STACK #202 Aug 2021

MUSIC FEATURE

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Each month we handpick a collection of reissues, limited editions or just straight classic long-players that deserve a place

in any record collection. Words Paul Jones, Amy Flower & Zoë Radas

CAROLE KING TAPESTRY 50TH ANNIVERSARY VINYL EDITION

What is it about Carole King’s Tapestry – multi- Grammy-winning, multi- platinum-selling, endlessly covered as it is – that remains so intimate? Each song is a tale told with “wondrous woven magic”, transporting us to Carole’s own windowseat (next to cat Telemachus). Its tracks abide the simple

soft-rock beauty of voice and piano, right from captivating opener I Feel the Earth Move . Side one closer Way Over Yonder ’s peals of sax shine like sunbeams, and bongos throughout (particularly You’ve Got a Friend and Beautiful ) invite visions of brushed gold and cosy fabrics. By the time you get to side two closer (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman , the spell is complete and binding. Cultural phenomenon it may be, but Tapestry ’s tender candour will always see its bare feet on the ground. TOP TRACK: (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman FAST FACT: Carole’s cat Telemachus was named for the figure in Greek mythology; he is a central character in Homer’s Odyssey.

AUSTRALIAN CRAWL SIROCCO 40th ANNIVERSARY WHITE VINYL EDITION

THE PRODIGY MUSIC FOR THE JILTED GENERATION After the smash success of debut single Charly , which sampled a series of British children’s educational cartoons, Liam Howlett found his The Prodigy project pigeonholed as “kiddie rave” – and he didn’t like it. As the law cracked down on rave culture with the Criminal Justice Act, Howlett decided to call it out for the joke that it was, and a much harder-edged sound was born. It kicked off with the creation of Their Law , featured on the album as a collaboration with grebo gods Pop Will Eat Itself, but went beyond with dancefloor manna such as Voodoo People , Poison and the Kelly Charles sampling No Good (Start the Dance) , all of which luxuriate over four sides in this top double vinyl set. TOP TRACK: Voodoo People FAST FACT: While many of the album’s “samples” sounded plucked from movies, they were predominantly re-recordings, such as “What we're dealing with here is a total lack of respect for the law,” a quote from Smokey and the Bandit with one word swapped out.

After the runaway success of debut album The Boys Light Up in 1980, there was none of that difficult second album syndrome bulldust for the Mornington Peninsula’s finest with their 1981 follow-up. The first single, Things Don’t Seem , kicked off proceedings,

also serving as a highlight of James Reyne’s often interesting way with words. But it was second single Errol , sung by Guy McDonough, that remains one of Aussie Crawl’s most memorable hits. Add the disc’s final single Oh No Not You Again , plus killer album tracks Lakeside and possible Guns N’ Roses inspiration Unpublished Critics , and there are still another six Oz rock bangers to get nostalgic with! TOP TRACK: Unpublished Critics FAST FACT: Sirocco was named after legendary Aussie actor Errol Flynn’s yacht, which in turn was named after the Mediterranean wind that blows in from the Sahara Desert.

18 AUGUST 2021

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