GUNS,
GIRLS AND GUITARS - Roddy Ray'da (Timberyard Records)
Roddy
Ray'da (neé Radalj) is unquestionably a critical figure in contemporary
Australian musical history. In fact, his biographical sketch (for evidence,
see Australian rock music guru historian Ian McFarlane's lavish 
history
on the media release issued to accompany the new album) reads like a history
of Australian independent music over the last 25 years. Roddy has variously
spent time in The Scientists, Le Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists, The Johnnys
and The Dubrovniks. His last major studio outing came with Roddy Ray'da and
the Surfin' Caesars. After a few albums released between 1989 and 1993, Roddy
returned to his home town of Perth.
After a studio and live hiatus of more than 10 years Roddy Ray'da has returned
with a new album, Guns, Girls and Guitars. If you're looking for the Roddy
of the past, then you'd be well advised to avoid this album. But if you're
interested in the latest output from a true legend of the Australian music
scene, and you don't mind accompanying Roddy on the next stage of his always
interesting journey, check this album out.
This is certainly an album that's not only demonstratively different to earlier
material, but also contains a variety of different styles and influences.
There's little garage trash to be found, but a lot more country influenced
meanderings and the unmistakeable symptoms of a man's who's spent a long time
musing about his music, his life and everything incidental to those two things.
The instrumental opening track "In pursuit" has elements of Ennio
Morricone (especially the theme from The Good, The Bad and the Ugly), mixed
with Midnight Oil's "Wedding Cake Island". Breakin' Skin returns
to a more familiar rock'n'roll pace, with Roddy's monotonic vocals (which
are never going to win him a scholarship to an orchestral voice conservatorium)
laying over the top of a catchy lick.
"E.n.d." has an obvious funk influence – the tune itself is
apparently a tribute to Jimi Hendrix (the media release notes the title is
an abbreviation of Hendrix's appellation "electric nigger dandy"),
backed with what sounds to be a horn section (though no horns are credited
on the liner notes).
The tone of "Love Spell" and "5 Hail Marys" is quiet country
– almost mirroring former bandmate Kim Salmon's recent country influence
act with Ron Peno. Shotgun Boogie, is – as the title suggests –
a rockin' number, featuring some sparking and sparkling guitar from Rose Tattoo's
Pete Wells. On "Pasta Bullets" Roddy moves into hitherto untravelled
dance flavour, complete with some weird electronic special effects that would
be more at home at an Earthcore rave in the Australian countryside.
The album concludes with Cruizin', monologue narrative, that's part Jack Kerouac
and part Ken Nordine, with a little bit of Velvet Underground's The Gift (without
the accidental homicidal end), which then morphs into The Drug That Killed
Elvis, something that's close to David Bowie's Heroes before culminating with
Roddy's growling 'burn baby burn' rant. In hindsight, I would've preferred
that the album finished with the Kerouac rambling monologue ... but who am
I to argue.
Roddy Ray'da is frequently referred to as a rock'n'roll gypsy – I'm
not sure whether he actually has Romany blood, but he's certainly continue
to exhibit the behavioural attributes common associated with the Romany culture.
This album won't please everyone, but I don't Roddy's too fussed about popular
acceptance at this stage in his life.-
Patrick Emery
3/4