:: Various Artists - Australian Legends

Various Artists

Compilation albums are very much a hit and miss affair - usually a miss, given how often they end up in bargain bins. This double-CD has a fairly wide selection of prominent Australian songs from the last three decades or so. Paul Kelly, John Farnham, Icehouse, Men At Work, Kylie Minogue, and thirty-five other groups and artists are represented, presenting a decent enough history of Australian popular music. The track ordering is sometimes a little odd, with Kasey Chambers' ‘Not Pretty Enough’ following Cold Chisel’s ‘Khe Sanh’. Although they are both good songs, it is an interesting choice to line them up together, creating a direct compare and contrast between a tale of the lingering horror of experiencing war, with the lingering horror of, um, some guy breaking up with a girl. It just doesn’t seem quite appropriate.

Also appearing in a spot that doesn’t seem quite appropriate, (such as on an album) the Ted Mulry Gang’s charming homage to attempted date-rape, “Jump In My Car”, also shows up. In another questionable choice, Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” is included as well. While this track was ridiculously over-played in 2004, its longevity remains to be seen.

Quibbles aside, this is not too bad a collection to have on the shelf as a reference to the last couple of decades, some of the songs included have stood the test of time – ‘Don’t Dream Its Over’ by Crowded House, Barnesy's ‘Working Class Man’, and ‘Before Too Long‘ by Paul Kelly. Most of the others, although well known, are pretty forgettable. This collection is a handy reference to have, but in the end it is probably not worth shelling out for.