I woke up this morning with these lyrics in my head..... must be some sort of sign.... the night before i dreamt about planes falling out of the sky and beer, but that's a whole different story.
Today my story is about another band that i've had a love affair with since my early teens.
Again, i choose to live in the past. You Am I, long living (originally formed in 1989 and still going strong) Australian band, have a vast number of recordings under their belt (possibly about forty squillion if you count the various side projects of the various band members) and today i have chosen but one of these recodrings to talk about. I realise this is me being biased, but no single album they realsed after this one has impressed me more...
Hi Fi Way, their second album, released in 1995, is just over forty minutes of catchy riffs and dance-able tunes.
If it's standard rock or air guitar tracks you're after, then Hi Fi Way should be right up your alley. Whilst most of You Am I's albums are of the same formula, Hi Fi Way is definitely a stand out album. Whether it's because it just has more memorable songs than the others or because it was just realsed at a time in my life when my brain was just sucking up new things and subsequently becoming obsessed by them.
Casting my mind back to 1995, Hi Fi Way really did stand out for it's time. Britpop was at it's height in the UK and the US was spewing forth the likes of Hole and the Offspring. Australian music at the time was a mish-mash of very different things. You Am I were writing songs that weren't heavy, weren't full of wanky lyrics, were really quite timeless in their style.
"Had a scratch only you could itch, underneath the Glebe Point Bridge and now every boy in a knitted vest has got some precedent."
No songs about love, just songs about how it is; observations and situations. Written from the perspective of a slightly awkward guy (a description quite fitting for You Am I's frontman, Tim Rogers), but counteracted by accompanying music that is not awkward in the slightest.
To truly appreciate this album, my tip is to crank it loudly and dance around like a loon, preferably in your underwear (I may or may not being doing this right now).
Standout tracks
Cathy's Clown
Purple Sneakers
Minor Byrd
Handwasher (no longer stuck in my head)
Official You Am I website: http://www.youami.net
Performers on Hi Fi Way
Tim Rogers - Vocals, Guitars, Mellotron, Hammond Organ
Andy Kent - Bass Guitar
Rusty Hopkinson - Drums, Cymbals, Percussion, 'Fremantle Reminiscences'
Jon Auer - Hammond Organ on 'Minor Byrd'
Epic Soundtracks - Keys on 'Gray'
Wayne Connolly - 'Guitar Noodling' on 'Gray', recorded 'How Much Is Enough' and 'Ken'
Lee Ranaldo - Producer
Sally - slightly hungover
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