The Living End- Roll On

Roll On is The Living End's second album. It was released in 2001, three years after their self-titled debut).

For Roll On, the band wanted to distance themselves from their previous punkabilly sound, with a complex album of pub-rock operas. "Pub-rock operas???" you might be thinking. But I think it is the best description for this album: imagine AC/DC condensing Wagner's Ring Cycle into 48 headbanging minutes. That's what we're dealing with here. The end result is exhausting- both physically and mentally- but this combination of art-rock complexity and and infectious pub rock anthems is very rewarding.

The opening song, Roll On, makes it perfectly clear that the band's punkabilly days are behind them, but without too much artsy stuff (yet...) to scare people off. This continues for Pictures in the Mirror and Riot on Broadway, with both being radio-friendly high-intensity singles. The recording of the vocals sounds a bit thin, but otherwise the recording quality is very good. It is raw but still composed, and holds up well after 13 years.

We enter the rabbit-hole with Staring at the Light. As is necessary when condensing 4 nights of opera onto one CD (figuratively speaking), every song is a barrage of musical ideas. Often the songs have very abrupt transitions and are barely hanging together as a song, but all of the ideas are very good in isolation.

Blood on Your Hands sums up the album in a song: a plethora of ideas shoehorned together, some clever experimental bits and an epic pub rock chorus. The result: brilliant. Next up is Revolution Regained, a great pop song (probably the simplest song on the album), and also my favourite track. As some respite for the ending, Uncle Harry is a simple, silly ditty about a relative urinating in a bathtub!

In the Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time list, The Living End's self-titled album charted higher at number 4. While that album is more unique, I wouldn't be surprised if, over time, Roll On overtakes it in popularity. In my humble opinion, behind all the complexity (and partly because of it), Roll On is an all-time classic album of Aussie rock.

Favourite songs

Roll On, Pictures in the Mirror, Riot on Broadway, Carry Me Home, Dirty Man, Blood on your Hands, Revolution Regained, Killing the Right, Uncle Harry

Would I buy it again?

Yes

Various- Files Under Ska 2

This compilation (tracklist here) was released in 2000, as the Australian ska movement was approaching its peak. Some  stalwart bands (Yeah Yeah, Loin Groin, etc) were still kicking and new bands were popping up all the time. Some of these bands would have relatively successful careers, others have been long forgotten.
(By the way, prior to this post, the whole of the internet didn't have the cover art for this CD!)

Even as someone obsessed with ska, I find this album is very hit and miss. Some songs are great, some are real shockers (let's not name names!). On the bright side- unlike many genre-specific compilations- it never gets monotonous. As for recording quality, most of the recordings are quite rough around the edges. But enthusiasm over polish goes with the 3rd wave ska territory...

Some of my favourites are the smooth instrumentals of the Australian Ska Orchestra (not directly related to the Melbourne Ska Orchestra), the whimsical yet cocky rock-ska of icons Loin Groin, tracks from Commissioner Gordon's EP and a catchy little tune from Addiction 64. And a nice surprise is the bands which appeared out of obscurity with a fine contribution: Shelflife, The Cryptic Lanes, Cheese Excursion and Fieldtrip. The Oiska song is quite surprising- until I read the tracklist I had no idea that it was by them.

Favourite songs

That was Fantastic (Commissioner Gordon), Disgusting Love (Cheese Excursion), Storm Warning (Australian Ska Orchestra), Society's Flaw (Shelflife) , 747- Time to Start Loving' (Loin Groin), Blurred Vision (The Cryptic Lanes), Little Something (Slyboots), No Nonsense (Addiction 64), Autopilot (Fieldtrip), R'n'BFX (Commissioner Gordon), Given Up (Shelflife), Rainy Night in Horsham (Australian Ska Orchestra)

Would I buy it again?

Yes, mainly for the handful of songs (by obscure bands) which cannot be found anywhere else.

Bodyjar- Singles and Stuff

Bodyjar are not just a band, they are an Australian melodic-punk institution. Having released their first album 20 years ago, they have seen all kinds of fads come and go, and occasionally still come out of the woodwork to play the odd show.

This album is a 1999 compilation of their first four albums.

Although the band is labelled as "punk", in many ways they are the antithesis of punk! I say this due to the poetic lyrics, wonderful composition (especially the way the two guitars work together- their "synergy" is amongst the best going around) and great polish. Most of the 15 songs are similar pace, structure and style, but it's done so well that I'm not complaining.

The recording quality has held up well over the years. Minor quibbles are that the vocal production sometimes lacks polish and bass guitar can be "woofly" or get lost in the mix. The loose cymbals might also not be to everyone's liking. But the drums and guitars sound great, and overall it packs a punch while maintaining definition.

For me, there are many highlights on this album, and not a single song I would prefer to skip.  Glossy Books has great lyrics and chorus, Remote Controller somehow combines so many interesting musical ideas, Windsok's verses show their punk side while maintaining their trademark sophistication, Gee and Al is a catchy pop tune... I'd better stop before I wax lyrical about every song on the album!

Even amongst such a high standard, three songs stand out as my all-time favourite songs. The cover of Simon and Garfunkel's Hazy Shade of Winter is fantastic- the poetic lyrics, swirling guitar riff and epic ending makes for a great cover. As for originals, Return to Zero is the ultimate punk-rock song, in my opinion. Somehow it seamlessly combines a smorgasboard of great ideas. If Bodyjar had instead spread the ideas across, say, 5 songs, the 5 songs would still have been very good. Instead, we are blessed with one absolutely fantastic song. Finally, I really like how Do Not Do hammers along at breakneck pace, yet still manages to feel smooth and composed.

Recently I've been dismissive of compilation, due to the idea that they are "soulless" compared to the original albums. But when every song on the compilation is this good, I have to make an exception...

Favourite songs

You Say, Glossy Books, Hazy Shade of Winter, Time to Grow Up, Remote Controller, Kitchen Knife, Windsok, Do Not Do, Washed Away, You've Taken Everything

Would I buy it again?

Absolutely.

The Hives- Veni Vidi Viscious

Those crazy Swedes... The Hives are a raw garage rock band, who came to prominence thanks to this second album released in 2000.  Soon after this album, the garage rock revival was in full swing. But while the other bands took the artform very seriously (eg The Strokes), The Hives stuck with a more whimsical approach.

On a personal note, I was really getting into this album as the September 11 attacks happened. Immediately after the attacks, panic and chaos reigned, and many people feared that it was the start of World War 3. Scary times.

On to the album itself... well, the tongue is very firmly planted in cheek! There are some interesting concepts raised in the lyrics (corporate greed, consumerism, metric quantities of time), however the attitude presented is like a petulant toddler. And that's what I love about it. Comparing them to Ramones is a big call, but I definitely enjoy The Hives every bit as much. And with an album length of 28 minutes, brevity is another common aspect.

The album flies along at breakneck pace, with the more sedate Main Offender, Hate To Say I Told You So and Find Another Girl probably included just to give the listener a break from the onslaught. I really enjoy the lyrics, however some people might find the howling (not screaming, but definitely strained), "retro-distorted" vocal style to be annoying. Also, the recording style is rough and noisy. So much so that I find it harsh rather than enjoyable when the volume is cranked.

The opener Declare Guerre Nucleaire serves as a declaration of intent- it is short, fast, raw and the lyrics make no sense! Die, All Right! is my favourite song on the album, to me it is a very slick pop song with "up yours!!" lyrics and a very catchy chorus. The following songs are similar, but somehow with even more frantic pace and attitude: A Get Together To Tear It Apart, Outsmarted, Metric System in Time, Statecontrol and Knock Knock.

Main Offender, Inspection Wise 1999 and Supply and Demand are a slower pact, but the attitude and rawness remains cranked to eleven. Arguably the band's most famous song, Hate to Say I Told You So, is another catchy pop tune which remains relatively civilised until the raucous ending.

I really enjoy this album, the clever lyrics and occasional moments of pop slickness suggests they have the skills to make great "sensible"music if they wanted to. But they don't! Kinda summed up by this line from Die All Right:
Too messed up to sit and settle down
Too messed up to even mess around

Favourite songs

"Die, All Right!", Main Offender, Outsmarted, Hate to Say I Told You So, Metric System in Time, State Control, Inspection Wise 1999, Knock Knock, Supply and Demand

Would I buy it again?

Hell yeah! It's rough as guts, but full of wonderful energy and attitude.

Epilogue: At the time of reviewing Lex Hives (2.5 years later), I thought it would be interesting to compare the two albums. Lex Hives is definitely a far more polished effort and the prime suspect is the recording quality- Lex Hives is hardly a homogeneous pop-rock effort, but Veni Vidi Viscious can be downright harsh at times. In common are the woofly kick-drum and bass guitar, and the harsh-ish guitar sounds. Occasionally, the cymbals also have a jarring sound. But I think the main difference is in the vocals- for Lex Hives, they are quieter and less grating. This also applies to the backing vocals. Listening back-to-back, I was actually surprised that the difference in recording quality was far less than expected.

Therefore I think the more polished feel of Lex Hives is mostly down to the recording of the vocals, and possibly the greater stylistic range in the songs. So, which is my favourite Hives album? Both!