After travelling through the bush, returning to the cacophonies of the sonic city can be exhilarating. The body is immediately swamped with an energy that speaks of action, progress, and possibility.
Concert organisers began to compete for government contracts. Often these contracts came with conditions as to who, among musicians, was desirable at government events.
Although the intention is to tell the story of Mushroom Records founder Michael Gudinski, rather than a business, the two are never far apart. So what do we learn from ‘the book Gudinski never wanted’?
She might now seem rather light-entertainment, but as the only female act to make a success out of ‘Merseybeat’ and go on to an ITV career as a female powerhouse, she deserves more.
Nicolas Suzor, Queensland University of Technology y Rachel Choi, Queensland University of Technology
A new book and documentary tell us more about the story behind Men at Work’s song Down Under – and the court case it eventually led to. They also prompt questions about current Australian copyright law.
Cold Chisel’s Khe Sanh was played at Reclaim Australia rallies in various cities last weekend – but won’t be again, after a public statement by the band’s frontman, Jimmy Barnes. Was it a good song choice?
From Twinkle Twinkle to Space Odyssey and beyond, humans have always turned to music to help deal with the profoundly confronting enormity of the cosmos. Is that a match made in the heavens?
David Bowie has long confounded us with enigmatic acts of gender transgression, with gestures and personas drawn from Hollywood stars, literature and avant-garde art. That flame still burns brightly.
Much like the music of the man it’s based on, Love & Mercy is beautiful, complex, somewhat melancholy, and thought-provoking. It also teaches us some things about creative genius, innovation, and art.