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Paradoxically, the success of Winter in America, causes him the problem faced by several other Australian singer-songwriters that they are remembered for only one song, and they are required to perform it at every performance. Unfortunately audiences are reluctant to let bygones lay in the past, and I often reflect on the artist's lot in this situation. I can hear their well known song anytime on record, so when I go to see them live I like to hear what new material they have written or what influences are affecting them or in particular to be introduced to new songwriters that they may have been listening to. Other singer songwriters affected by the same problem include Ross Ryan, Joe Dolce and even Kevin Johnson. This Raven compilation is the first to encompass his folk recordings on CBS, his own recordings on Sweet Peach (which probably remain his most scarce and hardest to collect), his later work on Billingsgate via Festival and a song written and recorded as recently as 2000. I much prefer his early work featured on this album. Interestingly several of these songs are not ones he wrote himself. In contrast to his other work, they're simple and stark, perhaps the middle period being over produced but in one song provides the lynchpin of the collection - see below. His version of Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On is unusual and compelling - he's used production ideas of the time to construct a totally unique version of this rocker, very reminiscent of a Canned Heat arrangement. The Saddest Song of All, an epic off his album Trees, is given the full Macarthur Park treatment with the overblown orchestra instrumentation but one has to wait until the last half a minute to hear some fantastic hammond organ and progressive rock psych-out. As well as his hits, the aforementioned Winter in America, there's also They All Look Like Marianne, The Band Played Waltzing Matilda - the Eric Bogle song which Ashdown has made his own, and Love Lives, Love Grows. In Melbourne Ashdown had only two songs to make the Top 40, while in Adelaide and Sydney there were two others which made the bottom rungs of their respective top 40 charts. Other songs you might like to hear again include his cover of the Bob Dylan song, Baby You've Been on My Mind and a song I've often heard in his live set, The Oldest Living Groupie in Chicago. This album is a welcome addition to the collection of any fan of Ashdown or of Australian folk and pop music. References
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columns Chris Spencer is author of the "Who's Who of Australian Rock'. He can be contacted through Moonlight Publishing. |
Doug
Ashdown
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