tedious, but all is forgiven when the fantastic chorus hits.
Don't Tread on Me has a really cool swing groove.
Through the Never alternates between frantic pace and slower breakdowns, following the classic 1980s Metallica style.
Of Wolf and Man is a mid-paced headbanger.
The God That Failed is a bit like The Unforgiven but a bit disjointed in my opinion.
My Friend of Misery also is perfect for headbanging in the verses, with a chorus influencing Rage Against the Machine's style.
The Struggle Within is a frantic 1980s Metallica style song.

Of course this album demanded to be listened to louder than usual. So my neighbours can confirm that the bass guitar and kick drum have huuuuge power, the guitars are grunty yet well defined, the snare is very sharp and the floor tom hits could create earthquakes! At quieter levels, the hi-hat sounds a bit smeared, but crank it up and it falls into place nicely.

Finally, the lyrics are top notch throughout the album.

Favourite songs

Enter Sandman, Holier than Thou, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, Don't Tread on Me, Through the Never, Nothing Else Matters, Of Wolf and Man, My Friend of Misery

Would I buy it again?

Yes. I don't normally believe in "must have" albums, but this is one that needs to be enjoyed every so often. At maximum volume.

Various- The Songs of Duran Duran Undone

This oddball compilation was released in 1999. It features Duran Duran covers by Australian bands.

Back when I bought this CD, I wasn't familiar with many Duran Duran songs, so for me these versions are songs in their own right, as opposed to "covers".

The opening track is The Mavis's sugar-coated synth version of Planet Earth, which- if nothing else- warns us that we're in for a wild ride!

Then Powderfinger provide a light tropical version of The Chauffer. The lyrics of the original are incredibly vivid, and the style of the song perfectly compliments them. It is probably one of my favourite songs on the album, and definitely my favourite Powderfinger song.

Bodyjar's version of Rio is a strange mix of punk rock with glam, but really like the mix of poetry and punk-rock.

The Reflex is a light pop duet between Kylie Minogue and Ben Lee, which I find a bit spineless, aside from a very catchy chorus. Jebediah plaster their signature style (not my cup of tea) over Hungry Like the Wolf.

Careless Memories appears with a fantastic grunty rock-ska version by Area-7. It's hard to put a finger on the style of the song, but whatever it is, I like it!

Pollyanna provide a light pop-rock version of Save a Prayer which builds up very nicely (trivia: the Pollyanna drummer would end up becoming the drummer for the band on the following track). Girls on Film by The Living End has a really cool interplay between synthy drums and the guitar lines in the verses, but the chorus is a half-baked mess.

Finally, Custard finish with a version of View to a Kill which is drawn out and incoherently uses every trick in a synthesiser's box.

Favourite songs

The Chauffer (Powderfinger), Rio (Bodyjar), The Wild Boys (Robyn Loau), Come Undone (Bachelor Girl), Careless Memories (Area-7), Save a Prayer (Pollyanna), Girls on Film (The Living End)

Would I buy it again?

Strangely, I would. I think it nicely sums up an era of Australian music. And, as a bonus, has some nice oddball treats.

Various- Cold Live at the Chapel

Back in 1999-2000, there was a series of intimate concerts at a converted chapel in Melbourne, Australia. Local and international rock artists played the series of televised concerts, and a "best of" CD was put together at the end of it. The formula for so successful it was run for three series. This CD is from the first series.
While the songs are stripped back compared to their album versions, it isn't strictly "acoustic" since some bands brought their electric guitars along. The recording quality of the vocals and acoustic guitars is very crisp, however the bigger rock songs are missing the enveloping Hollywood production effects of their album counterparts.

That I like only a few of the 18 songs on this album is more due to not really liking many of the bands involved more than a failing of the album. Having said that, Everlong by the Foo Fighters is a letdown by somehow sounding "rushed". And Lightening Crashes by Live (live Live? sorry, terrible pun!) has a folk feel by the use of bongo drums and acoustic guitars, which is not my cup of tea since it sorely lacks the power (especially for the ending) that makes the album version so wonderful.

On the plus side, the crisp live atmosphere of Fastball's The Way brings out a wonderful version of this pop song. The band Fuel also sound great in this acoustic setting. In Killing Heidi's Mascara, the ragged edge of the live electric guitar contrasts works well with the youthful anger of the song. Similarly, the messy guitars on Deeper Water by Deadstar gives this version of the pop-rock song a great honesty.

Favourite songs

The Way (Fastball), Bittersweet (Fuel), Shimmer (Fuel), To Her Door (Paul Kelly), Mascara (Killing Heidi), Deeper Water (Deadstar)

Would I buy it again?

It's a mixed bag, but a few treasured semi-acoustic interpretations make it worthwhile.

Ben Folds Five- Whatever and Ever Amen

This is the highly successful 2nd album from piano-pop-indy-rock group Ben Folds Five. It was released in 1997, two years after the self-titled debut album.

I bought this album mainly due to the single Brick, which was very popular in Australia thanks to the Triple J radio station.

Brick's tormented story of an unexpected pregnancy still has great impact after all these years. As for the other songs, at first listen they seem quite immature and amateur, but after a few listens it somehow feels more like character and rawness. The mood of the album is a bit all over the place, including often abruptly jumping from a sorrowful piano ballad to a whimsical upbeat pop/rock song.

These days I tend to prefer the rollicking angry piano-driven rock (One Angry Dwarf, Stevo's Last Night in Town) to the sorrowful ballads (Brick, Cigarette), but all are definitely a worthwhile listen.

The recording quality is quite raw (almost in a jazz style), but all the instruments and the vocals sound very good. I never noticed it at the time, but 15 years later the cheesy distortion guitar can be a bit much at times. Despite claims that Folds wasn't much of a piano player in the early days, I think the piano parts do the job here nicely.

From sorrowfully prodding the ivories to angrily pounding them in a high energy indie-rock song, this album is well executed at all levels of intensity.

Favourite songs

One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces, Brick, Song for the Dumped, Selfless Cold and Composed, Kate, Stevo's Last Night in Town, Evaporated

Would I buy it again?

Yes. It was a silly purchase at the time, but has since revealed itself to be an inspired album.

Guns N' Roses- Appetite for Destruction

Appetite For Destruction is the hugely successful 1987 debut album from Gun's'Roses.

It has been quite a jump going from Dave Brubeck to this album! While this album is approaching 30 years, as opposed to approaching 60 years for Brubeck, the issue of "I guess you had to be there" is again present. It's hard to repress thoughts of the pathetic behaviour of these ageing rockers over the years, and more recent bands like Slipnot, Rage Against the Machine, etc can make Appetite for Destruction appear like children's music these days.

Also, the lack of modern digital effects magic leaves the album sounding very thin these days (in fact, there is a disclaimer on the back cover basically saying "please excuse the poor recording quality of this CD"!)

Putting that aside, the riffs are very catchy and the music is still good headbanging fun. And the tales (eg tough guys from rough suburbs now partying with heroin paid for by someone else) are well told and captivating. As an example, the poetry of:
Your daddy works in porno
Now that mommy's not around
She used to love her heroin
But now she's underground
is an intriguing tough-guy description of a tragic situation. Perhaps these lyrics were a fluke and I'm over-analysing things, but there's enough clever lyrics through the album to give the impression that someone in the band was a pretty skilful poet.

While Welcome to the Jungle perhaps isn't that special in isolation, it is the perfect opening song and quickly establishes the mood.

The rest of the world might be sick of Sweet Child O' Mine but I still enjoy it every time I hear it. For years I thought the song was really only 3 and a half minutes long, with the whole "where do we go" lyrics section being pointlessly drawn out. But now I appreciate the lyrics are actually just backing for some epic guitar shredding, so now I enjoy the entire length of the song.

Listening to these songs from another generation sometimes gives me an impression of grandpa trying to convince the kids that he was cool once, but there are many times when they still sound tough even today. For example, the chorus of Mr Brownstone is one of my favourites. As a side note, I don't think this album worships drugs, since it depicts both the highs and lows that result (I actually think it's a healthier influence for kids than the image-conscious plastic lifestyle presented these days by Mr Bieber, Ms Cyrus and co).

For me, Rocket Queen summarises the best of Guns N' Roses: the raw devil-may-care thrash, catchy chorus, the sex scene (just to make sure that everybody is offended!), finally the shift to rock ballad with beautiful lyrics. 

Favourite songs

Welcome to the Jungle, Nightrain, Out Ta Get Me, Mr Brownstone, Paradise City, My Michelle, You're Crazy, Rocket Queen

Would I buy it again?

Hell yeah! Forget everything you know about Gun N' Roses and modern music, crank your attitude up to 11, then listen to this album. Loud.

Dave Brubeck- Greatest Hits

This is the "Best Of" album from one of the fathers of "cool jazz". 

There are people far better qualified to review Dave Brubeck's work, but I'll have a crack anyway! Take 5 was used in an ad for Sony headphones many years ago. Without knowing what it was, I was inspired to find a CD of this chilled yet uplifting song. It was quite a surprise to find out the song was over 40 years old! Take 5 can be summed up as timeless classic, somehow it is eternally modern and fresh.

However, time has not been so kind to the rest of this compilation- deep down there was an uncomfortable suspicion that it is just daggy grandpa music these days. Most of the things that placed this album in a popular culture context have long been forgotten in modern society. For example, the "remix" of Camptown Races would today exist as a  dubstep version of something like Run to Paradise! And waltzes rarely feature in pop culture these days, so the unique interpretation of It's a Raggy Waltz loses its impact. It took a few listens of the CD to get into the mood and appreciate that is was cutting edge stuff back in the day.

The piano and sax work is wonderful. Aside from a few solos, the bass and drums are fighting for the scraps and often indistinguishable. This "vocal heavy" approach takes a lot of "fullness" out of the sound. Headphone listeners beware- gratuitous use of stereo means the drums are completely in one ear and the piano completely in the other.

For most of the album, I'm not sure whether it has taken a few listens to get into it, or I have just convinced myself that I like it. That's not to diss the fine songs on this CD, it's just that this modern life is very different to the context originally surrounding the songs.

Favourite songs

Take 5, Take 5, Take 5...
Ok then, also I'm in a Dancing Mood, The Duke, Bossa Nova U.S.A, Unsquare Dance, Blue Rondo a la Turk

Would I buy it again?

Yes, for Take 5 alone. But everything else is possibly irrelevant these days.