Practical jokers

The Swingers - Practical Jokers (1981) ***

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition:  One Good Reason

Because I love their crazy, zany pop sound, I have this album on CD (retitled as Counting The Beat), plus the Starstruck album (which they appear on), and a couple of singles. 

Bizarrely, when Phil Judd left Split Enz after Mental Notes, they both headed towards a more mainstream pop route. Although they went their separate ways and had hits, in an alternative universe Phil stays and he and Finn brothers become mega popster/rock stars and live together happily ever after.  

Practical Jokers provides plenty of exceptional moments that immediately drag me back to the early eighties. One Good Reason (not on the original LP version), Counting The Beat (of course) and It Ain't What You Dance etc are three world class songs.

On Practical Jokers they are joined by some okay songs that would have benefitted from Tim's input (Distortion) and a few forgettable ones (i.e. the hits stand out). He's a super talented bloke is Phil but he does tend towards a sameness of approach on the album.

Nevermind - he's a super lyricist and the great songs will always be great songs - part of Nu Zild's musical DNA.

Great choice Kev - a nice addendum to the Split Enz story.

Crazy

Little Birdy - Confetti (2009) *** 

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Summarize

Little Birdy is a new one on me - an Aussie alternative rock band from Perth, of all places. They are built around a singer who has elements of Gwen Stefani about her at times. I like Gwen Stefani!

It's a confusing little record stylistically - starting off with a slice of Americana (so far so GK I thought) but that's it for that genre, as it moves into pop and alt-rock areas, as well as including strings on a few numbers!

Clearly the band have aspirations above their moniker, as the pop side will inevitably out muscle the alt-rock. No surprise GK chose Hairdo as an entry on our Aussie Battlers playlist - just two listens into the album and I was singing 'you don't need no hairdo, you don't need no ciggar - et' around school like a crazy person. 

BTW - she has a weird pronunciation at times. I could have sworn she was asking for a reliable bathroom implement in Dark Of Night (don't you want a loofah you can count on?).

Speaking of which - some of the songs like Dark Of Night I found plain annoying - the childlike fairground or music box style music and her 'quiet' voice just ground my gears. Is it me or are Little Birdy taking a leaf out of the book of that great Aussie battler, Leo Sayer, on that song?

But when it works (okay - yes - when it sounds like No Doubt lite) in Summarise, and Hairdo, and when they play the cool and lovely card on Stay Wild, or the poppy Run Run Run (guitars!) I find myself well and truly onboard.

So, a mixed bag - but the pluses outweigh the negatives, for sure. I'm not aware of how this album sits in terms of Little Birdy releases but it feels like they are transitioning towards more pop friendly radio hits on their next release. Which I'd be keen to hear!