Dragon — “April Sun in Cuba” (1977) New Zealand hit “April Sun in Cuba” is a repeat from the last Sounds Delightful, but I’m still listening to it non-stop, for all the reasons I’ve already described. More than that, it’s the inspiration for this whole playlist. It’s astounding to me that there’s a classic rock song out there in the world which pretty much any classic rock fan would enjoy, which is completely unknown and unavailable in the United States. Up until a few months ago, I had never heard “April Sun in Cuba,” never heard of it, never heard of Dragon. I even had to record the audio off YouTube, since Amazon and Spotify only have crappy re-recordings and live versions available. It got me wondering, are there more songs like this from Australia and New Zealand? More gems capturing the familiar styles of the pop era, yet completely new to the American lister?
The answer is yes, to a degree. For every INXS or Lorde or Nick Cave, there are plenty of Australian and Kiwi hitmakers who never made it big in the States. In some ways, it’s a bit like an alternate universe where all the pop music sounds the same stylistically, but just happens to be performed by different people. Of course, not all of it is as good as “April Sun in Cuba,” but there are definitely some highlights, compiled here. The goal of this playlist is that, if you’re an American, you won’t know any of these songs from Down Under, but you’ll feel like you should.
Cold Chisel — “Forever Now” (1982) If you start Googling stuff like “greatest Australian songs of all time,” you’re going to hear a lot of Cold Chisel. They’re another pretty standard classic rock band, and “Forever Now” sounds a bit like a combination of Don Henley, John Fogerty, and John Mellencamp. And while Cold Chisel might not be innovators, it became clear after listening to a few of their songs that these guys are really good songwriters. Their melodies have a certain sparkle, and they have a knack for catching your ear the first time through, which is really hard to do.
Hoodoo Gurus — “What’s My Scene” (1987) Hoodoo Gurus will probably be known in the States by diehard fans of ‘80s college rock along the lines of the dB’s or Let’s Active. I was familiar with several of The Gurus’ songs prior to this project, but somehow I had never heard this one — and I think it’s their best! Just a perfect slice of power pop with some charming wordplay in relation to the title: “Now the stage is set/Where’s my Juliet, baby?/Is it maybe/My Midsummer Night’s Dream?”
Bic Runga — “Sway” (1997) “Sway” really should have been right at home with late ‘90s hits like Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” or Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me.” I like Bic Runga’s vocals here a lot. They’re very pretty, yet admirably straightforward.
John Paul Young — “Love is in the Air” (1977) This one is a light disco ballad, a bit like Andy Gibb, but with a vocal style more similar to David Cassidy. If that description doesn’t sell it for you, then you are in the wrong place! It appears that this song was also a #7 hit in the U.S., so why am I not hearing it hourly on my local oldies station?
The Easybeats — “She’s So Fine” The Easybeats did have a later U.S. hit with “Friday on My Mind,” but they spent much of the ‘60s being a kind of Australian Beatles, albeit with little more Kinks rawness on display here.
Ian Moss — “Tucker’s Daughter” (1988) It’s not surprising that Ian Moss was the guitarist of Cold Chisel or that he co-wrote “Tucker’s Daughter” with former bandmate Don Walker. Again, this is a triumph of classic rock execution. That “Build me up just to tear me down” part is the kind of hook you only need to hear once. The story being told here is also pretty decent. The whole “rich girl falls for rustic laborer” thing has of course been done before, but I like the twist that this guy sees through her designs, remaining devoted instead to a sort of generational connection to the land.
You Am I — “Heavy Heart” (1998) Lately I’ve been reading a book about how to better understand poetry, and these guys could have written the chapter on similes. “I miss you like sleep” is so simple and visceral, it’s almost unbelievable no one’s ever used that in a song before. And “I’m like a waterlogged ball that no one wants to kick around anymore” arouses both deep pathos and a suspicion that this relationship might not have been particularly good to begin with.
The Saints — “Know Your Product” (1978) The Saints sound like a different band every time I hear them. They’ve done everything from early, stripped-down punk to more straightforward alternative rock to “Know Your Product,” which pairs the conversational snark of The Fall with a hot horn section.
The Mixtures — “The Pushbike Song” (1970) This is just a pleasant little bubblegum skiffle number, along the lines of “In the Summertime,” and made a bit more charming by the use of the term “pushbike,” which is apparently just what Australian people call a regular bicycle.
Sherbet — “Howzat” (1976) “Howzat” captures a certain ‘70s sound that combines soft rock with a light funk element — think something like “Couldn’t Get it Right” by the Climax Blues Band. Actually, after writing that first sentence, I listened to “Couldn’t Get it Right” back-to-back with “Howzat,” and they are remarkably similar. The songs were released within two months of each other, so this was definitely the zeitgeist. Sherbet’s album of the same name also provides some excellent artwork for this mix.
John Williamson — “True Blue” (1986) At least according to its YouTube commenters, “True Blue” is a song that Australians play at both funerals and rugby matches. I suppose there’s a certain confluence of wistfulness, loyalty, national pride, and desire to capture the true meaning of things that can characterize both events, and this song hits all those nails on their heads.
Crowded House — “Better Be Home Soon” (1988) This is a bit of a cheat, since I’ve been familiar with this song for many years. I went through a period of being really into Crowded House, but I realized that in the time since I’d stopped playing them actively, I rarely heard any of their songs in the wild. I’d guess that many Americans view them as a one hit wonder for “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” So I felt it was appropriate to use “Better Be Home Soon” as the closer here because a) I like it and enjoy hearing it, b) It’s literally one of the most beautiful melodies I can think of and c) I think Crowded House songs are still sadly overlooked by a lot of U.S. listeners.