I briefly talk about this Australian artist on the AUK podcast with Keith next week as his new album comes out next Friday. He is one of those artists I'm always amazed more people haven't heard of in the UK. Is anyone else familiar with his music? This is his latest single which is a sort of follow-up to what's considered one of the greatest Aussie songs ever recorded.
I'm one of those not familiar with Paul Kelly, but what a great song! Perhaps a little Dylanesque, but, for me anyway, a lot easier on the ear! 😂
Now to listen to 'How to Make Gravy'...
I first came across Paul Kelly when working in Melbourne at the end of the 90's. "To Her Door" is one of my all time favourite songs
I've just started listening to Paul Kelly thanks to this thread & I'm really enjoying the songs I've heard so far (those mentioned above!). It's great to find someone 'new' who hits the spot!
I’d recommend So Much Water or Comedy which were both recorded with his old band or for solo then Wanted Man. There is a treasure trove of stuff to discover!
A great interview with him in The Guardian where he controversially says he prefers a Foreigner song to John Lennon's "Imagine" (can I come out and say that much as I love The Beatles I agree with him)
Found this clip of him playing a song from his new album I'm obsessed with at the moment which was also recorded a few years back, he's just such an empathetic performer
Two problems. (1) Australia just sealed a three to nil win over England in the (admittedly inferior code) of rugby so all things antipodean are anathema to me and (2) are you suggesting that, as Australian singer-songwriters go, that the bloke is superior to Bernard Fanning?
In response. 1. Boring. 2. Sorry but much as I love Fanning, affirmative.
@markamericana While I genuinely appreciate the idealism and emotional resonance behind the song Imagine—and I do wish such a vision were truly attainable—I’ve always found it difficult to watch the accompanying video, particularly the scenes filmed in John Lennon’s grand manor house, with Yoko Ono drawing back the blinds. That said, I still consider Imagine to be a more compelling and enduring composition than the majority of Foreigner’s catalogue, at least in my humble estimation.
It’s undeniable that the song has moved countless listeners over the years, and its message continues to resonate with many. However, I must admit that I’ve never been especially drawn to Lennon’s solo work beyond the raw honesty of the Plastic Ono Band album. But of course, musical taste is a deeply personal thing—each to their own.
As for the video itself, it’s nicely done. That said, I’m not entirely convinced that a magpie sounds quite the way Paul sings it…
Having been the very lucky writer who has had the good fortune to review Paul Kelly's last two albums for AUK, may I intercede and offer a few suggestions? The obvious place for all those new to his music would be to head to the compilation album he released in 1997 entitled "Songs From The South", which offers a fairly strong mix of his best material up to that point. For those who would like to investigate further, the album "Gossip" that was released in 1986 is amongst the strongest from his earlier career, though I would argue that Kelly's recent work is the equal of, if not better than, those early recordings, and last year's "Fever Longing Still" is probably my favourite and comes highly recommended.
You're probably right John, I just do like that particular Foreigner song! I can't speak for magpies although I did get attacked by one in Sydney when I was little.@markamericana While I genuinely appreciate the idealism and emotional resonance behind the song Imagine—and I do wish such a vision were truly attainable—I’ve always found it difficult to watch the accompanying video, particularly the scenes filmed in John Lennon’s grand manor house, with Yoko Ono drawing back the blinds. That said, I still consider Imagine to be a more compelling and enduring composition than the majority of Foreigner’s catalogue, at least in my humble estimation.
It’s undeniable that the song has moved countless listeners over the years, and its message continues to resonate with many. However, I must admit that I’ve never been especially drawn to Lennon’s solo work beyond the raw honesty of the Plastic Ono Band album. But of course, musical taste is a deeply personal thing—each to their own.
As for the video itself, it’s nicely done. That said, I’m not entirely convinced that a magpie sounds quite the way Paul sings it…
A much better suggestion of a starting point than mine Graeme! "Gossip" is a great album too although difficult to track down, don't think it's on streaming services and CD version misses off some of the best tracks in my opinion.Having been the very lucky writer who has had the good fortune to review Paul Kelly's last two albums for AUK, may I intercede and offer a few suggestions? The obvious place for all those new to his music would be to head to the compilation album he released in 1997 entitled "Songs From The South", which offers a fairly strong mix of his best material up to that point. For those who would like to investigate further, the album "Gossip" that was released in 1986 is amongst the strongest from his earlier career, though I would argue that Kelly's recent work is the equal of, if not better than, those early recordings, and last year's "Fever Longing Still" is probably my favourite and comes highly recommended.
