In an attempt to get back on the horse I thought I would use today's entry to tell you about an album that has been a personal joy of mine. After two straight days of visual arts and deviating entries, today is a return to form with a breakdown on why this album is so fantastic and deserving of wider acclaim. The artist in question? Colin Hay.
And who is that, you rightfully ask?
None other than the very talented singer/songwriter and former frontman for 80s Australian group Men At Work.
Yes, that Colin Hay. The man with the unusual voice and eyes that are just a bit off. Not scary, just a little unusual. Further research reveals it to be a run of the mill lazy eye, it just is something you don't come across everyday in chart topping musical groups. But instead of focusing on a case of lazy eye, let's look into this musician and his under appreciated work.
And who is that, you rightfully ask?
None other than the very talented singer/songwriter and former frontman for 80s Australian group Men At Work.
Yes, that Colin Hay. The man with the unusual voice and eyes that are just a bit off. Not scary, just a little unusual. Further research reveals it to be a run of the mill lazy eye, it just is something you don't come across everyday in chart topping musical groups. But instead of focusing on a case of lazy eye, let's look into this musician and his under appreciated work.
As I mentioned, Colin Hay was the frontman for Men At Work, the group behind iconic tunes like "Who Can It Be Now" (one of the few songs that are actually better as a result of saxophone) and one of my guilty pleasures, "Down Under". The band had a style that was hard to pin down, in my mind - there were, at times, touches of reggae, new wave, power pop. One could make the case that the lack of distinctive style is not a good thing and I'd actually be inclined to agree. Like another love of mine, The Cars, the hits were massively successful and enjoyable but the rest of the albums would be dreck. So it seemed to go for Men At Work - huge hits, filler by the truckload. Hidden in there, though, were a few gems. By 1986 the band had broken up due to the typical in fighting and control issues and that would mark the end for many stories. What makes this one a little different is the subtle coda to it.
Colin Hay kept plugging away.
He continued to write, record and perform, releasing solo albums as the years went by, to mild success. In his work there were continuing signs of well-crafted, honest songs that speak to the listener in a very direct and moving way, but they tended to be the exception rather than the rule. Hay kept working and recording, establishing his own cannon well after the demise of his band. All of this came to a point with the release of 2001's 'Going Somewhere'. The album was a stripped down, sparse collection of his best songs of his career. Gathered from as far back as the early 80s, the album is just Hay's voice and guitar playing with the occasional overdub. The resulting album is beautiful, a group of songs that, put together, highlight the brilliance of a man over the span of twenty years and how he has aged so gracefully. Even his voice has improved with time, the young, passionate wail giving way to a dusty croon that is lower and softer, as he has found a more subtle way to impart his music.
Colin Hay kept plugging away.
He continued to write, record and perform, releasing solo albums as the years went by, to mild success. In his work there were continuing signs of well-crafted, honest songs that speak to the listener in a very direct and moving way, but they tended to be the exception rather than the rule. Hay kept working and recording, establishing his own cannon well after the demise of his band. All of this came to a point with the release of 2001's 'Going Somewhere'. The album was a stripped down, sparse collection of his best songs of his career. Gathered from as far back as the early 80s, the album is just Hay's voice and guitar playing with the occasional overdub. The resulting album is beautiful, a group of songs that, put together, highlight the brilliance of a man over the span of twenty years and how he has aged so gracefully. Even his voice has improved with time, the young, passionate wail giving way to a dusty croon that is lower and softer, as he has found a more subtle way to impart his music.
The album opener, 'Beautiful World', is a wonderful example of what's to come in the next 13 tracks. It's a serene, open song that extolls the joy in simple things. This is not in the trite sense of Chicken Soup for the Soul platitudes, but comes across as natural and significant. The way Hay sings about making tea and swimming in the ocean move me in a way that few, if any songwriters have. Something about it feels genuine in a way that suggests he has come to these realizations not through self help books, but through gradual appreciation that grew in to a deeper understanding of the world as he has grown older. The open and full chords he strums and picks add to the peaceful air of the opening track.
Some of the songs have received extensive play, like the moving "My Brilliant Feat", which I still hear on the radio today. It even had its day in the sun as the focal point and theme for an episode of the awesome, cancelled-too-late, Scrubs. It's a moving piece of acoustic wonder that culminates in Hay singing un-enunciated words that, sung over a minor chord change, is profoundly moving. It is a sign of quality songwriting when you can put on a song and listen patiently for three and a half minutes just to get the joy of hearing that one special chord change and how it affects the tone of the song. The whole album has moments like that, where the listener is rewarded for putting it on and letting it go.
Not all the songs are lighthearted and uplifting. The brooding "Children On Parade" is a tune that, while not bleak or dreary, has a darker, more cautionary or tone in longing. An example of how well he can rework a song from synthesizers and droning 80s drab, here its presented as a sorrowful tale. There is a word in Portuguese, saudade, that I think is fitting for the song. The way the song transitions from the melancholic finger picking in the verse to the thickly strummed chords of the chorus, the feel or mood undergoes a significant change that marries the song quite well.
Some of the songs have received extensive play, like the moving "My Brilliant Feat", which I still hear on the radio today. It even had its day in the sun as the focal point and theme for an episode of the awesome, cancelled-too-late, Scrubs. It's a moving piece of acoustic wonder that culminates in Hay singing un-enunciated words that, sung over a minor chord change, is profoundly moving. It is a sign of quality songwriting when you can put on a song and listen patiently for three and a half minutes just to get the joy of hearing that one special chord change and how it affects the tone of the song. The whole album has moments like that, where the listener is rewarded for putting it on and letting it go.
Not all the songs are lighthearted and uplifting. The brooding "Children On Parade" is a tune that, while not bleak or dreary, has a darker, more cautionary or tone in longing. An example of how well he can rework a song from synthesizers and droning 80s drab, here its presented as a sorrowful tale. There is a word in Portuguese, saudade, that I think is fitting for the song. The way the song transitions from the melancholic finger picking in the verse to the thickly strummed chords of the chorus, the feel or mood undergoes a significant change that marries the song quite well.
What I think it is about the album that I love so much stems from both what it is and what it represents. On the surface it is a very stripped down and bare album. It is simple and straight forward, accessible to the ear. Frankly, its catchy as all get out. I love to sing along to it. 'Going Somewhere' is an album that shows music at its essence. As to what it represents, I find peace and contentedness within it. Not in the hippy/groovy sense, but in the idea that time passing and growing older can be a positive thing. The idea that losing youth is not always bad is rare - it seems like everything we experience is a manifestation of the desperation for relevance and cool. This album, dorky as it may sound, represents the antithesis of that ideology. It's okay to get older. It's okay to change. But you can look back at at the highlights of your life without it being a bland retrospective of greatest hits. Colin Hay's two biggest hits aren't even present, let alone the incredible song "Overkill" from his Men At Work days, which is another shining example of his acoustic work.
If you have the time and means, track down this album and put it on when you're driving or cleaning or just sitting around on a sunny day. Hopefully you'll find it as rewarding and enjoyable as I do.
