STACK #225 July 2023

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There’s nothing quite like taking home some fresh vinyl and putting it on the turntable for the first time. It’s a total experience. Each month we pull together a collection of reissues, JB-exclusives, or just straight-up classic long players to add to any burgeoning collection. Words Paul Jones, Amy Flower & Zoë Radas

THE CRUEL SEA THE HONEYMOON IS OVER (1993) “Where does this music take me? What does this music want me to say? ...That's the bottom line for me,” The Cruel Sea's singer-songwriter Tex Perkins has said of the propulsion behind The Honeymoon Is Over , his band's third album

CHART Vinyl

MIDNIGHT OIL DIESEL AND DUST (1987)

A concept album, Diesel and Dust was the Oils’ sixth long player and revealed two causes dear to the band’s heart: the plight of Indigenous Australians and the environment. The first taste, a message of intent, came a year before the album’s release via The Dead Heart . Beds Are Burning heralded the album’s arrival the following year, highlighting the issue of land rights beyond the confines of Australia, as it became a monster worldwide hit. TOP TRACK: The Dead Heart FAST FACT: Much of Diesel and

and the record which would trebuchet the Sydney five-piece to international recognition. Full of swaggering indie-rock coconuts led by the hipshot-cool of Perkins' baritone, the record's title song landed a spot on the soundtrack for cult hit film Empire Records but boasts so many other irresistible grooves: first single Black Stick (with a guitar line that saunters like Chris Isaak's

best), the simmering Woman with Soul , and the juicy, bluesy jams of instrumentals Orleans Stomp and Sly Din . The Honeymoon is Over won five ARIAs from ten nominations, and you can hear its influence on contemporary Aussie artists like Dope Lemon and Gang of Youths. TOP TRACK: Black Stick FAST FACT: The title track's lyric, “Then I'm going to get this tattoo changed to another girl's name,” was directly inspired by a man Perkins met who had “gone through this very dilemma,” he wrote in his 2017 memoir.

1. NIALL HORAN The Show 2. FOO FIGHTERS But Here We Are 3. QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE In Times New Roman... 4. SAVAGE GARDEN Savage Garden 5. VARIOUS Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 3 The Winding Way 7. TAYLOR SWIFT Reputation 8. TAYLOR SWIFT Midnights 9. SZA SOS 10. TAYLOR SWIFT Lover 6. THE TESKEY BROTHERS

Dust was inspired by the 1986 Blackfella/Whitefella Tour of remote Indigenous communities, which saw Midnight Oil share a bill with the Warumpi Band and Gondwanaland.

DR. DRE THE CHRONIC (1992)

BON JOVI SLIPPERY WHEN WET (1986) A triumph for producer Bruce

Andre Romell Young was already well established via his moniker Dr. Dre as a core member of iconoclastic rap outfit N.W.A. – having released four albums with the Compton collective – by the time he recorded his solo debut. But when The Chronic hit music stores, listeners realised the true depth of genius the man who would go on to inspire his own Grammy Award (this year's inaugural Dr. Dre Global Impact Award) possessed. As the pioneering album in the gangsta rap sub-genre of G-Funk, The Chronic 's sound was astoundingly revolutionary, with thick, mellow beats inspired by George Clinton's psych-funk styles; muggy synths eddying around its basslines; shimmering flourishes of live instrumentation, especially percussion; and soulful vocals slotted around Dre's own flow. TOP TRACK: Nuthin' But a “G” Thang

Fairburn (who defined the sound) and songwriter Desmond Child, as well as the band, Bon Jovi’s breakout juggernaut has it all: roaring anthems, memorable ballads, and iconic stadium rockers. The song titles read like the ultimate classic rock radio station playlist. A breakthrough album that not only defined Bon Jovi, but an era, Slippery When Wet is a tower of infectious power pop-rock.

TOP TRACK: Livin’ on a Prayer FAST FACT: The album was written during the day in Ritchie Sambora’s parent’s basement while his folks were at work.

FAST FACT: Kanye West has described the album as “the hip-hop equivalent to Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life ”, asserting it's the “benchmark” against which all serious rappers measure their own work.

DIRTY DANCING SOUNDTRACK (1987)

JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP SCARECROW (1985)

'Baby' Houseman beaming with joy – having the time of her life, if you will – as she's lifted to the sky by Johnny Castle: few film scenes have had as enduring a cultural impact as this one, and even fewer are as inextricably linked with a particular song. The appeal of Dirty Dancing 's soundtrack comes from its in-film epoch (early 1960s) bangers by The Ronettes, The Blow Monkeys, and Mickey & Sylvia, alongside hits from the era it was released (late 1980s) like Eric Carmen's Hungry Eyes , star Patrick Swayze's She's Like the Wind , and the big one: Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes' (I've Had) The Time of My Life , which will be forever associated with a young woman in a peachy-pink dress leaping into the arms of her love. TOP TRACK: Be My Baby by The Ronettes FAST FACT: The album is certified 14 times platinum in America, and is the number one best-selling album of all time in Germany.

Scarecrow finds Mellencamp in deep reflection, penning authentic songs of reminiscence and dedication to this rural origin. The anthems are present, with Rain on the Scarecrow outlining the plight of the modern farmer and Small Town a homage to the songwriter’s roots. Scarecrow is a solid album, an ode to blue collar America waking up to a loss of innocence and identity; a theme of recurrent relevance. TOP TRACK: Rain on the Scarecrow FAST FACT: To fit the nostalgic vibe Mellencamp was searching for, he – and his backing band – played scores of rock and roll songs from the ‘60s.

28 JULY 2023

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