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Do The Pop!

Various Artists
Redux Part One
(Savage Beat!)
www.myspace.com

This is the follow up to 2002’s “Do The Pop” compilation (on Shock Records) which set to educate the masses on the veritable explosion of music that shook the Antipodes back in the late Seventies and on thru the Eighties.

Redux Part One” uses the latter platter as a template, and includes those two big hitters The Saints and Radio Birdman, as well as post-Birdman member’s collaborations in The Visitors, New Christs, Hitmen and New Race. But compiler Dave Laing casts his net wide over the two discs, to further expose a plethora of underexposed but no less infectious hi-energy sounds from across the country, as Australia’s youth tuned in and turned on to produce their own primal rockNroll.

Enthusiasts will be familiar with material from the likes of The Psycho Surgeons, Fun Things, Chosen Few, Victims, X, Scientists, Leftovers, Razar, Rocks and The Manikins. from the “Killed By Death” albums, and the excellent “Murder Punk” comps, but there’s a whole bunch of real obscurities here including the hi-octane ME 262 with their ace “Gonna Die“, raw ’77 rumblings from Perth’s The Geeks, Sydney spikey tops The Last Words (who would record for Rough Trade), a filthy raw blast in “Nothing to Say” by Melbourne’s The Reals, the super primal and catchy “Heard it on The Radio” by The Orphans (another Perth outfit) and it was good to hear Hitmen singer (and ‘Birdman MC) Johnny Kannis with his spunky rendition of The Seeds classic “Pushin’ Too Hard“.

To close, things get downright primordial, as we’re transported way back to 1974, with cuts from Deniz Tek’s pre ‘Birdman combo TV Jones and a scuzzy garage recording of “(I’m) Stranded” by Kid Galahad and The Eternals, who would become better known as The Saints.

The music is complemented by a massive booklet that extensively details each track, as well as photos and flyers from the era. Fine piece of work, looking forward to Part Two already… yeah hup!

Pete Craven