| Two
Fisted art, a double CD compilation of the Moodists available on the WMinc
label in Australia. |
Here is what
I think I know about how the songs come out the way they did. Steve, Chris,
Clare and Mick may disagree but I was the sap writing the lyrics.
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Moodists
Two Fisted Art ( 1980- 1986)
Disc One (studio songs)
double life
This track came about from a few different directions. I remember we tried
to have a crack at a song by Sly Stone called "Life". It proved
to be one of those simple songs that sounded like shit when all the horns
and EQs and percussion were not present. About 6 months later we were
messing around with a then unreleased Stooges track called "She creatures
of the Hollywood Hills". Double Life doesn't bear much relation to
either but that's the way we seemed to work.
can’t lose her
This was recorded at the same sessions as "Double Life", late
1984. It came out as a b-side to "enough legs to live on". A
much better song. Mick is playing through a Leslie speaker.
six dead birds
Also from the same sessions. Its a long story in regard to the lyrics.
The only books I read were paperback crime novels and I especially loved
James M Cain. Not many of the books were in print then and I haunted the
second hand book stalls. It was a kind of long thriller story set to a
guitar bass and drum rumble. It was also inspired by the Creedence track,
"Lodi". John Fogerty was able to say it all so much more succinctly
and tunefully but this track has oodles of weirdness in its favour.
chevrolet rise
This was one of the b-sides to Runaway. Again , a much snappier tune than
the A-Side. The lyrics about living in Robe street St Kilda next to Luna
Park.Back when all of St Kilda was derel;ict and populated by scumbags.
frankies negative
One of the songs we were playing in Melbourne in 1983, before we left
for the UK. I was trying to sing a song about my favourite singers like
Little Richard and Joe Turner and how bloodless "negatives"
like Pat Boone and Bill Hailey ..."took his bottle, took his limp,
took his angle cigarette words from his mouth " etc....
bad cabin
This is kind of spooky in the lyric department. Steve's guitar playing
is at its best here. It was all a one take, all together vibe in the studio
in Livingstone studios in London. The Yardbirds were doing a new record
at the same time.
some kinda jones
One of my more existential Jim Thompson type lyrics. A great Nuggets style
groove on this track
do the door, friend
I never liked this much at the time but it sounds so maniacal now. Probably
the best example of how I tried for a cool, slow vocal while the music
pumped scary around me.
runaway
Mick Turner started playing the chords and we all came in. Recorded at
Livingstone with PA foldback speakers in the room. (I'd read that the
Stooges did this). I don't know how we decided on the strange arrangement
with the guitars not making an appearance for the first half of the tune.
Shockin over playing by the singer here.
machine machine
Our kind of boogie. The repetition of the music and the lyric worked here.
pure gold flesh
We were playing this before we came to London. An oddity for us in that
it was so highly arranged.
swingy george
A fellow who used to hang about at the playground at the end of my street
when I was a kid, swinging,and watching the children.
thirsty’s calling
Louise Elliott on sax. The other slow song on the album of the same name.
boss shitkicker
Loud and ugly and the end of the record. Kind of a song about a hillbilly
singer made good.
chad’s car
This would be a Mt Gambier vibe at work in the lyric. I don't know where
the Chad bit came from. Acoustic guitar, none of us owned an acoustic
but one always ended up in the studio when we recorded.
gone dead
Two chords. Steve excelling himself. Again, that damned acoustic guitar
was hangin around.
the disciple’s know
We started off playing "Mona" ( and played it lots) because
I loved the way the Quicksilver Messenger Service did it. The Doors also
made Bo's "who do you love?" their own as well. We ended up
here.
where the trees walk downhill
Our first single, Steve Carman on bass. I'm playing acoustic and xylophone.
(Some sort of major seventh chord as well) Again, I don't know how they
got to the studio.
someone’s got to give
The only representative track from our last period in 1985/6 with David
McClymont on bass and Malcolm Ross on guitar. Steve and David did all
the guitar arrangements. I loved making those records. (two Eps, about
seven songs)
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Disc two ( live songs)
this road is holy
Mick Turner playing with us for the first time. At Sedition ( a festival
) in Sydney. This song was on the Engine Shudder ep of a year before.
This live version is much tougher.
chatter shapes
Again, a song that appeared in a studio version on Engine Shudder.
little sisters lorries
This must be from early '83. Never recorded, don't know why. I also don't
know why I said "lorrie" instead of "truck."...More
of a kitchen sink vibe I guess.
I want you
There's a snappy little pop tune in there somewhere. I don't know why
we dumped this when we got to record in the UK.
It’s lit
One of our weirder, grinding grooves. Never recorded.
burnin’ me some thing
Never recorded. Kind of light and countryish. In a way....
swingy george
A live version, just to hear Chris' bass in that setting.
some kinda jones
ditto, the band is swinging hard here.
enough legs to live on
A studio version of this was put out as a single after Thirstys calling
came out. Madness. Too long and sprawling as a 45 but it makes sense here.
I was often writing songs about our band.
see john
A song that got lost after we went back to the UK in 85. I loved it and
am glad to see it surface here. Without Chris Walsh's playing, it was
impossible to just hand any charts to somebody else.
frankies negative
A fast, pumping version of this track, just to show people how we delivered
it.
everybody, don’t tell her
A song that came out later on with David McClymont playing. This is an
earlier live version.
bullet train
Another song that needed Chris's bass to drive it and we left it alone
when he exited.
take the red carpet out of town
This was recorded later with Dave McClymont and a horn arrangement by
Louise Elliott. Here, with Chris and Steve playing it like a Nuggets track,
it makes more sense.
other man
I completely forgot about this tune. This was what we were up to when
Chris left. A more arranged type of mayhem was in the works.
six dead birds
Steve and Chris would have had another
two versions of this on the collection if they could have.
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