David Jobling
Died Pretty | REVIEW | Free Dirt
December 10th 2008 02:12
DIED PRETTY formed in early 1984 after vocalist Ron Peno's previous band, The 31st, had split. Music journalist and keyboardist Frank Brunetti had formed a band with Brett Myers, formerly of The End, and suggested Peno join as singer. After various temporary rhythm sections, Jonathan Lickliter and Colin Barwick from The End joined a month later on bass and drums respectively.
The band came quickly to the attention of the Australian independent music scene, with the first two singles "Out Of The Unknown" and the 12-minute psychedelic epic "Mirror Blues" (released split over a 7" in Australia and intact on 12" in the UK) and then the EP Next To Nothing starting their career with tremendous critical attention and three alternative chart #1 hits in a row. All three records also achieved "Single Of The Week" in UK music weekly Melody Maker, though the band never achieved any popularity or notice in the UK.
This first album Free Dirt and single "Stoneage Cinderella/Yesterday's Letters" followed in 1986. By this time, Mark Lock of the Phantom Agents was on bass and Chris Welsh of The 31st and the Screaming Tribesmen was on drums. The band spent the next few years touring Australia, Europe and the US.
2008 has been a remarkable year for Died Pretty, who reformed for the “Don’t Look Back” Series of concerts in February / March. Following some rapturously received DLB shows, and their upcoming induction into the EG Hall Of Fame, the band have agreed to extend their reformation to The Age EG awards on the 4th. of December (said to be their last ever club show). They were invited to play at Homebake on the 5th. Of December and The Big Day Out 2009.
This debut LP: Free Dirt is one of the all-time classic Australian albums and listening to it makes it clear why. It followed 3 excellent singles / EP’s and signalled the arrival of what would become one of our most-loved bands over their celebrated 18 year career. Now, with the renewed interest in their work FREE DIRT has been remastered and rereleased to be discovered by a burgeoning audience hungry for a feed on something weighty with substance and power. That's exactly what this reissue is.
Including Died Pretty's first five releases: the singles 'Out Of The Unknown' and 'Mirror Blues' , the Next To Nothing EP, the Free Dirt album and the 'Stoneage Cinderella' single.
This deluxe 2CD version is packaged in an 8 panel digi-pak, with a 28 page booklet containing many previously unpublished photos. It has been digitally remastered from the original master tapes. The bottom line is - check it out if you enjoy solid psy/r&b rock. It's something astonishingly good.
David Jobling
The band came quickly to the attention of the Australian independent music scene, with the first two singles "Out Of The Unknown" and the 12-minute psychedelic epic "Mirror Blues" (released split over a 7" in Australia and intact on 12" in the UK) and then the EP Next To Nothing starting their career with tremendous critical attention and three alternative chart #1 hits in a row. All three records also achieved "Single Of The Week" in UK music weekly Melody Maker, though the band never achieved any popularity or notice in the UK.
This first album Free Dirt and single "Stoneage Cinderella/Yesterday's Letters" followed in 1986. By this time, Mark Lock of the Phantom Agents was on bass and Chris Welsh of The 31st and the Screaming Tribesmen was on drums. The band spent the next few years touring Australia, Europe and the US.
2008 has been a remarkable year for Died Pretty, who reformed for the “Don’t Look Back” Series of concerts in February / March. Following some rapturously received DLB shows, and their upcoming induction into the EG Hall Of Fame, the band have agreed to extend their reformation to The Age EG awards on the 4th. of December (said to be their last ever club show). They were invited to play at Homebake on the 5th. Of December and The Big Day Out 2009.
This debut LP: Free Dirt is one of the all-time classic Australian albums and listening to it makes it clear why. It followed 3 excellent singles / EP’s and signalled the arrival of what would become one of our most-loved bands over their celebrated 18 year career. Now, with the renewed interest in their work FREE DIRT has been remastered and rereleased to be discovered by a burgeoning audience hungry for a feed on something weighty with substance and power. That's exactly what this reissue is.
Including Died Pretty's first five releases: the singles 'Out Of The Unknown' and 'Mirror Blues' , the Next To Nothing EP, the Free Dirt album and the 'Stoneage Cinderella' single.
This deluxe 2CD version is packaged in an 8 panel digi-pak, with a 28 page booklet containing many previously unpublished photos. It has been digitally remastered from the original master tapes. The bottom line is - check it out if you enjoy solid psy/r&b rock. It's something astonishingly good.
David Jobling
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