Dune

pt 1 (10/10/21)

I have many memories of the movie Dune coming out when I was a young lad. This being the 1984 version, directed by David Lynch. I would have been about nine or ten and living in Morley. There was a lot of Star Wars-esque hype being forced upon it, and I remember being given colouring-in books and seeing toys in the shops. I recall feelings of amusement at seeing 'that guy from The Police' as an action figure. Interestingly, David Lynch was either offered or considered for the job of director for Return of the Jedi, but turned it down to make Dune. Science fiction movies would continue to pour out of the mid eighties: The Last Starfighter, Enemy Mine, Flight of the Navigator, D.A.R.Y.L., etc., and I think it was being part of this blockbuster Hollywood machine that made Lynch turn to his own visions and writings for future films. Oh, and not getting final cut probably irked him too.

While Dune failed to make the global impact it could have, some scenes of the film left a mark on me. Kyle McLachlan's character Paul Atriedes being told to place his hand in a mysterious box which contained pain is a big one. And the usage of The Voice as a powerful force to make people do their will, or even kill. I wonder how the sandworms would look now with 2021 eyes....

I didn't watch the movie until my family went to one of many street parties in our neighbourhood, and the hosting family had a copy of it on VHS for the kids to watch. It was quite long, and I remember one of the parents looking in on us after about an hour and remarking that we still had a fair way to go. 

I think it may have been the first movie I had watched where more than one character had an internal dialogue, not just the lead. It was quite hard to keep up with as a youngster. Anyway, I think I enjoyed the film for the most part and didn't think much more of it. As I entered my teens, I got into more of Lynch's movies, and Dune became an odd footnote to me; it's the film in between The Elephant Man and Blue Velvet. 

Anyway, fast forward a few years and I'm in my twenties and with Rhona at Mandurah Forum. She had a voucher or something for a haircut at a salon located there. While I waited for her, I bought a copy of Frank Herbert's novel Dune and sat on a bench and read it. I can't remember what lead me to buy it, but there I was. I quite like reading books that I've seen films of. I always picture the actors as the characters. It's been a while, and I've only read it the once, but I think it was quite engaging and vivid. I enjoyed understanding more of the story, and I possibly toyed with the idea of reading the other books in the series. I discovered that there was TV series adaptation, but never watched it.

I'm quite excited to see what the new movie version of Dune will be like. 

pt 2 (6/9/22)

What I didn't explain in the previous entry was what motivated me to revisit Dune again. Aside from the new 2021 film adaptation being helmed by Denis Villeneuve, I spotted a graphic novel in a Vic Park bookstore after we'd had dinner at Sebastian's. This would have been about a week before that section I wrote in October last year. I have a feeling we also purchased a box of Bowie fridge magnets at the same time. Yes, they're exactly what you think they are, and they are awesome.

This was quite a special edition of Dune, gloriously vivid in its illustrations and decadently housed in a hardcover with a dust jacket. And the smell! I can't put my finger on it, but it's like either a particular set of trading cards from my childhood, or an old book, or cardboard from art class, I don't know. I just love it. Either it's the paper or the ink or something, but it's quite intoxicating. The only problem was that it was Book 1. There were two more issues planned, and they were months away! Although I read the book with fervour, I held off from watching either the new 2021 film or revisiting David Lynch's 1984 effort. I arguably could have read the original novel in the time between the release of Book 1 and Book 2 - but I didn't.

Over the following months, I remember checking online stores and Amazon periodically, as I always seemed to forget when the second instalment was being released. Time moved ever on, as it does, and I think it was one day in July this year that I saw it was coming out in August. Excitedly, I pre-ordered a copy and waited. A few weeks later, I had the second edish in my hot little hand. Again, the artwork and presentation were wonderful, and it had that great smell. Didn't take long to polish that one off either! 

My heart sank when the last page revealed that Book 3 wasn't coming until Spring 2024! Which, hopefully means, autumn for this side of the world. So, I decided that if I ever want to get around to watching the new 2021 Dune film, I'd better get on with my revisiting. I remembered that I had bought a copy of the 3 hour extended cut of 1984 film on DVD a few years back, but never watched it. The version was made for TV, and David Lynch had nothing to do with the edit, and famously took his name off it. 

I decided to check out the Alan Smithee cut, but was disappointed to see that it was in the old 4:3 TV ratio. No matter, but then I thought I should watch the original 1984 theatrical release and then compare with the extended version. Finding it on Stan (thanks), I set about a rewatch. I don't think I'd seen it since reading the book all those years ago, and I certainly found it easier to follow than when I was a kid.

Yes, some of the special effects were quite hokey, very obvious use of matte overlays and the like, but some of them held up okay. The scene with the worm swallowing the spice mine was pretty good by today's standards. Again, it's the leaps ahead in the effects industry that makes me excited for the 2021 film. 

A couple of things struck me on this viewing. Wasn't Kyle McLachlan too old to play Paul? Wasn't he supposed to be a teenager? I think Timothée Chalamet is a great choice for the role, and I'm keen to see what he does with it. Kyle does a pretty good job though, despite his age. Interestingly, it was his first film, and his first collaboration with David Lynch. Actually, a few actors in this movie had either already worked with Lynch or would go on to star in other projects of his. I was surprised to spot Jack Nance in a small role, but I remembered Everett McGill played Stilgar, and Dean Stockwell's portrayal of Dr Yueh. Shame that Sting never worked with Lynch again, as I feel he was kind of underused here, although the role of Feyd suited him. I don't think Brad Dourif ever starred in a Lynch film again, which strikes me as bizarre, as he seems like the perfect actor to be among Lynch's regular cast members. Spotted Lynch himself in a small cameo as spice worker too! It's like Gordon Cole found himself in the year 10191 and changed jobs. He he he...

Bizarrely, I thought that it was Jane Badler who played Lady Jessica, not Francesca Annis. I'm not sure why that is. Possibly the after effects of watching V eleventy times as a kid somehow superimposed her into the role in my head. Apparently Francesca is in Krull as well, which came out a year earlier. Wow, there's a film I haven't watched in a while. When I read the book all those years ago, I think I put the actors I remembered from the film into the character. So, yes Kyle McLachlan was Paul, Dean Stockwell was Dr Yueh, Sting was Feyd, and Jane Badler was Jessica. He he he...well, that's some sort of explanation. I do like watching the movie before reading a book. It's nice to have the people portraying the characters in my head, and sometimes it helps flesh out bits of the plot I missed. Or subplots the movie didn't include! 

One scene from the book, and the graphic novel, that I quite liked is the first time the Atreides meet Stilgar, the Fremen leader. In a gesture that means respect on Arrakis, Stilgar spits on the ground near Duke Leto, which is initially taken with great offence. It is explained that Stilgar is sharing his moisture, offering up his water, the most valuable element on Arrakis. There seems to be more urgency put on water in the source material that didn't quite make to the 1984 film, and I think omitting this scene was a mistake. I also don't remember the heart plugs used on Harkonnen slaves. There is an oddly disturbing moment in the Baron's opening scene where pulls out the heart plug of a poor slave that he's seemingly sexually attracted to. There's splashes of blood but most of what transpires is off camera. Don't remember that either. Think that's a weird Lynchian addition. I don't remember Paul making it rain on Arrakis either. But, I shall see what Book 3 of the graphic novel makes of it in a year and a bit!

I feel that the film gets off to a pretty good start. It establishes the characters well and is fairly faithful to the book. It's the third act that sees the wheels fall off a bit, I think. No doubt the need for the studio to have a shorter film for release outweighed the storytelling. Lynch had initially planned to split the story into two films (which is what Villeneuve is doing) but eventually condensed it into one. The extended edition blurb boasts that it is 'actually clearer than the original cinema edit, which was notoriously trimmed almost to the point of incomprehension by Hollywood executives'. We'll see about that.

It really is a shame that the 1984 film flopped. As well as being a box office bomb, it was torn apart by film critics. All the pieces of a minor classic were there; great cast, visionary director, amazing musicians playing the score (Toto and Brian Eno), a budget of over $40 million, and of course, the excellent 1965 novel. There were a few attempts to film it in the years before this was released, and at one point Ridley Scott could have been in the director's chair. After a few months working the script he realised that movie would take years to make, so he moved on to Blade Runner. I'm very glad he did!

The commercial failure of 1984's Dune prevented any further adaptations of Herbert's series of books. Apparently there plans to make two more sequels, which some members of the case being signed on to appear in three Dune films. Virginia Madsen is quoted as saying that many of them thought they were making 'Star Wars for grown-ups'. 

A miniseries was released in 2000 on the Sci Fi Channel titled Frank Herbert's Dune, and starred William Hurt as Duke Leto Atreides. Not seen it though. Might put a pin in that one...

pt 3 (26/9/22)

Well, I finally made my way through the extended cut of Dune. It was quite strange seeing it in the 4:3 TV ratio, and there were also fadeouts that must have lead to the advertising breaks. Definitely edited for home transmissions! 

The first big difference was the heavily detailed introduction, which I guess was done for the benefit of those who were totally unfamiliar with the source material. That might have been kind of cool to include in the original movie release. There are a few scenes that really tone down the violence as well, in particular THAT scene with Baron Harkonnen and the flower boy/sacrifice...


pt 4 (15/10/24)

Far out, that was over two years ago? Wow, doesn't time march on? Contrary to that entry, I didn't actually watch the whole extended cut, which I'm a little disappointed by. I think I only got through an hour or so. I guess my entry was going to document it as watched it, but present itself like it was one sitting, looking back on the whole movie. I may or may not go back to that. The reason I'm returning to this post is because of a new development in my Dune journey. 

The third volume of the graphic novel came out this year, and I got my hands on a copy in August! So, I've been rereading the first two, of which I've just finished the first. We're off on a holiday to QLD this Sunday, so I'm hoping to get through the second book, so I can just bring Book 3 with me. 

I still haven't watched Villeneuve's Dune, or the sequel, so once I have finished the graphic novels, I will rectify that. I really should go back to the extended cut of the Lynch version, but I can't see me doing that. It's bizarre to think that the first new Dune film came out in 2021! The release of that movie, and my sighting of the first book in the graphic novel series inspired this blog! Ahh, you can't rush these things, can you?

pt 5 (21/1/25)

It's my Grandpa's birthday today; he would have been 109. We lost him in 2007, but his spirit still permeates our lives regularly. He was a wonderful man full of love with a generous nature and sincere demeanour. Last Wednesday we all learned that David Lynch passed away, and I've been struck with a sadness in his death, but have acquired a new found sense of gratitude of the films and television he created. His 1999 movie The Straight Story chronicled the journey of Alvin Straight who travelled to see his ailing brother on a ride-on lawnmower, as he was too enfeebled to drive a car. It's a wonderful film, and probably his most accessible since 1980's The Elephant Man. Alvin reminds me a lot of Grandpa, although he certainly wasn't as grumpy. Not in my lifetime anyway, my father and late auntie might beg to differ. 

Quite by fate, as I mentioned in a earlier part of this blog, Dune was the first David Lynch movie I ever saw. I didn't watch it knowing that at the time; in fact, I doubt I paid attention to such things as nine or ten year old. As you do when famous people pass away, I got to thinking about the Lynch movies I'd seen and decided to share my Top 5 on the socials. I think I'll need to revisit, but I came up with this:

1. Mulholland Drive (2001)

2. The Straight Story (1999)

3. Blue Velvet (1986)

4. Lost Highway (1997)

5. Wild at Heart (1990)

Dune isn't even in the top five, but that's because, unfortunately, it's a mess of a film. Not to say that Lynch's version is without merit, but his hands were tied. I think if he'd had full creative control, we'd have gotten a way more interesting movie. 

Anyway, as far as my Dune journey goes, I have yet to watch either of the new films and have not finished reading the third book of the graphic novel series. I did manage to finish Book 2 in QLD like I planned, and I started Book 3 while we were over there. But yes, that was about three months ago now. I think I am subconsciously making it last a while as the 2021 movie has now disappeared from most streaming services, while Part Two is everywhere. Maybe I'm a bit disappointed in myself for not persevering with the Alan Smithee cut as well. 

So, today, on my Grandpa's birthday, I think of him. I think of David Lynch. I think of my exploration into Dune. I take stock and I move forward. Onwards.

pt 6 22/5/25

A coupla things have come to fruition since my last entry. Firstly, I did finish reading the third graphic novel in the Dune series, closing the book on the 25th of January. Secondly, Rhones and I watched both Dune movies this week. After a small victory via Uber One, we now have three months of Stan for free, so we took the plunge!

It was great watching them back to back, with the first film viewed on Monday night and the second on Tuesday. I think I preferred Part One to Part Two, mainly because I felt that the latter changed too much of the novel's plot. I also believe that they both could have been 15-20min shorter. While I think it was a good decision to tell the story over two movies, just because you can nudge the three hour mark doesn't mean you should. 

One could argue that a tauter three-hour film could possibly work. I've read tales of Lynch's 1984 original cut being massacred into its theatrical release. Severing scenes like body parts, the end result is not what Lynch envisaged apparently, but he didn't have final cut; the producers did. As I have mentioned earlier in this post, I tried to watch the TV cut that was extended into two episodes, mini-series style, but found it quite labourious. The fact that Lynch removed his name from that version also speaks volumes.

Getting back to Villeneuve's films, I was quite impressed by the cast, the direction and the cinematography. The visual effects were also excellent, and Zimmer's score was quite serviceable, although it reminded me of his work with Christopher Nolan. I was dubious of Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, but he was just wonderful in the role. Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson were great together as Paul and Lady Jessica. The former in particular was very good at subtly showing the change in Paul as he ages, and gets closer to the power he didn't feel he wanted. I was quite puzzled that there was no depiction of Paul using The Voice to kill. To that, the effect of The Voice didn't quite work for me on these movies either. It managed to be too much and not enough at the same time.

I also thought that Josh Brolin was a great Gurney, and Javier Bardem was excellent playing Stilgar. Charlotte Rampling was suitably menacing as the Reverend Mother, but the costumes prevented us from seeing her face at times. I felt that this detracted from her performance a little. Stellan Skarsgård was an inspired choice for Baron Harkonnen, but I didn't think he was utilised enough. I didn't fear him as much as Kenneth McMillan's Baron in Lynch's version. The makeup and prosthetic applications for Skarsgård were amazing, but his characterisation was somewhat lacking, in my opinion. 

Not showing the character of Feyd-Rautha until the second film was an interesting plot device. I was concerned while watching the first movie that he wasn't even going to appear. The book depicts the Baron preparing to have Feyd take over from his other nephew Rabban in ruling Arrakis. Granted his role is small until the second half of the story, but he pops up several times throughout. Austin Butler had a quiet, but terrifying, menace that Sting's portayal of the character in 1984 lacked. Not that Sting did a bad job, but he was a fairly stereotypical villain... almost Bondesque. Butler's face managed to be terrifying on its own, albeit with help from the hair and makeup department. 

pt 7 (5/6/26)

Wow, I just sort of abandoned this one, didn't I? Right now, there is a third new Dune movie on the horizon and the Dune: Prophecy TV series dropped a year or two ago. It's quite an extreme prequel apparently, being set nearly 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides. Anyway, the third movie will be based primarily on the second Dune novel by Frank Herbert, Dune Messiah. I haven't read it, so I will as surprised at the next person about what transpires. Those who haven't read the book, I mean. It is set about 10-15 years after the events of the first two films, and will complete Villeneuve's trilogy. The Aussie release date is Boxing Day this year, so that may be a nice way to end 2026. 

I think my musings on the Dune novel, graphic novel, Lynch version and the two Villeneuve offerings have come to a quiet conclusion. 

Album of the Week - Vol.30

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You ARETHA FRANKLIN (1967)
Week: Fri 9th to Thu 15th May, 2025
Format: vinyl, iPod
Producer: Jerry Wexler
Tracklisting: 
1. Respect *
2. Drown in My Own Tears
3. I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You) *
4. Soul Serenade
5. Don't Let Me Lose This Dream
6. Baby, Baby, Baby
7. Dr Feelgood (Love is a Serious Business) *
8. Good Times
9. Do Right Woman, Do Right Man *
10. Save Me
11. A Change is Gonna Come *
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 32:27

I first listened to this album in 2012, as part of the awesome music blog project I was a part of called afyccim. The word was an acronym for 'a five year crash course in music', and there were four of us writing reviews on albums. Each year we concentrated on a decade, listening to one long player a week. One of us would write the main review, and the other three would supplement the entry with mini reviews. It was an awesome experience, but we only got to about halfway through the 80s. The 60s and 70s reviews are still up on the old WordPress site. In fact, click here for our review of this album, which coincidentally was our very first one.

Anyway, I was quite impressed by the record. It was a great introduction to a bit more of her music. I only knew Respect (of course) and the two tracks featured in The Commitments, Do Right Woman, Do Right Man and the title song. It's an enjoyable listen, and then moved on to our next album, which was The Band's Music From Big Pink. 

Fast forward a few years and I become enamoured by a 20th anniversary vinyl release of The Flaming Lips' excellent album The Soft Bulletin. It was being reissued by a company called Vinyl Me, Please and was an exclusive product that was only available from their online store. There were a number of ways to get it, but the most appealing option was to buy a three month membership to VMP, where I would get sent a LP a month for that time. After checking the other two releases, I signed up and surrendered our bank details. They were Queens of the Stone Age's Songs for the Deaf (on double red vinyl) and this album I am blogging about right now.

The Aretha album was the last one of the three, and it was delayed in arriving. Possibly due to the Christmas rush/crush, I was notified that it was on its way in early December 2019, but it didn't arrive until February the following year. No matter. It's a lovely reissue with a lyric booklet, a photo from the recording and spekky, swirled white and purple coloured vinyl. Sounds freaken great too! Over the years the album has grown on me considerably. It's not something I sought out, but I'm very glad I own it. 

Not knowing much of Aretha except her big hits, I was surprised to learn that this is her tenth release, following years of being signed to Columbia Records. Enter Jerry Wexler and his Atlantic label who encouraged Aretha to search her soul and let loose. I guess it's because of her rebirth and rebranding that this album feels like a debut, and not a tenth offering. There's an energy and an excitement to Aretha's voice and the music behind her. It's like she's realising this is the music she is meant to sing. 

This bold and unabashed approach begins with a searing cover of Otis Redding's Respect, which let's face it, eclipses the original version. The fact that many forget it was Redding's composition speaks volumes of how powerful and engaging Aretha's rendition is. It's not just a song, it's a rally cry, and an anthem for change. Aretha's soulful tones would become incendiary for putting the spotlight on gender equality, racial discrimination and social division. It is fitting that this album ends with a lovely version of Sam Cooke's A Change is Gonna Come, complete with a new intro in which Aretha briefly details why she was moved to sing it. Her version of Cooke's Good Times is pretty great too, which is considerably lighter in tone. 

In addition to feminist anthems and calls for change, Aretha gets down with her bad self on several tracks. There's a funky groove on tracks like Save Me and Dr Feelgood (Love is a Serious Business) that gets your feet tapping. The mood is dialed back to melancholy longing for Drown In My Own Tears and Don't Let Me Lose This Dream without sacrificing the soulful feel of the album. 

My absolute favourite songs remain the title track and Do Right Woman, Do Right Man. As I stated previously, I was familiar with The Commitments' versions before hearing Aretha perform them, and I can see why they were picked for the film. While the renditions for the The Commitments movie are good, these ones are gold. Bizarrely, I would also come to love another version of Do Right Woman, Do Right Man courtesy of affycim when we listened to The Flying Burrito Brothers' wonderful album The Gilded Palace of Sin from 1969. Rather than the R&B ballad treatment it gets here, the FBB scale it down into a slower, early alt-country rock swinger. Both versions are terrific, each with their own merits, and each feel right for the artist.

When Aretha sings that she has never loved a man the way she loves you, it's transcendent. As the band stop to give her the a cappela line, she infuses it with desire and longing that's just riveting. When she launches into the bridge with "I can't sleep at night..." and the musicians take off with her, it's a brilliant moment, and arguably the highlight of the entire album. If you've not given this a spin, do right by yourself and change that. The only criticism I have is that is all over in less than thirty five minutes. This record takes you on an exquisite journey, and like most enjoyable rides, it is all over too soon.

Paul Kelly's Mongrel Memoir

Paul Kelly released a mighty box set in 2010. It consisted of his book How to Make Gravy, and an 8CD set of live recordings from 2004 to 2010, titled The A to Z Recordings. I'm pretty sure that Rhones gave it to me for Christmas later that year. Nearly fifteen years later, and I've finally finished reading the book, and listening to the CDs. 

It was quite the journey. The CDs include 105 songs culled from his A-Z concerts. He would usually perform four gigs at one place, playing songs in alphabetical order, with each night tackling a different part of the alphabet. We went saw one of those shows at the Quarry Amphitheatre in November, 2008. It was the second night, which encompassed F-L, I think. We picked that night in the hope of getting

How to Make Gravy, which from memory, I think he ended the first act with. I've not been able to track down the setlist from that evening unfortunately, but I have fond memories of watching Paul and his nephew Dan perform stripped back versions of songs throughout his catalog. Sometimes Paul played on his own, usually on an acoustic guitar, and Dan would join him wielding an electric, offering up harmonies as well. Occasionally, Paul's then-partner Sian Prior would step out and add some clarinet, most memorably on From St Kilda to King's Cross. 

As it was an unseasonably cool November night, with a high chance of rain, Rhones and I donned ponchos, as did many other audience members. Good thing too, because the rain did fall on a few occasions. During their rendition of I Can't Believe We Were Married, Paul changed the last word from wed to wet, empathising with the audience getting rained on:

 "I can't believe we were married/That we...were...wet"

It was a highlight of the night, a nice moment of an artist and their crowd bonding. If the setlist of that gig was similar to the tracklisting of the Night Two CDs of The A to Z Recordings, then they kicked off with The Foggy Fields of France. I can't remember if that was the opening song or not, but they definitely did perform it, and it was the first time I had heard the song. I took an instant liking to the track, which I would learn was on the Stolen Apples album. Like the second Night Two CD (disc four), I'm pretty sure the night ended with Leaps and Bounds, a song I have a love-hate relationship with. It's a great melody, with some iconic lyrics, but what does it mean? I go leaps and bounds? What? You remember? Remember leaping and bounding? Yeah, I don't get it.

Getting back to this box set, which I would have in my possession about two years later, I made the decision to read the book while I listened to the CDs. The 576 page tome offers up a chapter for each song on the CDs, with two extra parts for Treaty and This Land is Mine,which PK felt he couldn't capture live in the same spirit as the others. I either forgot the fact, or didn't realise that he had a hand in the Yothu Yindi classic. The chapter devoted to the song talks about how he befriended the band and how they played together in Arnhem Land with the hope of writing new music for their next album, which would become Tribal Voice. Getting Treaty right seemed to be an arduous task, and the late band leader Mandawuy Yunupingu wanted another Aussie music legend to have a hand in its creation, and so sought a meeting with Midnight Oil's Peter Garrett. It's a fascinating read, and Paul also describes how the song transformed into a bigger monster following the release of dance remixes. It's a shame that there's no live recording of it included, but that was probably the right decision to make. 

So, each song on the CDs has its own story or anecdote or a random list of musings attached to it, after the lyrics. I made the decision the read the book as I listened to the music. Sometimes the length of the song married up with the reading time of the accompanying chapter, and sometimes it didn't. There are some lengthy moments where the song in question only gets partly referenced. A good example of this is the text for Won't You Come Around?, one my favourite songs from the excellent Ways and Means album from 2004. Instead of being a retrospective look at the writing of the track, PK includes a fairly detailed set of diary entries from his tour in the US the year before. In one of those entries, he mentions the band soundchecking with a song that would eventually become Won't You Come Around?, a tune which came to him on one of his walks. It barely gets a paragraph or two, with pages and pages of entries outlining his journey across the country. I guess it's all about context. While the whole chapter isn't wholly about the song, it is still a fascinating read. Different cities inspire different sides of Paul, and how he chooses to document his time passing through changes with his mood, or with the city.

Other chapters similarly have little to do with the song, but remain interesting insights into the man, or offer up nuggets of history. My empathy for First Nations people's struggle with January 26th and white colonisation in recent years can be attributed to the chapter discussing his song Jandamarra/Pigeon. Jandamarra was an indigenous man from the Kimberley region of WA, and led armed uprisings against the colonist white settlers in the late 1800s. The chapter begins with Paul talking about the history he was taught at school focusing on white settlers or explorers, like Burke and Wills, for instance. Massacres of the First Nations people, and the battles between black and white Australians, were conveniently overlooked for inclusion of the curriculum for young students. As such, the toll that was taken on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by the colonists has been considerably downplayed or ignored as the years have passed. This song tells of Jandamarra's plight, cleverly retold from the perspective of Officer O'Malley, who was charged with finding him. To say this chapter was eye-opening for me is an understatement. It planted a seed that has since left me uncomfortable about celebrating Australia Day on January 26th. 

Another chapter I really enjoyed, was the brief one about one of my favourite Paul Kelly songs, Don't Start Me Talking. A keen plunderer of great artists, the title and opening line of that track was taken directly from Elvis Costello's classic Oliver's Army. The chapter ends with a paragraph on how he believes that opening lines can be so important in grabbing the attention of the listener. We are the left with a list of songs and a list of opening lines, and told to match them up. If we get stuck, there is answer page at the back of the book. There are a few chapters that employ this look-at-the-answers-to-learn-more technique. Although I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, I kinda wish that I had done it in a shorter period of time. I struggle to remember some parts of the book, but I've allowed myself to listen to the songs as much as I like now.

In fact, when Rhones signed me up to the Paul Kelly Record Club a few years back, I left my copy of Selections from The A to Z Recordings double vinyl sealed. I wasn't going to listen to it, until I had finished reading and listening. As I write this, on ANZAC Day, I have taken the set out of its plastic wrap and am currently enjoying PK sing They Thought I Was Asleep. However autobiographical the song feels, he confesses in the book that it was a work of fiction. 

In the years since this set was released, Kelly has issued a good handful of albums, with 2012's Spring and Fall, and 2017's Life Is Fine ranking with the best records he has given us. While I haven't spun it a lot, last year's Fever Longing Still (album No.29, if you're keeping score) had some great tracks as well. It notably featured the first full band studio recording of Taught By Experts, which appeared on his solo Live, May 1992 offering. I wonder if he would ever consider another A to Z tour/box set that would look at his recent work? Be hard to ignore his classics, particular for fans, but maybe a new integration or something could be on the cards. A lot happens in fifteen years. You can only hope. Be careful what you wish for, as one of his songs says. 

Album of the Week - Vol. 29

Tumbleweed Connection ELTON JOHN (1970)
Week: Sat 29th Mar to Fri 4th Apr, 2025
Format: Spotify, iPod
Producer: Gus Dudgeon
Tracklisting:
1. Ballad of a Well-Known Gun
2. Come Down in Time *
3. Country Comfort *
4. Son of Your Father 
5. My Father's Gun
6. Where to Now, St Peter?
7. Love Song *
8. Amoreena *
9. Talking Old Soldiers
10. Burn Down the Mission *
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 46:56

Now, I'm not much of an Elton John connoisseur, and the only albums of his I own are Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and that blue Very Best of set that came out in the early nineties. Occasionally I get turned on to the odd Elton tune here and there, but this album took its sweet time.

The first domino to fall came after I watched the movie Men, directed by Alex Garland in 2022. It's a weird watch, and I won't go into it, but the closing credits featured Love Song by Elton John. It didn't register with me at first, but the original version by Lesley Duncan played during the movie's opening. She wrote the song, and contributed backing vocals to Elton's excellent cover, as well as a few other numbers. Beginning with a haunting acoustic guitar that fades in, I became quite obsessed with the track. I even learnt how to play it. It was so different to hear an Elton John song with no piano. 

As I listened to Love Song repeatedly on the Spottersfy while I was learning it, other tracks from Tumbleweed Connection started permeating my playlists. One song in particular caught my attention, the fabulous Amoreena. I was starting to dig it quite a bit and thought that maybe the whole album could be worth listening to. I didn't get round to it, at that point.

Elton's concert film, Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium, coincidentally released in 2022 as well, was recorded on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. It was available on Disney+, so I gave it a look, and for the most part, I really enjoyed it (Am I the only person who doesn't get the whole Brandi Carlile thing?). One song I was not familiar with, Burn Down the Mission, received quite a rapturous response from the audience, and I liked it immediately. It was the only song from Tumbleweed Connection to make the setlist on that tour, but it was played every night.

So, with those little events percolating in the old brainbox, one day I remembered there was an entry for Tumbleweed Connection in the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time magazine. This list has the 2012 results, and has been updated numerous times since. I sought it out, finding that T.C. held the 458th spot. The entry for the album offered up Amoreena as an album highlight, particularly memorable as the opening song in the 1975 movie Dog Day Afternoon. In a freaky coincidence, while channel surfing that very same day, I landed on the SBS World Movies channel. Dog Day Afternoon was starting and it seemed eerily fortuitous. I made the decision to give the whole album a spin as soon as I could. 

I've really gotten into the album recently. I find it hard to believe that I've never taken the plunge before, but then again, I've never really sought out much more from Elton other than the hits. It's all very enjoyable, and although I really like Love Song, it sticks out like a sore thumb. The production on that number is quite sparse compared to the rest of the record. Not that that's a bad thing, it's just something I've noticed. Being a cover as well, it is the only track that isn't credited to the songwriting force of Elton and his lyricist comrade Bernie Taupin. 

There is an obvious American influence on the album, hence its title, and the old west seems to be an overarching theme. Fathers and their sons, guns, barns, cornfields, the American Civil War, revolutions, farms, women, cattle towns and grandmothers are all peppered throughout the record as well. Some have labelled this a country-rock album, but I disagree. It's rooted in pop, while diverting itself from the usual song formats of the late sixties and early seventies. While some tunes have a violin or something on it (looking at you, Country Comfort), I feel that it's more a groovy, soulful affair. There isn't a dud track on it! It's an album you can throw on and enjoy from start to finish. While not one of my highlights, opening song Ballad of a Well-Known Gun sets the scene perfectly, with a dirty swagger and plenty of background vocals to add a sense of campfire singalong. The 2-3 punch of the following tracks Come Down in Time and Country Comfort elevate the album to another level. They're just so good. 

Other big favourites of mine are the aforementioned Love Song and Amoreena, as well as the showstopping Burn Down the Mission, which closes the album. As I said earlier, the latter became quite the live favourite, and its easy to see why. It's such a rousing story and the rollicking piano breaks are fab. In this day and age it's easy to relate to a group who feel they're being oppressed by a wealthier faction, be they political, religious or otherwise. It's call to arms to grab what has been taken away from, or not even offered to, those less fortunate. 

Considering this is Elton's third studio effort, it sounds very self-assured. His vocals and piano-playing are top notch, and as I have espoused, the songs are fabulous. A range of musicians are employed, as this was before the classic Elton John touring band line-up was formed. However, Amoreena marks the first time that said classic musicians, bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson, appear as the rhythm section on an Elton song. 'Twould be the first of many! (Guitarist Davey Johnstone wouldn't arrive until 1972's Honky Château) The groove on that song is just fantastic, and Murray's lines are so funky. It's such a fun song, with the titular lady inspired by Elton's own goddaughter Amoreena. Other players appearing on the album include legendary session bass player Herbie Flowers, drummer Barry Morgan, guitarist Caleb Quaye, organist Brian Dee, and even the wonderful Dusty Springfield contributes backing vocals on a couple of tracks.  

If you've not listened to this album before, and like me, are put off by the fact they are no big hits, just give it a go. If you like Elton John, you'll probably love this. 

Young Americans turns 50

This month marks the fiftieth anniversary of Bowie's blue-eyed soul effort, Young Americans. Mostly recorded in Philadelphia, the album features a cracking band including Carlos Alomar on guitar, Mike Garson on piano, Willie Weeks on bass and Andy Newmark on drums. Some songs have different musicians on them, but that's the core group, along with those distinctive saxophone bursts from David Sanborn and the powerhouse backing vocals of Ava Cherry, Robin Clark and Luther Vandross. 

I've always felt the album was a little flawed, and that it could have been a much more cohesive affair. I think one of the biggest missteps is the awful cover of The Beatles' Across the Universe, which even features John Lennon playing on it. Their collaboration with Alomar on the closing track, and second single, Fame is soooo good. It's such a shame they couldn't capture that lightning in a bottle again. Those sessions took place in New York City, and contributing musicians included Earl Slick on guitar, drummer Dennis Davis and bassist Emir Kassan. In fact, it was those NYC sessions that made Bowie restructure his original release, which was going to be called The Gouster. Tony Visconti was reportedly mixing the album when he got a phone call from Bowie saying that he'd written and recorded Fame with Lennon, and it had to be on the new record. Several tracks from that lost album would surface as bonus tracks on reissues or special editions of Young Americans, but The Gouster would not be commercially available until the Who Can I Be Now? (1974-1976) box set, issued in 2016.  

Anyway, I've been wanting to reconstruct the Young Americans tracklisting into a better album and include some outtakes and an oddity or two. Firstly, Across the Universe is gone, kaput. I also think that Fame should appear earlier in the album, not close it. But should Fame be there at all? It wasn't included in the Philly sessions and wasn't on the original tracklisting of the album. Yes. Yes, it should. Debating whether to include either Win or Can You Hear Me?, as I don't think much of them. And, where should I put the title track? Keep it at the beginning, or follow the format of The Gouster and have it halfway through? Should I also include Who Can I Be Now? and It's Gonna Be Me, which popped up on said special editions? I think that It's Gonna Be Me is quite similar to Can You Hear Me? as far as feel and theme go, but I like the way it rises and falls. Yeah, that would make it a more interesting listen. Maybe towards the end of the album.

An outtake from Young Americans, After Today, is a dead cert. I can't believe it got bumped off! Such a funky groove with an excellent bass-line. It's not on the Spottersfy though, but the track was included on the Sound+Vision box set in 1989. Try and track it down, if you can. A big factor in album structure back then was the limitations of the vinyl format. Obviously, the running time is the most restrictive element, but apparently things like noise level and tone get compromised the longer a record runs. There was some issue with bass that stopped Peter Gabriel from putting In Your Eyes at the end of 1986's monster album So. Recent reissues and deluxe editions have rectified this. Young Americans only has eight tracks, and The Gouster only had seven. I think I'll extend the running order out to ten songs. Sounds like a good idea to me.

A tough one for me was whether or not to include Bowie's cover of It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City by Bruce Springsteen. It was initially recorded for Diamond Dogs in 1974, and was attempted again during the Young Americans sessions. It remained unreleased until it was issued on the aforementioned Sound+Vision box set, stating it was a Station to Station outtake. This claim has been argued by that album's producer Harry Maslin and guitarist Carlos Alomar, who both say that it wasn't recorded at that time. Others suggest that the released version is more than likely from the Diamond Dogs sessions, albeit with some overdubs. The second attempt apparently never eventuated into anything more than a backing track without vocals. The story goes that Bowie abandoned his second try after meeting Springsteen in person at the studio he was working in. 

I toyed with including Bowie's live cover of Knock on Wood as well, as it was the B side on the US Young Americans single. I saw it as a bit of a precursor to the soul and funk exploration he was about to embark on. It's more of a prequel rather than something I should incorporate, methinks. After repeated listens of Young Americans, and the unreleased album The Gouster, here's what I came up with. There's no wrong or right here, just my own personal faves and a nice flow. 

1. Fame (Yeah, get that bad boy right up front...)

2. Somebody Up There Likes Me (The Gouster version)

3. Right (YA version)

4. After Today 

5. Young Americans (Yep, this is a different tracklisting, after all...)

6. Who Can I Be Now? 

7. Fascination  

8. It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City (That Springsteen cover, why not?)

9. It's Gonna Be Me  

10. John, I'm Only Dancing (Again) 

I would imagine the split between sides would occur after Young Americans fades out. I think it would work well. Whereas both Young Americans and The Gouster have a roughly forty minute running time (freaky, huh?), my ten track playlist hits fifty. You're welcome!

I can't remember exactly when I heard John, I'm Only Dancing (Again), but I liked it immediately. I think it would polarise Bowie fans, as it is quite different from the original John, I'm Only Dancing 1972 single. In fact, it bears little resemblance apart from some lyrics. It's relentless too, nudging the seven minute mark, but hey, it works for me! It was included on Bowie's 1974 tours and recorded for Young Americans, as it made the grade for The Gouster, but not YA. It didn't received an official release until it was issued as single in 1979, after disco had arguably peaked. 

While it's been fun to revisit Young Americans and The Gouster, neither would be among my fondest Bowie albums. Interestingly, Bowie's subsequent record, Station to Station, released in January 1976 (like me!) is possibly my favourite offering from him, and without Young Americans, it arguably wouldn't exist. So, I remain grateful to it for that.

A Mixtape on the Spottersfy

I used to absolutely love making mixtapes. I still have a box of them in the garage. Whenever the band had a regional gig and a roadtrip was on the cards, we'd all have a new mixtape to play, and would fight over who got to play the first one. It was a great way to document the music you were listening to at the time, and to try and turn others onto something new, if they shared your carspace (it's a word!) or if you were in theirs.

The mixtape gave way to the burnt CD in 2000 for me, when we got a computer that could do so. I remember, with fondness, those nights when we would head into Planet Video in Mt Lawley to buy a 10 pack of blank discs.  The standard 80min audio CD morphed into the mp3 disc, which could hold around 70-80 songs. I still burn CDs nowadays, but at as much as I used to.

With the domination of music streaming services in this day and age, the mixtape is now a playlist. For me, I have been doing so for setlists of bands I have seen live. It's been nice to create a playlist on the Spottersfy of all the songs that were played on the night I saw them. Great to go back to a few months, or even years later.  

I think it might have been on our trip to Adelaide in January when the idea for this playlist hit me. I was listening to my iPod on the plane and had it on shuffle mode, as is my usual want. Radiohead's Everything In Its Right Place came on, and it's such a great headphone track. I got lost in the music and I think I even stopped reading and just listened. When it finished, Somewhere Down the Barrell by The Dissociatives kicked in, and it sounded great! It felt a natural flow, as if both songs came from the same album. I think that I Was Alive by the The Whitlams followed, and I felt that worked really well too! I took out my phone and noted those three tracks down. Bizarrely, the order the track were played in corresponded to their track number on the album they came from. They were all from the 00s as well!  

Lightning didn't strike again, and I forget what song came on next. I thought I had the beginnings of a fab concept for a playlist. Over the coming weeks, I spent time looking through albums from that decade and tried to find songs from track no.4 onwards. I tried to imagine how songs would feel as they finished, and the next one started. I endeavoured to cover a range of artists and music styles. 

I eventually decided on ending the playlist with O Children by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, which would make the total amount of songs needed to be seventeen. As most albums tend to be around 10-12 tracks, finding nos. 13-16 was a little more challenging, but I got there! Here is the playlist I ended up with:

1. Everything In Its Right Place RADIOHEAD (Kid A - 2000)

2. Somewhere Down the Barrell THE DISSOCIATIVES (The Dissociatives - 2004)

3. I Was Alive THE WHITLAMS (Little Cloud - 2006)

4. Van Occupanther MIDLAKE (The Trials of Van Occupanther - 2006)

5. In the Morning of Magicians THE FLAMING LIPS (Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - 2002)

6. Fed and Watered JOSH PYKE (Memories & Dust - 2007)

7. It's All In Your Mind BECK (Sea Change - 2002)

8. Anchorage THE CHURCH (Untitled #23 - 2009)

9. Something About Us DAFT PUNK (Discovery - 2001)

10. Time BEN FOLDS (Songs for Silverman - 2005)

11. Cry a While BOB DYLAN (Love And Theft - 2001)

12. Come September NATALIE IMBRUGLIA (White Lillies Island - 2001)

13. End o' the Line YOU AM I (Dress Me Slowly - 2001)

14. Sgt. Major JET (Get Born - 2003)

15. You Can Broke a Beautiful Thing PAUL KELLY (Ways & Means - 2004)

16. Tell Me Baby RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS (Stadium Arcadium - 2006)

17. O Children NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS (Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus - 2004)

Interestingly, nothing from 2008, and quite a bit of Australian stuff. Only one female artist, which I'll keep in mind for next time. I think this concept might lend itself to more compilations and playlists. I also believe this will work better as CD than a playlist. The 76min running time will mean it will fit perfectly! If you're keen to have a listen, check it out by clicking here. 

Auschwitz

I’ve been incredibly moved by the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. I can’t believe these events actually happened. We’ve seen films about it, watched documentaries about it, but there’s a weird sense of unreality about it. Seeing a Channel 7 reporter from Perth talking about the horrific events from the actual barbed wire fence in Auschwitz was quite grounding. I thought I could see tears in Ben Downey’s eyes as well. I imagine actually being in that place would be very unsettling. There would be something in the air. In the ground. In the wire.

Train car - symbol of the event (auschwitz.org)

My family and I visited Port Arthur in 2014, and when we were at the site of the old cafe, we felt a shift in mood. There was a palpable feeling of dread that we all felt. It was like the tragic events had sunk into the very soil that surrounded them, and I would imagine, Auschwitz would have that same kind of feel, but significantly magnified.

A 97-year-old Australian woman shared her experiences as survivor of the camp when she was fourteen. Yvonne Engelman's story is well worth reading, but I grapple with the fact that these events actually took place. What those people went through, and how undignified their deaths were. How badly they were treated. How they were seen as less than human. How their lives were worth less than others. It is truly horrifying, and the older I get, the more my emotions about those occurrences intensify. 

I recently watched two films which painted pictures of frightening indifference. Both 2008's The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and 2023's The Zone of Interest depicted a German family living in a house next to Auschwitz, with the family patriarch being charged with the running of the camp. 

What gives this anniversary such weight, is that it is possibly the last time the liberation of Auschwitz will be marked with survivors. On January 27th this year, 56 people who had managed to leave the camp returned, and met in front of the death gate. Eighty years on, those who survived that terrifying place are slowly passing. It was encouraging to see so many world leaders attend the memorial event. One wonders if those tragic events are slipping from the public consciousness. 

It's very disturbing seeing the rise of antisemitic graffiti and vandalism in Australia at the moment. Even Perth had some horrible instances in recent. No doubt the strife and war occurring in the Gaza strip is also fueling some of the hatred seeping into the community. There is a police theory that these hate crimes are being funded by overseas syndicates with Neo-Nazi interests. As the ceasefires in Gaza tentatively leads to the release of prisoners on both sides, hopefully peace will come to the area. 

I've never understood the persecution of Jewish people. The hatred they inspire in bigots. The fear of 'letting them take over the world'. People going on rants that they're the biggest evil that exists. I don't understand. I don't get the vitriol directed to this community and I hope we all move forward as more harmonious world. The intolerance for other cultures and beliefs stupefies me. Australia, for one, wouldn't be the country it is without the diverse range of people and ethnicities populating it. 

Be kind to one another. That's it. 

Don't herd up people into camps and kill them. Don't invade other countries. Don't shoot people. Don't cause harm to another soul.