This is a fun one. The standout UK reissue label Ace has compiled a seriously entertaining set of songs from Australia and New Zealand that capture the multicolored vibe of an era when styles were in flux. Mixing plenty of total nobodies – to U.S. listeners, anyway – with a handful of artists who later made a big splash here, the 24-track Pop Down Under 1966-1970 suggests enthusiasm was often more important than talent in those crazy days.
The self-importance of Sgt. Pepper hangs heavy over much of the music, with soft-boiled psychedelia and sugary sunshine pop in full force. Among the highlights: The Valentines’ bubbly “She Said,” featuring future AC/DC frontman Bon Scott; The Twilights’ bright “Cathy, Come Home,” from a precursor to Little River Band; Gemini’s entrancing folk-rock gem “Sunshine River”; The Inner Circle’s “Moments of Soft Persuasion,” fuzzed-out garage noise that could be a great Seeds track; and the roaring pop-soul of Allison Durbin’s “He’s Bad Bad Bad.”
The delicate melodicism of the early Bee Gees informs Johnny Young’s “Lady,” composed by Barry Gibb, while Zoot’s high-octane “Flying” spotlights Rick Springfield, later to score a massive hit stateside with “Jessie’s Girl.” The nicest surprise is 16-year-old Olivia Newton-John’s rowdy version of the Jackie DeShannon tune “Till You Say You’ll Be Mine,” which offers a tantalizing hint of the exciting rock’n’roll shouter she might have become.
Full of hope and eager to please, these bygone performers embody (mostly) unfulfilled dreams at their callow best.
