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| (Cover art by Greg O'Connor) |
Although they got their start in the 80's, Boom Crash Opera are one of a number of fantastic bands who populated the fertile 90's Australian rock scene (others include Jebediah, TISM, The Hoodoo Gurus, Tumbleweed, Spiderbait, and Regurgitator).
A full 11 years before Shrek's famed soliloquy in Shrek 1 (or was it a "monologue"...I can't remember if Donkey was there...), these Aussies were making onion/ layers/ life and being analogies with grace and aplomb. "Onion Skin", linked below, is a real toe tapper/ shout-alonger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2FPE1Y5_4o
In fact, let's have a listen to it played live too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M30PnFbWCDs
Yes, there are certainly 80's vestiges. The shadow of that decade's glam-tastic, buffed to a sheen production lingers in the corners, but it is effectively tempered by the rawness and immediacy of good old pub rock. Still, when things tend toward the 80's end of the spectrum, it's done right: with big, hooky, shiny, anthemic choruses (see "Dancing in the Storm" below). Nothing dated about this sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-mmg4egLtM
Thematically, what are we looking at here? The way I see it, this is all about meeting change with intrepidity. The final decade of the 20th century was set to begin-how would the century come to an end? Would we even make it to the end at all? As the title says: "These Here (Were) Are Crazy Times". But how do we meet the "storm"? We "dance" in it. " The Best Thing" (linked below) begins with a "venturing out into the unknown" image too ("I put my space suit on, count back 10 to 1. The gravitation pull gets stronger") before singer Richard Pleasance assures us that "this is the best thing that has ever happened to me"; and I have no reason to doubt him- he seems like an honest bloke.
Take Mr. Pleasance's optimism and courage with you into these crazy times of our own!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBQCbPbPS8E
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| (Photography by Matthew Deller) |
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