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1
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: National Songbook
Last post by DJC -
Quote from: LP – on
Quote from: DJC – on
Divinyls - I Touch Myself
Did you watch the recent two part ABC Doco, excellent biography of Chrissie.

I never knew Little Pattie (Patricia Thelma Amphlett)) and Chrissie were related.

No, I haven't watched it yet, but I recently saw Sheridan Harbridge's "Amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett".  It's a brilliant caberet that brings parts of Chrissie's life back to the stage.  As Sheridan says, she doesn't have Chrissie's voice or legs and is more Chrissie Pamphlett than Amphlett, but she still manages to convey Chrissie's energy and pathos.

Chrissie was usually introduced as Little Pattie's cousin at the start of her career.
3
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: National Songbook
Last post by DJC -
Quote from: kruddler – on
Icehouse - Great Southern Land is one that would be a shoe-in to make it soon enough IMO.

No idea how you start with a list of 'everything' and narrow it down to 10.

That was next on my list. 

There are so many great songs that speak about Australia or transport listeners back to remembered times and places ...
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Blah-Blah Bar / Re: National Songbook
Last post by kruddler -
Icehouse - Great Southern Land is one that would be a shoe-in to make it soon enough IMO.

No idea how you start with a list of 'everything' and narrow it down to 10.



5
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: National Songbook
Last post by DJC -
I thought this deserved a thread of its own  :)

I have never heard, or heard of, The Necks, and haven't spent much time listening to Earth Cry or The Presets.  There is a bit of a common theme with most of the others but they're all worthy inclusions as far as I'm concerned.

Songs that I'd like to see added over the coming years:

Cold Chisel - Khe Sanh
Redgum - I was only 19
Eric Bogle - And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda
Spectrum - I'll Be Gone
Daddy Cool - Eagle Rock
Archie Roach - Took the Children Away
GANGgajang - Sounds of Then
Ted Egan - The Drover's Boy
Warumpi Band -  Blackfella/Whitefella
Mike Brady - Up There Cazaly
Divinyls - I Touch Myself

And many more ...


6
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: National Songbook
Last post by Lods -
A couple of questions, more like dilemmas.

1) Should lyrics and songs that were once acceptable but nowadays would not be considered as such be a part of this project? Our own club song has its roots in racism.

2) Should artists who were bits of icons, but subsequently proven to have commited offences in the past be disqualified from inclusion?
7
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by DJC -
Quote from: Thryleon – on
Materially has anything changed?

Congress has more power and scope to block Trump, but not necessarily if he is operating within the boundaries he is allowed to, and ultimately the USA is a united entity, not anit trumpist.  They wont simply flip flop because the midterms have swung, it will take a new sitting president for that to be the case, and even then, they make too many flacid moves, and the public will turn on the democrats calling them week.

As I wrote earlier
Quote from: DJC – on
The ... Democrats will control the House and the Senate.  That means they can end the war with Iran, repeal Taco's tariffs, investigate the financial dealings of Taco and his family, restrict Taco's use of the National Guard, increase aid to Ukraine, and commence the impeachment process.

Taco can vetoe any laws passed by Congress and he can still issue executive orders.  However, Congress can overturn a vetoe with a two-thirds majority vote in both Houses.  Congress can legislate to block an executive order and, as Congress controls expenditure, it can refuse to allocate funds necessary for an executive order to be carried out.  The last point is relevant for the Iran war; Congress can freeze funding for the war.

The most worrying things for Taco will be Congress investigating his affairs, forcing the release of the Epstein files, and the commencement of impeachment proceedings.  The Democrats have also indicated that they intend to have Whiskey Pete removed from office.  However, it seems that Taco may save them the effort.
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Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by LP -
Quote from: Thryleon – on
Materially has anything changed?

Congress has more power and scope to block Trump, but not necessarily if he is operating within the boundaries he is allowed to, and ultimately the USA is a united entity, not anit trumpist.  They wont simply flip flop because the midterms have swung, it will take a new sitting president for that to be the case, and even then, they make too many flacid moves, and the public will turn on the democrats calling them week.
They gained a level of power over investigation and protections.

But it's true they won't act in the way the media report, they aren't going to shot themself in the foot, the reports of political revenge are vastly overstated.

What will likely happen is those decisions that lead to RedTrump's protection and exemption from accountability will go away, and his efforts or ability to persecute opponents will be greatly diminished, and those efforts it won't be funded by congress like they have in the past. he has to pay his own way now, and his family will be held accountable. But it won't be clean, it will be messy, because this isn't a shock, the RedTrump team would have been planning for this from the very start.

Why is he glum, because he has been kicked from the trough!
10
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: National Songbook
Last post by Lods -
Quote from: PaulP – on
For those that are so inclined, you could certainly have some interesting discussions about what is included and what is excluded, and the criteria that is used to judge, the aims and objective of such an undertaking, and several others. Are they judging songs by what they mean to the population, whether they have come to be known as iconic or "Australian", is it Australian artists or musicians that have produced work of outstanding artistic merit, even through the words / music may not be identifiably "Australian" ?

To give one example among many, A Pub With No Beer's place in Australian music history is pretty much guaranteed, and it deserves a place in this songbook. If you are judging by what living in Australia is like for most Australians, then the Slim Dusty song represents something of a paradox IMO, because lyrically it describes a niche set of experiences, that would be foreign to most Australians. We live in a very urbanized country, and whilst there could be city pubs that run out of beer, it's pretty obvious that the song is referring to places and characters from the outback, even if the lyrics of the 5th, 6th and the verses are more geographically ambiguous. So if this song is part of the National Songbook, is this because of its history, its mythical status, because it is top shelf artistically etc.

We only hope for this Songbook is that it includes work of a high artistic caliber, and represents the diversity of experiences, histories, places, ethnicities, and artistry of Australia. 

I think you're right about experiences Paul.
I spent a lot of my very early days in the country areas around the Riverina and southern NSW.
So the small towns that had little else but a Pub, a post office and a small general store were very much part of my early life experiences.
My grandparents had a farm just outside of Mirrool (where they try and kick the football over the silos).
The highlight of the week was usually a trip to the Royal Hotel for a rasberry cordial and lemonade.
Papa didn't mind a beer...and would have been 'done' everytime on the trip back to the farm....but different days, and not as many cars on the road back then.
A classic police response would probably have been "Wake up to your bloody self Val...and we'll catch up for a beer next time you're in town."

So those old bush/country songs are really real and relevant for me.