...please enjoy the legendary-in-Australia Daddy Cool and their wonderful and wonderfully self-referential "Daddy Rocks Off."
The short version is that I used to have this LP -- a consequence of being on the Warner Bros. Records freebie list as my old college paper's in-house rock crit -- and although I vaguely recalled liking it (or at least some of the songs) I lost my vinyl copy ages ago and since then couldn't have remembered what it sounded like if you put a gun to my head. So when songs from it turned up -- where else? -- on Youtube a few years ago, I was delighted.
And yes, "Daddy Rocks Off" is a moronic/genius three chord garage-rock hybrid with a monster swampy blues/rock groove and attitude to spare. Fabulous stuff, and what a pleasure to rediscover it.
Incidentally, after I first posted about this back in 2008, I was subsequently assured by Australian friend of PowerPop Peter Scott that these guys are about as iconic as you can get in their homeland; their biggest hit -- "Eagle Rock" -- was Number 1 on the Ozzie charts for ten(!) weeks back in 1971. Peter also informed me that said hit is so utterly ubiquitous in his country that it took him years before he could get over being sick of it and actually appreciate how great a band they were.
Anyway, as I said, "Daddy Rocks Off" just slays me. The CD ressiue seems to be out of print, alas, but Amazon has vinyl copies.
Hmm. Now that I think of it, I may in fact have a complete copy of the album (from a now defunct download site) on my laptop at home; if you're interested, I'll check, and if it's there I'll burn you a copy if you're nice to me.
5 comments:
Note to self: Obscure songs by Australian bands unknown in the USA less interesting to Americans on Memorial Day than anticipated.
You're right about that song.
From our friend Peter Scott:
"Thanks for the shout-out, Steve. Daddy Cool are indeed iconic in the land of Australians, and I like them a lot more now than I did in the '70s when they were on every radio station every single day across this island continent.
Incidentally, Daddy Cool released a theme song of sorts called "Daddy Who? Daddy Cool!". Things don't get much more meta than this: https://youtu.be/FA9y1y_HWZA"
Pete again:
"Also, an Australian band called Drummond released a cover of "Daddy Cool", and turned it into a novelty song: https://youtu.be/vJtSKLroAAs"
A lot of good new music's coming from Australia. A lot.
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