As Shoulda Been Huge stumbles towards the end of it's first (and possibly last) orbit around the sun, it's time to play an ace that I've kept up my sleeve - an album featuring probably my favorite Australian song ever....
So you'd think this would be an easy post for me to write - and you'd be wrong. I've written this post three times - and each version sucked! I'd call it writers block if I actually had any talent for writing....maybe I should just let the music do the talking? Or in the words of the prophet Jam Bun Hovis (err, I mean Jon Bon Jovi), don't bore us, get to the chorus!
Born Sandy Devotional was the album where it all came together for The Triffids. Vocalist/guitarist David McComb was at his songwriting peak. The playing and production is superb.
Wide Open Road is god-like. It somehow manages to be simultaneously sombre and infectious, introspective and expansive, evocative and funky. The moment where guitarist Robert McComb repeats his brothers guitar motif (at around 3:35 in the above video) is one of my five favorite moments in music. Spine tingling!
And the rest of the album is no less effective. The Seabirds and Estuary Bed have an almost calypso feel. Lonely Stretch features intense goth like vocals and lyrics rich in biblical imagery. Stolen Property is slow and evocative. Chicken Killer is infectious and child like. And the two tracks sung by Jill Birt deserve special mention. Tarrilup Bridge is almost nursery rhyme-like, while Tender Is the Night is evocative and beautiful, with Birt's quaint and cute vocals bringing Mo Tucker to mind.
The 2006 re-release also features bonus tracks, featuring a number of tracks as good as those featured on the album LP. In fact, Convent Walls and Wish to See No More were listed on the original album but were bumped due to the time limitations inherent with poly-vinyl chloride (aka records - remember those, kids?).
The Triffids - 1986 Born Sandy Devotional
1. The Seabirds
2. Estuary Bed
3. Chicken Killer
4.Tarrilup Bridge
5. Lonely Stretch
6. Wide Open Road
7. Life of Crime
8. Personal Things
9. Stolen Property
10. Tender Is the Night (The Long Fidelity)
3. Chicken Killer
4.
5. Lonely Stretch
7. Life of Crime
8. Personal Things
9. Stolen Property
10. Tender Is the Night (The Long Fidelity)
FLAC Pt1, FLAC Pt2, FLAC Pt3
MP3
Bonus tracks:
1. The 107
2. When A Man Turns Bad
3. Of the Plaza
4. White Shawl
5. Convent Walls
6. Time of Weakness
7. Born Sandy Devotional
8. Wish to See No More
9. Tender Is the Night (The Long Fidelity) Alt. version
FLAC
MP3
Such a great album. When anyone asks me what a "big sound" means I point them to this record.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a problem with FLACpt2. I've downloaded the other two but this won't just start.Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYeah, part 2 is cactus! Unfortunately, I didn't keep a copy of the split/compressed files, and when I re-split/compressed the split files came out a different size. So I've re-upped all parts, and anyone who has downloaded parts 1 and 3 will need to redo so again. Sorry for any inconvenience.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for re-uploading.Take care!
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