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Topic: National Songbook (Read 343 times) previous topic - next topic - Topic derived from General Discussions
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Re: National Songbook

Reply #1 –
Quote from: PaulP – on
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/nov/04/first-10-australian-songs-inducted-into-national-songbook

Excellent selections IMO, with (hopefully) many more great ones to come.

Interesting collection.

Had never heard of 3 of them.

The Boys soundtrack.
Earth Cry
and surprisingly......Down City Streets

The first two understandably as they are not 'songs' so much as you'd think of.....but can't recall Down City Streets, but can understand why its in there.

Personally i would've had 'Goanna - Solid Rock' on there.

Re: National Songbook

Reply #2 –
Quote from: kruddler – on
Interesting collection.

Had never heard of 3 of them.

The Boys soundtrack.
Earth Cry
and surprisingly......Down City Streets

The first two understandably as they are not 'songs' so much as you'd think of.....but can't recall Down City Streets, but can understand why.

Personally i would've had 'Goanna - Solid Rock' on there.

The Boys Soundtrack is by The Necks. Anything by them is great IMO.

They will be adding new songs every year. Solid Rock will get in there for sure at some point.

Re: National Songbook

Reply #3 –
Any list of All time influential Australian songs that doesn't include= Bryan Davies-"Ten Pin Bowling" is a bit dubious. ;)  :D

And where the Fck is "A Pub with no Beer".

Re: National Songbook

Reply #4 –
I suppose they've picked a bit from a mix of genre, but I'd have put Eagle Rock in there as typical Australiana.

@PaulP,‍ why am I not surprised, The Necks are terrific listening and a great introduction to lounge jazz for jazz music newbies. Anyone who has travelled will recognise their music, it's almost ubiquitous as the background of hotel foyers, bars and restaurants. On the classical side, did you tune in last night to the ABC Young Performer of the Year concert? I'm getting old, it started at 6pm and I feel asleep after a few hours of the final. Tried listening agian today, and the same thing happened.
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/special-features/abc-young-performer-awards-grand-final-concert/107287336
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: National Songbook

Reply #5 –
Quote from: LP – on
I suppose they've picked a bit from a mix of genre, but I'd have put Eagle Rock in there as typical Australiana.

@PaulP,‍ why am I not surprised, The Necks are terrific listening and a great introduction to lounge jazz for jazz music newbies. Anyone who has travelled will recognise their music, it's almost ubiquitous as the background of hotel foyers, bars and restaurants. On the classical side, did you tune in last night to the ABC Young Performer of the Year concert? I'm getting old, it started at 6pm and I feel asleep after a few hours of the final. Tried listening agian today, and the same thing happened.
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/special-features/abc-young-performer-awards-grand-final-concert/107287336

No, I didn't listen to the ABC Young Performer of the Year concert. 6+ hours is one stretch is a bit long for me. I'll have to listen to it in shorter sections.

Not sure I would describe The Necks as lounge jazz. Leaving that aside, the initial 10 songs give me hope that some of the selections will move beyond the expected, the obvious, the kitsch. Up There Cazaly, Down Under etc are okay for what they are, but there's much more that should be part of the National Songbook, and not really underground or hard to find.

Re: National Songbook

Reply #6 –
Quote from: PaulP – on
Not sure I would describe The Necks as lounge jazz.
It's not meant to be derogatory, it was probably ambiguous of me to use lounge based on what a lounge might be assumed as, but it communicates the type of location someone might most commonly hear the music if not already initiated. Think Raffles, the Fairmount or back in the old days Melbourne Temperance Society, black tie venues, the antithesis of a Trump Ballroom.

"Lost in Translation" instead of "Weekend at Bernie's"
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" over "Mission Impossible"
"The French Dispatch" rather than "The Pink Panther"

I've seen a poster in NY describing them as the greatest 3-piece ensemble in living history, yet a huge chunk of the Aussie population does not know who they are!
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: National Songbook

Reply #7 –
It's very subjective though isn't it.

If you picked 4 other people to do it you would get 10 different songs.
I was only half-joking with "A pub with no beer"...which is one of the most Australian defining songs.
"The Road to Gundagai", "Click go the Shears" are others.

I've no issue with 'Beds are Burning' and "Treaty" but I fail to see the relevance of "I am Woman" which has a more universal flavour than a purely Australian one.

"Friday on my mind" would be my pick of the songs on the list, but that's just because of my own 60's bias...but I don't see it as "an exclusively Australian culturally defining song".

And then there is the group of songs most of us have never heard of.

On a positive note though
What we have is ...a conversation starter, a debate starter.
It will come down to personal life experiences.
Age will also be a factor.
Political views will play a large part.
Musical tastes will also influence our feelings on song choices.
Alternative music styles get a nod...we may seek out the songs we've never heard of and give them a listen.

So if we have people talking about the lists.
(and maybe getting a bit worked up about inclusions and exclusions)
That's a pretty good thing. ;)

Re: National Songbook

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Lods – on
It's very subjective though isn't it.
Only if you accept it as a ranking, but it's not, that is just the way it is being reported.

It's more like the first days of a journal entry, which always starts with events most recent to memory. Add to that in this case the memory would be collective, not individual.
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: National Songbook

Reply #9 –
This'll be fun and interesting. A lot depends on the criteria. For this humble soul, the criteria would include pioneering acts and songs in Aust for Aussies and those artists and songs that pioneered Aust music overseas.

Overseas impact: Easybeats, LRB, ONJ, JPY... even Rick Springfield!, Bee Gees (though technically, Poms), AC/DC, Helen Reddy, INXS, Kylie, Keith Urban, Nick Cave, Crowded House (though technically, Kiwis), Billy Thorpe...

Groundbreaking in Aust for Aussie music and in the main remained in Aust: Yothu Yindi, Vika and Linda Bull, Masters Apprentices, Daddy Cool, Sherbet, Skyhooks, Renee Geyer, Marcia Hines, Colleen Hewett, Chain (brilliant Aussie blues - Taylor/Manning & Saddington)... just to name a few...

Songs: I Am Woman - Helen, Reminiscing - LRB, Friday On My Mind - Easybeats, Love Is In The Air - JPY, Jesse's Girl - Rick Springfield, Eagle Rock - Daddy Cool, Howzat - Sherbet, Horror Movie - Skyhooks, Turn Up Your Radio - Masters Apprentices, many regarded Doug Parkinson's version of Dear Prudence better than the Beatles, Black & Blue / Judgement - Chain... And let's not forget that Aussie group Stylus was the only Aussie group (and rare "white" group) signed to Tamla Mowtown in US (pity their management stuffed it up)... just some thought starters!

Reckon Wet Willie will have an important say here.
Only our ruthless best, from Board to bootstudders will get us no. 17

Re: National Songbook

Reply #10 –
Cold Chisel-Khe Sanh, Flame Trees
Redgum-I was only 19

The debate has started. :D

Re: National Songbook

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Lods – on
Cold Chisel-Khe Sanh, Flame Trees
Redgum-I was only 19

The debate has started. :D

No debate from me, Principal Lods... Khe Sanh, Flame Trees, I Was Only 19... Oz classics. You play I Was Only 19 to any vet... Aussie, Kiwi, Yank... doesn't matter... they'll tear up, or fume!
Only our ruthless best, from Board to bootstudders will get us no. 17

Re: National Songbook

Reply #12 –
It's as LP stated above.
It's a work in progress.

It's a bit like the "Rock and Roll hall of fame" where acts are added on a regular basis.
There are currently omissions from that list that will eventually get a jumper.

Re: National Songbook

Reply #13 –
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.

My 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. 

Re: National Songbook

Reply #14 –
Thanks for the young performer link - I had forgotten it was one.  To shorten the listen to just the finalists, the bottom of the page has the track listing and times.

The kids that get this far are unbelievably talented (along with the pre-requisite of dedication and practice, practice and more practice) and you hope that they are able to continue.

Once I've listened to the finalists, will go back and listen to the rest - it's a good program.

The top 10 - good to see some modern classical (Peter Sculthorpe) and slightly more obscure, with a couple of good suggestions to be added.  The convict songs that we grew up with via the ABC song books at primary school are missing.  I think there is a potential trap of listing great songs that don't necessarily capture Australia - eg Friday on my mind, I am woman - great songs, internationally influential and all that - I suppose it's the beauty of the debate.

I am one that hasn't heard of The Necks - something to listen to in a few hours after Young Performers...