STACK #231 January 2024

MUSIC FEATURE

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 Zoë Radas, Paul Jones

BERNARD FANNING TEA & SYMPATHY (2005)

”Up so early feel so bright/ Didn’t get much sleep last night,” Bernard Fanning beamed atop guitars that dipped and swung like the lyrical swallows which flit through this first single from the Powderfinger frontman – and we were smitten. Fanning crafted his debut solo album Tea & Sympathy as a response to several things knocking around in his mind: the death of his brother to cancer; his perception he couldn’t explore this particular musical direction within the confines of his mega-successful band; his exasperation with John Howard’s 2004 federal election win; the end of a 12-year romantic relationship;

a reaction to the hardcore sound of mainstream bands supported by large-scale Oz festivals, and more. What resulted was a collection which quickly gained a foothold as immensely significant in the Australian musical landscape. It showcased the true breadth of artistry hitherto locked up in the musician’s head, giving us profound lyrical depth, melodic richness and surprise, poignant storytelling, and, of course, Fanning’s emotive and wiry vocals. The record is radiant with introspective themes of love, loss, and self-discovery, capturing a raw authenticity that struck a chord with listeners across usual genre lines. Critically acclaimed and snagging three ARIAs, Tea & Sympathy not only solidified Fanning as a formidable solo artist, but cemented him a gilded spot in Australian music history. TOP TRACK: Wish You Well

FAST FACT: Wish You Well arrived in Fanning’s mind after he woke up one morning and noticed swallows flying around outside his window. ”I was in an unusually positive frame of mind,” he’s said of that moment. FAT BOY SLIM YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY (1998) DELUXE 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION 180GM VINYL As far from his days in the UK indie pop band The

CHART Vinyl

LED ZEPPELIN LED ZEPPELIN IV (1971) CRYSTAL CLEAR VINYL

Recommending one album from a legacy band with a prolific career to own on vinyl is a tough ask. However, with Led Zeppelin, surpassing the unofficially named Led Zeppelin IV as the essential record to own from their extensive discography is hard. Here are five reasons why. 1 The band opted to record most of the album at the former workhouse, Headley Grange, hiring the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio to capture the sessions. The freedom, relaxed setting, and lack of distraction provided the perfect platform for creativity, and many of the album’s tracks were formed from spontaneous jams. 2 Led Zeppelin broke with the rock convention of the day and created an album where each of the eight tracks is crafted in many different genres. 3 Alongside Whole Lotta Love , IV contains the band’s – and probably rock’s – most recognised song, the epic Stairway to Heaven . 4 It’s also responsible for monumental tracks Rock and Roll , purportedly written in only 15 minutes, Black Dog , The Battle of Evermore, Four Sticks, Going to California, and Misty Mountain Hop . In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to name another album with such an insurmountable track list. 5 And let’s not forget the colossal final song featuring the greatest drum intro in history, When the Levee Breaks . As is well documented, the celebrated drum sound was captured by setting up the kit in the lobby of Headley Grange and dangling two microphones from the stairwell above. TOP TRACK: Stairway to Heaven FAST FACT: In 2023, the man on the front of the album was recognised as late-Victorian Wiltshire thatcher Lot Long, after the original photograph was discovered in a Victorian photo album at an auction house.

Housemartins as you could get, Norman Cook, or Fatboy Slim, was at the forefront of the ’90s big beat sound. The follow-up to debut Better Living Through Chemistry , You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby stormed 1998 like an electronic maelstrom, ripping

through the charts with massive dancefloor fillers, Right Here, Right Now, The Rockafeller Skank, and Praise You . This cracking reissue features a six-page booklet with a timeline and sleeve notes written about the story behind the album’s creation and a 12” display card. TOP TRACK: The Rockafeller Skank FAST FACT: The album was created using an Atari ST computer, floppy discs, and Creator software.

1. TAYLOR SWIFT 1989 (Taylor’s Version) 2. TAYLOR SWIFT Midnights 3. TAYLOR SWIFT Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) 4. TAYLOR SWIFT Lover 5. TRAVIS SCOTT Utopia 6. TAYLOR SWIFT Folklore (In the Trees Edition) 7. TAYLOR SWIFT Red (Taylor’s Version) 8. ARCTIC MONKEYS AM 9. OLIVIA RODRIGO GUTS 10. QUEEN Greatest Hits

ICEHOUSE PRIMITIVE MAN (1982)

Iconic and affecting, Great Southern Land , with its haunting synth and droning guitar remains as powerful four decades later as it did opening Primitive Man back in 1982. Searching for his songwriting talents following the break-up of his band, Iva Davies found his

inspiration on the doorstep of Avalon -era Roxy Music, Ultravox, and Gary Numan. A beautifully produced album, Davies crafted a suite of sophisticated synth-pop songs from the global hit Hey Little Girl to the atmospheric Trojan Blue . Melodic, lush, and experimental, Primitive Man is a timeless Aussie classic and a worthy addition to any vinyl collection. TOP TRACK: Great Southern Land FAST FACT: The band was initially called Flowers but decided to change their name to Icehouse, the name of their debut album, after a legal conflict of interest with Scottish band, The Flowers.

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