Harry’s Reasons? by V. Spy V. Spy
The debut album from the band affectionately known as Spies
V. Spy V. Spy were one of my favourite Aussie bands and I got to see them live in 1986 at the Manuka Football Club (a venue that no longer exists) in Canberra. I was under 18 at the time, so wisely decided to get there mid-afternoon (the gig was on a Sunday night) as there would be no one checking IDs on the door at that time. I thought their previous EP, Meet Us Inside, was excellent so I bought this album as soon as it was released. I was not disappointed.
Favourite track: “Injustice”
Infected by The The
The The was really the solo efforts of Matt Johnson aided by different musicians
The The never quite saw the success in Australia as they enjoyed at home in the UK. Infected spawned four charting singles in the UK, notably “Heartland”, which made the UK top 30. It was also unusual for having a full-length accompanying film which represented as separate music videos for each track. I absolutely love this album but haven’t met too many other Australians who do.
Favourite track: Single “Slow Train To Dawn”, performed as a duet with Neneh Cherry
Human Frailty by Hunters & Collectors
Human Frailty was the fourth studio album released by the Melbourne rock band
This is without doubt one of my favourite Australian albums ever. I think it a masterpiece that remains unsurpassed in their catalogue. Containing several singles, including the successful version of “Throw Your Arms Around Me”, it would prove to be their most accessible and commercially successful album to date. They were also a great live act and I have seen them at least half a dozen times.
Favourite track: “Say Goodbye”
Skylarking by XTC
The ninth studio album from XTC was recorded at Utopia Sound Studios in New York
Although the band considered him a difficult taskmaster, particularly lead singer Andy Partridge, having Todd Rundgren produce the album ended up being a masterstroke. The album features well-written songs that were beautifully recorded. Despite this, the album was pretty much ignored at the time of its release but has since become a classic.
Favourite track: “Dear God”, originally a B-side, was added to later pressings before becoming an A-side single in its own right
Gossip by Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls
The first album Paul Kelly recorded with the band that would be renamed the Messengers
This was not my first introduction to Paul Kelly, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good this album was. Nothing he had released previously had prepared me for this. A double album on vinyl, this was a strong set of songs that featured several hit singles. Although he recorded another three albums with this band, for me this was the pick of them.
Favourite track: The rocking “Down On My Speedway”
The Slabthrower 