Come Back Again... with Chris Spencer

The Models - Models Melbourne (Distributed by Shock Records)

Melbourne's Models until their demise in 1988 were one of the leading pop bands in Australia during the 80s led by singer-songwriter guitarist Sean Kelly, with some of the other members at one time including Ash Wednesday (on synthesiser), Mark Ferrie (bass), Andrew Duffield (Keyboards), James Freud (bass), John Rowell (guitar) and Johnny Crash (drums).

Rock historian Ian McFarlane, who writes the liner notes for this excellent packaged CD, McFarlane writes in his Encyclopaedia of Australian Rock and Pop: "Alongside the Birthday Party, The Models were one of the first Melbourne bands to rise out of the ashes of that city's hot house punk/new wave explosion of the late 1970's with a clear vision and wider appeal ... The Models were more clearly pop orientated and eventually reaped the benefits of their vision."

While The Models will be remembered for timeless classic hit singles in the late 80s, like Barbados and Out of Mind Out of Sight, there has been a wealth of material that's been collecting dust in the archives of their early years waiting for release.

Over the last few years, dedicated Models fan Mark Burchett - a band booking agent for Premier Artists - has compiled 16 cuts of the Models' material before they signed with Mushroom Records, consisting of demos, studio cuts and live tracks with the assistance of leading Melbourne public radio station 3RRR FM. Finally 2001 saw the release of Models Melbourne, widely distributed by Shock Records consisting of 16 prime Model¹s cuts, mostly Kelly originals.

This wonderful release which features three tracks released as independent releases (Early Morning Brain, Progressive Office Pools, Owe You Nothing) and unreleased material of their early period, 1978-82. The CD opens with Baby Shop, a tough punchy rock 'n' roll number with hit single written all over it with the Models' trademark synthesiser sound (courtesy of Ash Wednesday), followed by live favourite, the rhythmic Current Affair. Kelly introduces the lovely pop song Party Girl as "a little quiet one for you"; Atlantic Romantic is a new wave pop hit followed by the rocky The Other People Incident. Then there's the punk howls of Kelly in Golden Arches, the synth sounds of Duffield come up a treat in John From Earth while the album closes with a dynamic sounding Elephant Man Elephant Woman.

This is not an album of outtakes and leftover demos - it¹s an album of outstanding songs, restored before they signed with Mushroom. It's definitely a lost album restored and remastered. Go and buy a slice of your youth!

Paul McHenry

Previous columns
October: Steve Tallis - The Sacred Path Of The Fried Egg - Anthology Volume One Maylands To The Gates Of Hell (1962-2001)
September: Broderick Smith - Too Easy
August: Three Aztecs and a Chain - Down The Beaten Track

Chris Spencer is author of the "Who's Who of Australian Rock'. He can be contacted through Moonlight Publishing.