STACK #239 September 2024

MUSIC FEATURE

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HIGH ON LIFE Keith was born in New Zealand in 1967, but grew up in Caboolture in Queensland. He tweaked the spelling of his surname from “Urbahn” to “Urban”. He went on the TV talent show He won a Grammy in 2006, the first of four Grammy Awards. He has had seven chart-topping albums on the US country charts, and four number one albums in Australia. A Canadian newspaper dubbed him “the Urbanator”. His favourite sport is ten-pin bowling. As Australia’s country king releases his 12th album, here are a dozen things you might not know about Keith Urban.

Pot of Gold when he was 11, singing Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors . The “nasty” judge Bernard King gave him six out of ten. His big break was winning the Star Maker talent quest at the Golden Guitar Awards in Tamworth in 1990. He beat another rising country star, Troy Cassar-Daley. He sang backing vocals on the INXS single Shining Star . He had a band in America called The Ranch, and he occasionally does gigs under the name Gus Chiggens.

The legendary Loretta Lynn called him “the cutest guy in country music today”. Keith and wife Nicole Kidman have two daughters – Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.

Keith Urban

High by Keith Urban is out Sep 20 via EMI

High follows 2020’s The Speed of Now Part 1 . There’s yet to be a Part 2 . Of the new album, Urban says: “Every song on this album – even the ballads – carries an energy and a life force that became a very strong through line. I hope you feel it.” Jeff Jenkins

D avid Gilmour doesn’t release a lot of albums, so a new record is a major event. And his fifth solo album, Luck and Strange , is a family affair. Gilmour’s wife of 30 years, Polly Samson, wrote most of the lyrics. Their daughter, Romany, provides backing vocals and harp; their son, Gabriel, adds some backing vocals, while another son, Charlie, contributes lyrics to the closing track. The title track is particularly poignant as it features Pink Floyd’s Richard Wright on keyboards. His parts were drawn from a jam session at Gilmour’s barn in 2007. Wright died the following year. Jeff Jenkins GET LUCKY The Pink Floyd legend returns with his first solo album in nine years.

David Gilmour believes Luck and Strange is his finest work since Pink Floyd’s 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon . I once asked Gilmour if he’d ever sat down at home and put The Dark Side of the Moon on the stereo, and The Wizard of Oz on the video. There’s a supposed synchronicity between the album and movie. So, what did Gilmour say? “Don’t be ridiculous, course I haven’t!” The Dark Side of the Moon is a phenomenon, having spent more time on the US charts than any other album. Has Gilmour got a theory on why it’s been so successful? “’Cause it’s f-cking good.” Fair enough. WE’RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE

Photo credit: Anton Corbijn

David Gilmour

COVER ME

David Gilmour got The Australian Pink Floyd Show to play at his 50th birthday. “I did, yes,” he confirms. “They were great fun.”

FUN FACT

The Luck and Strange cover was shot by famous Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn and was inspired by the lyrics of the album’s final track, Scattered . Corbijn has done album covers for U2, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, and many other stars.

Luck and Strange by David Gilmour is out Sep 6 via Sony

72 SEPTEMBER 2024

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