Hard Knocks - 1980 various Australian artists compilation

Compilation albums were very popular in the 70's and 80's and offered a chance to sample artists' music on a broad scale. "Hard Knocks" was no exception and collected a range of artists that were popular at the time, with some that have gone on to become music legends. If you're a devotee of Australian culture, you might also recall the front cover depiction of a particular movement of the time.

01 Hard Knocks - Paul Kelly

02 Evie Part One - Stevie Wright

03 Most People I Know (Think that I'm Crazy) - Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs

04 Who Listens to the Radio - Sports

05 I Remember when I was Young - Matt Taylor

06 My Little Angel - William Shakespeare

07 Breakfast at Sweethearts - Cold Chisel

08 Take a Long Line - Angels

09 When the Heat is Off - Richard Clapton

10 High Class Woman - John St. Peters

11 Fugitive Kind - Mondo Rock

12 Way Out West - Dingoes

13 Where the Action Is - John Paul Young

14 Birmingham - John Paul Young

15 High Voltage - AC/DC

16 Heading in the Right Direction - Renée Geyer

17 Howzat - Sherbert

18 Don't Let it Get to You - Darryl Cotton

Hard Knocks - 1980

Note: this is a "vinyl rip" so the sound quality is quite top grade

70's Aussie Music Rarities Vol.1 - various artists (An Aussie Music Blog Compilation)

 

This is a collection of bonus and live tracks, cover versions, B-sides and some lesser known album tracks from various Australian albums. They cover hard rock, blues-rock, prog-rock, soul and rock'n'roll.

1 Red Hot Momma - Ariel - (A Strange Fantastic Dream)

2 No Dying In The Dark - Bakery - (Momento)

3 Boogie Man - Daddy Cool - (The Missing Masters)

4 Got A Feeling  - Tamam Shud - (Evolution / Goolutionites (And The Real People) 

5 Just Couldn't Believe It  - Autumn  - (Comes... Autumn)

6 Moon Dance - Renée Geyer - (Renée Geyer)

7 Bumper Bar Song (B-Side) - Madder Lake - (Stillpoint)

8 Hey Joe - Carson - (On The Air/Blown)

9 Hot Rod James - Skyhooks - (The Skyhooks Tapes)

10 Gimme Shelter  - Blackfeather - (At The Mountains Of Madness)

11 We Need a Song (Single) - Wendy Saddington And The Copperwine - (Wendy Saddington & The Copperwine Live)

12 Blow In D (single B-side,1971) - Chain - (Toward The Blues)

13 Dalmas (Theme) - Spectrum - (Milesago )

14 Roll Over Beethoven (Live At Sunbury 1974) - Buster Brown - (Something To Say)

15 United Nations  (Live at Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, April 1974) - Buffalo - (Only Want You For Your Body)

10 All Along The Watchtower - The La De Da's - (Legend)

17 Bloodsucker  - Bakery - (Momento)

18 Don't Let Go - Company Caine - (Dr. Chop)

19 Liberate Rock - Coloured Balls - (Ball Power)

20 Politician - Kahvas Jute - (Wide Open)

21 Who The Cap Fit (Nightmoves Live 1977) - Billy T - (No Definitions)

22 Down The River (Live At Sunbury) - Madder Lake - (Stillpoint)

23 Space Captain - Renée Geyer - (Renée Geyer)

24 Yeah Tonight  - Ariel - (Rock & Roll Scars)

25 You Never Can Tell (Long Version) - Daddy Cool - (The Missing Masters)

26 Forging Ahead - Skyhooks - (The Skyhooks Tapes)

27 Forty Days And Forty Nights (Live At The Garrison 73) - Sid Rumpo - (First Offense [Reissue])

28 Don't Watch Me (Bonus Track) - Autumn - (Comes... Autumn)

29 Goolutionites Theme Part 1 - 2 - Tamam Shud - (Evolution / Goolutionites & The Real People)

30 Slowly Learning How - Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - (More Arse Than Class Remastered 2006)

70's Aussie Music Rarities Vol.1

Buffalo - A Collection

 

Buffalo was an Australian rock band formed in August 1971 by founding mainstay Dave Tice on lead vocals (ex-Head). Fellow founders, also from Head, were Paul Balbi on drums, John Baxter on guitar, and Peter Wells on bass guitar; together with Alan Milano on lead vocals (ex-Mandala). Milano left after their debut album, Dead Forever... (June 1972), and Balbi was replaced on drums by Jimmy Economou. Their next two albums, Volcanic Rock (July 1973) and Only Want You for Your Body (June 1974), were also issued by Vertigo Records. After 1975 line-up changes resulted in a more commercial sound and the group disbanded in March 1977. 

Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane noted that there was "nothing subtle about Buffalo's primal, heavyweight sound, but it was delivered with a great deal of conviction ... combining the dense, heavy riffing ... with the progressive blues chops ... the band certainly captured the arrogant disposition of the times in a bold and thunderous fashion". 

Alongside Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs and Blackfeather, Buffalo pioneered Australia's heavy metal, pub rock and psychedelic rock movements. 

After Buffalo disbanded, several members went on to other projects. Peter Wells formed Rose Tattoo, playing both slide and bass guitar, he also had a solo career. Peter Wells died on 27 March 2006, aged 58. Dave Tice went to the UK to join The Count Bishops (alongside Paul Balbi) but returned to Australia to work as a solo artist and as a member of The Headhunters. As of July 2005, he was playing with ex-AC/DC bass guitarist Mark Evans as Tice & Evans.

Dead Forever - 1972

Volcanic Rock - 1973

Only Want You For Your Body - 1974

Mother's Choice - 1976

Average Rock'n'Roller - 1977

Buffalo Revisited - Volcanic Rock Live - 2022

Standing On The Outside (The Songs Of Cold Chisel)

 

1-1 The Living End– Rising Sun 3:20

1-2 Dallas Crane– Standing On The Outside 2:58

1-3 Pete Murray– Forever Now 4:49

1-4 Ben Lee– No Sense 2:58

1-5 Thirsty Merc– My Baby 3:55

1-6 Evermore– Water Into Wine 4:14

1-7 Paul Kelly – Khe Sanh 4:21

1-8 Troy Cassar-Daley– Bow River 4:39

1-9 Grinspoon– Saturday Night 3:02

1-10 You Am I– Houndog 4:32

1-11 Katie Noonan– Choir Girl 3:23

1-12 Something For Kate– When The War Is Over 5:35

1-13 Alex Lloyd– You Got Nothing I Want 2:40

1-14 Shane Nicholson– Cheap Wine 3:47

1-15 The Waifs– Four Walls 3:31

1-16 Sarah Blasko– Flame Trees 5:25

1-17 Augie March– Janelle 4:29

1-18 The Flairz Featuring Dave Larkin– Shipping Steel 2:56

Bonus Disc (Cold Chisel: Original Recordings)

2-1 Cold Chisel– Rising Sun 3:26

2-2 Cold Chisel– Standing On The Outside 2:54

2-3 Cold Chisel– Forever Now 5:30

2-4 Cold Chisel– No Sense 2:59

2-5 Cold Chisel– My Baby 4:02

2-6 Cold Chisel– Water Into Wine (Live Version) 4:53

2-7 Cold Chisel– Khe Sanh 4:11

2-8 Cold Chisel– Bow River 5:40

2-9 Cold Chisel– Saturday Night 4:21

2-10 Cold Chisel– Houndog 5:03

2-11 Cold Chisel– Choir Girl 3:15

2-12 Cold Chisel– When The War Is Over 4:23

2-13 Cold Chisel– You Got Nothing I Want 3:41

2-14 Cold Chisel– Cheap Wine 3:23

2-15 Cold Chisel– Four Walls 2:25

2-16 Cold Chisel– Flame Trees 4:23

2-17 Cold Chisel– Janelle 3:38

2-18 Cold Chisel– Shipping Steel 3:24

Standing On The Outside (The Songs Of Cold Chisel)

The Angels - A Collection (1977 - 1998)

 

The Angels are an Australian rock band that formed in 1974 in Adelaide as the Keystone Angels with Bernard "Doc" Neeson on lead vocals and bass guitar, John Brewster on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, his brother Rick Brewster on lead guitar and backing vocals, and Peter "Charlie" King on drums. In 1976, King was replaced by Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup on drums, Chris Bailey took over bass duties so Neeson could focus solely on vocals, and they changed their name to just 'the Angels'. 

Their studio albums that peaked in the Australian top 10 are No Exit (1979), Dark Room (1980), Night Attack (1981), Two Minute Warning (1984), Howling (1986) and Beyond Salvation (1990). Their top 20 singles are "No Secrets" (1980), "Into the Heat" (1981), "We Gotta Get out of This Place" (1987), "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again" (live, 1988), "Let the Night Roll On" and "Dogs Are Talking" (both 1990).

They were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in October 1998 with the line-up of Bailey, John and Rick Brewster, Eccles and Neeson. Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane declared that "The Angels had a profound effect on the Australian live music scene of the late 1970's/early 1980's. [They] helped redefine the Australian pub rock tradition... [their] brand of no-frills, hard-driving boogie rock attracted pub goers in unprecedented numbers. In turn, The Angels' shows raised the standard expected of live music. After 20 years on the road, the band showed little sign of easing up on the hard rock fever." Chris Bailey died of throat cancer on 4 April 2013, aged 62. Doc Neeson died of a brain tumour on 4 June 2014, aged 67.

The current line-up are touring Australia with their 50th anniversary tour in 2025.

The Angels (1977)

Face To Face (1978)

The Tour EP (1978)

No Exit (1979)

Out of the Blue EP (1979)

Dark Room (1980)

Live - Denver, Colorado (1980)

Greatest Hits (1980)

Live At The El Mocambo (1980)

Live - Melbourne (1980)

Night Attack (1981)

Two Minute Warning (1984)

Howling (1986)

LiveLine (1988)

Beyond Salvation (1989)

Red Back Fever (1991)

Their Finest Hour..and Then Some (1992)

Evidence (1994)

Skin and Bone (1998)

Billy Thorpe - A Collection

 

William Richard Thorpe AM (29 March 1946 – 28 February 2007) was an English-born Australian singer-songwriter, and record producer. As lead singer of his band Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, he had success in the 1960s with "Blue Day", "Poison Ivy", "Over the Rainbow", "Sick and Tired", "Baby, Hold Me Close" and "Mashed Potato"; and in the 1970s with "Most People I Know Think That I'm Crazy". Featuring in concerts at Sunbury Pop Festivals and Myer Music Bowl in the early 1970s, the Aztecs also developed the pub rock scene and were one of the loudest groups in Australia.

Thorpe also performed as a solo artist. He relocated to America from 1976 to 1996; after moving, he released the space opera Children of the Sun, which peaked in the top 40 of the Billboard Pop Album chart in 1979. He worked with ex-Aztec Tony Barber to form a soft toy company in 1987 and co-wrote stories for The Puggle Tales and Tales from the Lost Forests. Thorpe also worked as a producer and composed music scores for TV series including War of the Worlds, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Columbo, Eight Is Enough and Hard Time on Planet Earth.

Thorpe returned to Australia in 1996 and continued as a performer and producer, additionally he wrote two autobiographies, Sex and Thugs and Rock 'n' Roll (1996) and Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy) (1998). According to Australian rock music historian Ian McFarlane, "Thorpie evolved from child star, beat pop sensation and cuddly pop crooner to finally emerge as the country's wildest and heaviest blues rocker. Thorpie was the unassailable monarch of Australian rock music". Thorpe was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 1991. He died of a heart attack in February 2007 and was posthumously appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in June for his contribution to music as a musician, songwriter and producer.

This collection features Billy's releases post his 1960's career.

The Hoax Is Over (1971)

Live At Sunbury (1972)

Downunda with Warren Morgan (1973)

More Arse Than Class (1974, remastered 2006)

Million Dollar Bill (1975)

Pick Me Up and Play Me Loud (1976)

Children of the Sun (1979)

21st Century Man (1980)

Stimulation (1981)

East of Eden's Gate (1982)

Shakin' the Cage (with Mick Fleetwood's ZOO) (1992)

Lock Up Your Mothers (1994)

Live ! At Sunbury (remastered 2005)

Solo: The Last Recordings (2007)

Tangier (2010)

Australian Rock 71-72 Vol.1 Collectors Album - Havoc label vinyl release

This is a vinyl rip from an album released on the Havoc label in the early 1970's. It features several Havoc label artists of the time such as Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Carson and The Wild Cherries featuring Lobby Loyde.

These are the original album liner notes:

Australian Rock has fought long and hard for recognition.  The medium that has been directly responsible for Rock culture is radio. Most Australian radio is modeled on American and than anything else has shaped the audience and the criticism of Australian Rock.

To compete in the play list war, an Australian musical group has to deliver an American or English sounding rock number. This retarding condition is now beginning to change. Australian Rock has a high energy potential - the same high energy potential that was found in early Little Richard, Presley, Berry and Domino rock. The same high energy potential as early English rock by the Animals, Stones, Kinks and some Beatle Rockers. Other high energy potential groups were Cream, Hendrix, Yardbirds and The Who.

American and English Rock differ in their high energy potential distribution and Australian Rock differs from both of these by its high energy rhythm sections with high density colour trips. Australian Rock is at last becoming noticed by the Australian media and the Australian audience. Given time, Australian Rock will be heard and appreciated everywhere . So - "Watch out World".
Lobby Loyde - September 72.

Australian Rock

Track Listing:
01 - Dawn Song (Aztecs)
02 - Traveling South (Carson)
03 - Pattern Of My Life (Michael Turner In Session)
04 - Time To Live (Aztecs)
05 - Moonshine (Carson)
06 - Slowest Guitar On Earth (Lobby Loyde)
07 - Most People I Know (Aztecs)
08 - Liberate Rock (Lobby Loyde and the Coloured Balls)
09 - Cold Feet (Chook)
10 - Don't Worry (Carson)
11 - I Am The Sea (Wild Cherries)
12 - Just Around Midnight (Michael Turner In Session)
[Bonus Missing Tracks]
13 - Daily Planet (Wild Cherries)
14 - Regulation Puff (Aztecs)

https://youtu.be/5BFNk7QUZ9w