Subscribe to Country Rock & Roll Gold in ‘The Vault’.

The Re-mains have recently launched a new subscription product called the ‘The Vault’

Subscribers gain exclusive access to a broad cross-section of Country Rock & Roll history, as perpetrated by any of the several peripatetic Re-Mains line-ups from 2002 – 2009.

Included are live tracks from various recorded sessions at Darwin ABC studios in August 2004, out-takes from the live album Loves Last Stand in May 2006 and the ABC Pilot for Live in Your Loungeroom at Bentleigh Hall in July 2005.

You can play and download a selection of tracks and access will be valid for 1 year.

You can also become a Free Member to access the free content as it becomes available.

Why not do your bit in support of Country Rock & Roll subscribe to the Vault, it will be the best $25.00 you ever spent!

Tracks available in ‘The Vault’ include versions of:

1. Black Aspirin

2. In the Wake of Britney Spears

3. Bye Bye Byron Bay

4. Free At Last

5. Hole for a Heart

6. Horse

7. I want every make of Holden ever made

8. Roberts Road

9. Smittys Blues

10. White Dress

also previously unreleased songs ‘Same Road’ and the traditional Irish lament, ‘She Moved Through The Fair’.

The Re-Mains, Inland Sea – Reviewed by Andrew Hull

The path of the artist is never straight. There are no absolute truths and a day’s work does not translate reliably to a day’s pay, that is a labourer. The artist must take greater chances; they are by their very nature, open to all possibilities, interested in all eventualities, willing to embrace all opportunities. That is the way of the artist. Then there is the artisan, filled with passion for his chosen field that dedicates himself to his craft, cultivates his skills and gathers the perfect tools to continue refining and defining his path.

Mick Daley may well be a skilled artisan and possess tireless work ethic of the labourer, however his journey, and the documentation of it in song is all art. With the Re-Mains latest full length album, Inland Sea, the diverse journey has never been more vividly expressed. The album tours the Australian landscape as one would expect, (the national psyche has always been close to what the Re-Mains are) but also covers a vast swathe of internal and personal space. This is an album that requires and deserves a few listens, revealing itself over time and in small revelations. It unveils the artist and the artisan in the process.

One would not necessarily be engaged in untruth to declare that Inland Sea is more of a Mick Daley album than a Re-Mains album. By this virtue the indisputable fact is that the Re-mains have, of recent years, been something of a revolving door. Having said this, no two Re-Mains albums sport identical line-ups (save for the occasional LP) – it was a moveable feast of back lines mostly, they were hard on back lines. The Holy Trinity of Country Rock N Roll remained relatively fixed at the front. Father, Mick Daley sermonising like a great oak at centre stage, Son, Leigh Ivin breathing steel and electric guitar fire and brimstone at stage right, Holy Ghost, Shaun Butcher gathering in the un-converted with the open arms of his rolling banjo at the left. Guest artists ranging from a single fiddle to a stage full of Coalface luminaries depending on the occasion. That is the Re-Mains. Inland Sea sports a largely new array of musicians both at the front and back, and while Shaun is present throughout, the elephant in the room is the absence of Ivin.

For the sake of measuring against a benchmark, I put Inland Sea in a random playlist with Field Conditions, Thankyou for Supporting Country Rock N Roll, Love’s Last Stand plus a smattering of Un-released master tracks. It highlighted the change of tone in this album. The songs feel different and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Field Conditions is a masterpiece, a band at the height of its powers. Unrivalled as a live act, the album is a resume of live possibilities blended with mature songwriting and sonic presence. Love’s Last Stand achieves the unlikely act of capturing lightning in a bottle. Thankyou makes a bold declaration of intent. The unreleased tracks, if compiled would further propel the Re-Mains down the same path. The problem is that the band was becoming, dare I say it, predictable.

Change comes to all things and following a sometimes acrimonious split with Ivin, a near fatal collision on tour, and Butcher beset by some very serious illness, Mick Daley found great change thrust upon him. It is a testament to his tenacity that it can be called ‘change’ at all, when it seemed possible that the journey of the Re-Mains was, to all intent and purpose, over.

Inland Sea was born in this turmoil, its bones are formed from the wreckage of a broken van (and band), its flesh grafted from the variety of musical inputs, its heart and soul is the journey of its mastermind, and if it is a Mick Daley album, he uses it to cover a lot of territory. Copper City Motel, 2^nd Century, Tequila and Methodone are all familiar ground for Re-Mains fans, you could be listening to any of their recorded releases. Your Reward, Woke Up Sad, Left on King and Who Shot Johnny D have all been hinted at previously, most notably on Field Conditions – hey, writers develop a style, it’s no crime. It’s the slower numbers that point to the truth. Things I Remember, Things I Forget is a simple, beautiful song that is given a beautiful treatment. Gentle and rich it exposes the frailties of Mick’s vocal which only serves to enhance the storyteller’s credentials as a tireless journeyman. The song builds like a familiar lover, without need or greed; it takes you exactly where you need to be. Praise be to The Rooster pours out a sticky dark molasses, underpinned by a refrain loaded with country sensibilities it is a dark tale of redemptive coincidence, uncertainty and tragedy. Clever writing. This Could be Anywhere is a triumphant wake up call with a simple major chord riff that will be returning to your subconscious for many years to come. A song of loneliness and unity, born of travel and of global as well as personal realisation. Othello’s P76 declares a savage (albeit beautiful) indictment on contemporary Australia. One can embrace the pointed finger of the song before one realises our own complicity is also being questioned. These songs define the album. They describe the journey of the artist and reflect the skills of the artisan.

There is also plenty of evidence of the labourer on the album. Mick has had to work hard to get some of these songs out and it shows. Pumulwuy reaches too far and the lyric suffers for the sake of the narrative – the painter beholden to the bricklayer. Who Shot Johnny D recalls echoes of Folk Singer Blues and while not necessarily offensive, when you can write songs as well and prolifically as Mick Daley, one does ask, why?

Christian Pyle’s treatment of the album will almost certainly inform the next batch of songs written by Mick. There is fullness to the sound that sets it apart from other releases. One is constantly reminded that this is a version of a song, a ‘take’, of a vocal, a mix of the component parts, all changeable on any given day. One can instantly conceive a hundred variations. Where other Re-Mains albums stamp their singularity without question or discussion, with Inland Sea the listener is invited to ponder the possibilities of further exploration with the sound. You can be engaged in the process.

The players on the recording all work together, which is no mean feat given the temporal and spatial scale of its production. Songs written over a long period of time, recorded in parts in brief opportunities are typically a recipe for disaster. However, this album has been given a sound, and whether it is Mick Daley on the cover or The Re-Mains, it is an album. It holds itself together, the songs talk to each other, they interact, they share the space. It is in fact, a fine album.

This country and its musically literate owe a great debt to Mick Daley; we have owed him for years. As a labourer he has never shirked his workload. Always turning up prepared for the toil, always first in with the dirty work and last to complain about the pay. As an artisan, there are more lessons in Micks canon that will probably ever be learned. The application of skill and dedication, the refining of craft, the sheer ruthless persistence, these are fine qualities for a building a body of work. Inland Sea however, is the document of neither labourer nor artisan, it is the diary of the artist and the path of the artist is not straight, but one can only hope that as his journey continues, Mick will leave behind markers like this one to show us where he has been.

You can purchase Inland Sea by visiting the Re-mains website at www.re-mains.com

Pomegranates & Peppercorn Trees

The Lonely Horse Band

The Lonely Horse Band are Andrew Hull, Tonchi McIntosh and Mick Daley.

Their vision for the country is to re-ignite original contemporary music relevant to small ‘One Horse Towns’.

Pomegranates and Peppercorn Trees is a collection of songs and poems about the mining village of Nymagee in Western NSW.

Full of country classics, toe tapping tunes and heartfelt Australian ballads this album will be remembered as a modern folk classic.

Price – $24.95 + postage and handling

Underground

The Lonely Horse Band

The latest release from the Lonely Horse Band sees the boys exploring the opal mining town of White Cliffs in Western NSW.

The songs uncover colourful characters, tales of love and heartache, the lust for wealth and the spirit of discovery. This double disc features 11 new songs on one disc, and extended interviews with locals, mixed with music and produced for radio.

Price – $24.95 + postage and handling

Firestone

Andrew Hull and Tonchi McIntosh

Telling the story of Louth on the Darling River through an incredible love story and the monument that glows in the outback sunset, Firestone is a unique Australian album.

This 2002 collaboration with songwriters Tonchi McIntosh & Andrew Hull is a festival favourite that weaves poetry and song into a contemporary sound-scape to tell a story that defies belief.

This evocative journey along the Darling River will have you packing your bags to head West and see this amazing spectacle for yourself.

 

The CD booklet includes all lyrics and an amazing story printed inside.
Price – $24.95 + postage and handling

Western Stream

A brand new release from Andrew Hull, the Bard of Bourke, this album is set to become an instant classic and sees Andrew’s memorable poetry performed with musical accompaniment. Produced by Leigh Ivin and featuring a host of fine Australian musicians this album breaks new ground for spoken word and for Australian folk music and is a must have for any Australian collection.

Price – $24.95 + postage and handling

 

 

Sample Track from Western Stream Album – West

[podcast]http://www.bushroots.com/podcasts/West-Andrew-Hull-Song3b.mp3[/podcast]

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Live Performance – Pise’ Walls

Song Titles

1. Gulargumbone
2. Cambell
3. West (Sample provided)
4. Peter Potter
5. Where The Waters Used To Run
6. My Darling
7. Pise Walls
8. The Pages River
9. Family, Food and Chooks
10. S30°57′  E150°58′
11. Where the waters used to run (reprise)

Credits

Recorded at the Tobacco Shed, Moore Creek, Tamworth, January – June 2008,
except * Recorded at the Gidgee Guesthouse, Bourke, December 2007.

All songs written by Andrew Hull (S30°57’ E150°58’ created by Leigh Ivin & Adam Bodkin). Produced, engineered & mixed by Leigh Ivin.

Andrew Hull: Words, whistles, acoustic and electric guitars.
Leigh Ivin: Electric & acoustic guitars, pedal & lap steel guitars, dobro & glissando guitar.
Ronny Rindo: Drums and percussion.
Adam Bodkin: Electric and double bass.

Featuring:
Gleny Rae: Fiddle (Also string arrangement on Pise Walls with Leigh Ivin).
Shaun Butcher: Banjo.
Chris Wilson: Harmonica.

Thanks

Thanks … to La Famiglia Rindo for allowing us to set up camp and bang and strum things well into the night. To Ronny, special thanks for your fine musicianship and dedication to this project and assistance well beyond the call of duty.  Boddo, likewise, your presence on this album is one of its great enablers.  Chris, Gleny and Shaun a sincere thanks for your generous contribution and supreme professionalism. Also to Libby and Kate for coffee, support and help, John Lee for the Focusrite, Toni Swain for the loan of that glorious dobro, Chris and Kristy for letting us invade your house and Draney for the inspired artwork.

Thank you to Melissa for giving me the space to do this project and all others who have supported it along the way. Finally, to Leigh for taking this idea from my front verandah to its full realisation. I cannot imagine this project ever happening without the rare combination of skill, talent, vision, persistence and attention to detail which you posess. Thank you.

West – People and Places

[audio:Bourke.mp3]

Poems by Andrew Hull

A recently released compilation of poems about the people and places of Western NSW. Simply entitled ‘WEST’ the book contains poetry from Coonamble to the corner country, and from the Paroo to the floodplain touching all points in-between.

This collection of poetry portrays his deep love for the people and country of Western NSW and updates the ledger on a remote region that is vital to the National psyche and the way in which Australians view themselves.

For any reader with even the most remote links to the West, this book is a ‘must have’.

Price – $24.95 + postage and handling