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Deep Pencil - the musings of Morgan Bell

If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to hear it did it really make a sound? If i post a blog and nobody reads it was there really any point? You have entered the random thinking space of Morgan Bell . . . These are my musings . . . things about my life written off the top of my head . . . written in an informal disjointed style almost completely devoid of punctuation, this is where i flesh out writing ideas, discuss my life, and generally be self indulgent . . . it is also the bargain bin for articles which do not fit in with the film or arts themes of my other blogs . . . so have a wander around my mind, have a laugh, have a think, be nice, and humour me!

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Deep Pencil - September 2008

TOP 20 Australian Songs (from the last 20 years)

September 28th 2008 13:17

The Weekend Australian Magazine recently polled their readers in an effort to discover the TOP 20 Australian songs from the last 20 years

The results were as follows:

1. Under The Milky Way (1988) The Church
2. Into Temptation (1988) Crowded House
3. The Ship Song (1990) Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
4. Berlin Chair (1994) You Am I
5. Distant Sun (1993) Crowded House
6. Never Tear Us Apart (1988) INXS
7. These Days (1999) Powderfinger
8. Fall at Your Feet (1991) Crowded House
9. No Aphrodisiac (1997) The Whitlams
10. One Crowded Hour (2006) Augie March
11. Blow Up the Pokies (1999) The Whitlams
12. Weather With You (1991) Crowded House
13. Private Universe (1993) Crowded House
14. Touch (1988) Noiseworks
15. The Special Two (2005) Missy Higgins
16. Better Be Home Soon (1988) Crowded House
17. Straight Lines (2007) Silverchair
18. Special (2006) Gisele Scales
19. Are You Gonna Be My Girl? (2003) Jet
20. Thunderstruck (1990) AC/DC

I guess their readers are big fans of Crowded House!

If I had to pick my TOP 20 songs from between 1988 and 2008 it probably would have gone a little like this:

1. Sarah (2006) Eskimo Joe
2. Sunsets (2003) Powderfinger
3. The Honeymoon Is Over (1993) The Cruel Sea
4. Red Right Hand (1994) Nick Cave & The Badseeds
5. Hearts A Mess (2006) Gotye
6. Wooden Skeletons (2002) iOTA
7. My Love (2008) The Last Parade
8. The Others (2006) Dukes Of Windsor
9. Even When Im Sleeping (1997) Leonardo's Bride
10. The Day You Went Away (1992) Wendy Matthews
11. Wish You Well (2005) Bernard Fanning
12. Predictable (2003) Delta Goodrem
13. He Doesnt Love You (2006) Sarah McLeod
14. Theophilus Thistler (1999) Sonic Animation
15. Girls Like That (1999) Custard
16. Cry (1999) The Mavis's
17. Chained To The Wheel (1989) The Black Sorrows
18. Put The Needle On It (2003) Dannii Minogue
19. Never Miss Your Water (1993) Johnny Diesel
20. Coma (1995) Max Sharam

Special mention: The Girl of My Dreams Is Giving Me Nightmares (2002) Machine Gun Fellatio

The magazine then asked 20 Australian Music Insiders to pick their favourites

Peter Garrett, Environment Minister (ex Midnight Oil)
Djarimirri – Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu

Robert Forster, singer/songwriter (ex Go-Betweens)
Sweet About Me – Gabriella Cilmi

Julia Zemiro, RocKwiz host, broadcaster
Private Education – Josh Pyke

Chris Cheney, The Living End
Tuesday – You Am I

Josh Pyke, singer/songwriter
Owen’s Lament – Augie March

John O’Donnell, CEO, EMI Music Australasia
Emotion Sickness – Silverchair

Patience Hodgson, The Grates
Leaving Home – Jebediah

David Bridie, songwriter, composer
Coolabah – Frank Yamma

Clare Bowditch, singer/songwriter
Shark Fin Blues – The Drones

Vanessa Amorosi, singer
Weather With You – Crowded House

Deborah Conway, singer and artistic director of the Queensland Music Festival
Asleep in Perfection – Augie March

Dave Faulkner, Hoodoo Gurus
Doused – Died Pretty

Stephen Peach, CEO of the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)
Stray Dog Bruise – Tim Rogers and the Temperance Union

Sarah Blasko, singer/songwriter
Into My Arms – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Mark Seymour, singer/songwriter (ex Hunters & Collectors)
Treaty – Yothu Yindi

Missy Higgins, singer/songwriter
Four Seasons in One Day – Crowded House

John Butler, John Butler Trio
How to Make Gravy – Paul Kelly

Xavier Rudd, singer/songwriter
Treaty – Yothu Yindi

Kate Ceberano, singer
Perfect – Vanessa Amorosi

Glenn Richards, Augie March
Metropolis – The Church

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Comments

28 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Jason King

September 28th 2008 13:23

Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness

John O’Donnell, CEO, EMI Music Australasia
Emotion Sickness – Silverchair

Best song of all time!!

But u do like Sonic Animation - so watch out because Tyler Durden is onto something.....

Comment by Morgan Bell

September 28th 2008 13:27

Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk

hi Jason,
oh no dont tell me we have MORE in common!
i saw SonicAnimation live at Newcastle Uni once as a bit of a fluke and the Orchid disc off their double album is one of the best collections of songs ive ever heard

Comment by RubySoho

September 28th 2008 13:33

Music Zone
Thought Zone

Ok, i am assuming robert forster was kidding about the gabriella whats her face song. no seriously, that's kind of an insult to all our musicians of the last 20 years.

i'm pleasantly surprised to see berlin chair at number four and shocked that throw your arms around me didn't make the cut.

my top three would be be throw your arms around me, the streets of your town and one crowded hour.

Comment by Jason King

September 28th 2008 13:33

Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness

I will ignore you have a Delta and a Dannii song and concentrate on Sonic, The Cruel Sea and The Black Sorrows!! GOLD

Very jealous you saw Sonic at Newcastle - I am pretty sure I saw them at a festival or music party but was prob so off chops I can't remember properly. I used to worship them.

Comment by alt_ed

September 28th 2008 14:01

Pop Culturer
Alted Opinion
ArtCombat

Ok so McDonalds are sponsoring a competition on Idol this year with $50k up fro grabs!

All you need to do is put Australia's top ten most loved songs in order from 10 to 1... from rock classics to romantic ballads.

Here's the list (not in order of course!)...
Cold Chisel – Khe Sanh
ABBA – Dancing Queen
U2 – With Or Without You
Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven
Eagles – Hotel California
Bon Jovi – Living On A Prayer
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
Robbie Williams – Angels
Justin Timberlake – Sexyback
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

Game to have a crack Morg's?

p.s. I know the order

Comment by Morgan Bell

September 28th 2008 14:03

Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk

hi Ruby,
i was surprised (but not surprised) at all the Crowded House songs, i realise they were (and are) immensely popular but i think they way they dominated the poll was a bit out of proportion!
as far as pop songs go i would have picked 20 Kylie and Dannii songs before i hit Gabriella
its funny you dont realise how old some music is, when i was looking up songs i liked of Australian Crawl, and Cold Chisel, and The Divinyls they were all well before 1988

hi Jason,
hey that Dannii album way really good! haha
and whilst i dont really rate Deltas style ordinarily i respect her songwriting and i think Predictable was a bit of a depature for her

**ps: i was editing a few typos and i had to add Machine Gun Fellatio as a special mention because i didnt want to remove any songs from the original list . . . something tells me im just going to keep adding!

Comment by Morgan Bell

September 28th 2008 14:06

Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk

hi alt_ed,
how do you know the order? hmmmm
have you been hanging out with the Australian Idols at the imperial centre? oh hang on i think that was someone a bit scruffier than you . . .
haha

Comment by RubySoho

September 28th 2008 14:35

Music Zone
Thought Zone

oh right the 1988 thing...that accounts for the lack of throw your arms around me and anything by the go-betweens.

oh gosh. twenty years. great. i hadn't felt old in at least two days. i was about due.

i've just been watching season three of Sex and the City and i can't believe that was a decade ago now. yipes.

Comment by Morgan Bell

September 28th 2008 15:15

Deep Pencil
Current Business News
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Artist Quirk

hi Ruby,
BAHAHAHahaha oh im glad i can assist people in feeling aged . . . that actually wasnt a swipe at you or your musical preferences, i did the same thing myself when thinking of "classic" Aussie songs . . . even Icehouse was more than 20 years ago!

Comment by Morgan Bell

September 28th 2008 15:16

Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk

if it helps i remember getting my specialty bi-centennial coin at school!

Comment by Jason King

September 28th 2008 20:31

Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness

Ooh - don't forget Sounds of Zen by Gangajang!

Comment by Norm

September 28th 2008 22:12

Consumption Malfunction
Equal and Opposite
Arses and Elbows
Footy Power

It's just as well Shannon Noll only reads the Courier. What about me? What about me! God knows what Guy Sebastian reads. I reckon it's apt that Crowded House appear so often. Apt, I tells you. Apt. In my humble ear's opinion, they're streets, and naturestrips, ahead of the rest.

Comment by Nomad

September 28th 2008 22:47

Awesome Food

wheres the rock? wheres the Jets (screaming) what about some 90's punk- body jar- the living end- frenzal rhomb, how bout some spiderbait too, they won a triple j hottest 100.... and whats the weekend australian magazine? never heard of it..

I live a very sheltered life

Comment by Lady Henrietta Muddling

September 29th 2008 01:25

Potter in a Harry

Morgan,

Nick Cave's Stagger Lee doesn't rate a mention?

Speaking of Nick Cave and the Boys Next Door and the Screaming Jets, their 80s version of Shivers deserves a mention. The lyrics are a modern anthem like Nirvana's Smells like Orble Teen Spirit. Instead of, "Here we are on Orble, entertain us..." we get the reply, 'I've been contemplating suicide, but it really doesn't suit my style ... '

"Well my baby's so vain, she is almost a mirror, and the sound of her name sends a permanent shiver down my spi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ine ."

Shit, haven't thought about my ex for ages.

Comment by Morgan Bell

September 29th 2008 04:33

Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk

hi Jason,
Gangajang! now youre talkin!

hi Norm,
yes telling isnt it that the Australian Idols dont seem to rate a mention! poor old Shannon Knoll, i imagine hes out crying in the paddocks with only his tractor to concole him!

hi Nomad,
the magazine is the liftout from The Austalian newspaper, the big boring broadsheet one . . . might account for the lack of rockers voting!
oh Spiderbait and Regurgitator! those were the days!

hi David,
ohhhh Shivers, i love that song!
i saw Dave Gleeson from The Screaming Jets in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar once - he rocked as Judas!

thanks for the comments everyone!

Comment by Cheryl J

September 30th 2008 10:29

Funny Videos
Rhythmatism
Zentertainment
Budget Centsability

And I wish I, wish I knew the right words
To blow up the Whitlams and drag them away
'Cause they're making my mood so unstable
when I have to listen to Tim Freedman whine....

Very interesting to see the artist's choices.

Comment by Morgan Bell

September 30th 2008 12:18

Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk

hi Cheryl,
oh i find The Whitlams so dreary and i have a particular aversion to that pokies song!
i understand Freedman is a talented songwriter but their style is not my cup of tea!
i saw a hilarious skit sending him (and his love of Newtown) up on The Chaser once!

Comment by May

September 30th 2008 12:24

Music Dime

Sheesh...Throw your arms around me is more than 20 years old??? Holy crap....I gotta get a reality check....

Ok i'm good now.

That would've been my pick for the last two to three decades.... wait....when was Mondo Rock??

I like your diverse taste in music. Someone once said that people who have eclectic tastes are highly intelligent.....sound familiar to you??

Natalie Imbruglia's pretty underrated as well i think.

Comment by Morgan Bell

September 30th 2008 12:43

Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk

hi May,

haha whoops im making more people feel old!

Natalie Imbruglia had some decent hits, im sure they would make their way into the TOP 20 of many people!

oh and thanks for this:

I like your diverse taste in music. Someone once said that people who have eclectic tastes are highly intelligent.....sound familiar to you??

you are lovely, come back and comment any time!

Comment by Hatchy

September 30th 2008 13:23

Hey I know it's not in the last 20 years, but I'm game enough to say that "Friday on my mind" is the best Australian song ever written.

seems to have survived the test of time so far. I wonder if some of the songs from the list above will be remembered for as long?

Comment by RubySoho

September 30th 2008 13:33

Music Zone
Thought Zone

throw your arms around me was 1987, just missed the cut!

Comment by May

September 30th 2008 14:01

Music Dime

I'll gladly come back and comment...at least you're putting your random thoughts to paper (screen...whatever)....i just annoy the people around me with them.

The Easy Beats right??? Friday on my mind...good and true in soooo many ways.

Comment by Morgan Bell

September 30th 2008 15:41

Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk

hi Hatchy,
Friday On My Mind is a great song!
i saw one of the Australian Idols giving it a go the other day and it STILL sounded good! haha
and you are probably right, it has more potential for longevity than some of the more recent tunes!

hi Ruby,
we need Maxwell Smart to say "missed it by that much"

hi May,
oh believe me i annoy people in real life just as much as i annoy the Orble community! lol

Comment by Jarrah

October 1st 2008 01:44

Back to the Eighties

I agree with Nomad.
What a pitiful list.

Not impressed with yours so much either

It was last 20 years, not 10.

But anyway, I've never read a good list from a magazine in my life.
You ever read those best album/song ever in Rolling Stone...that shit gives you a migraine...

- Jarrah
Back to the Eighties.net

Comment by Morgan Bell

October 1st 2008 04:47

Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk

hi Jarrah,
i picked 7 from the first decade (1988-98) so it was almost even!
i agree the Rolling Stone lists are usually very skewed towards the earlier era of music so they dont represent everyone . . . its probably impossible to get a list everyone would agree to!

Comment by slacko

October 1st 2008 12:39

Blog du slack

I stopped reading after I saw your number 1

I thought that was a poor album, and london bombs was the best track on it

I also think that straightlines is a poor song.. And a top 20 has that song yet again over achieving. I hate muse but thank god that beat it last year (hottest 100)

Comment by Morgan Bell

October 1st 2008 14:06

Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk

hi slacko,
i think the only song i really like from the poll by The Weekend Australian Magazine was the INXS song and i still wouldnt put that in a TOP 20 . . .
oh well, just goes to show how different tastes can be!
thanks for the comment!

Comment by Cheryl J

October 1st 2008 15:25

Funny Videos
Rhythmatism
Zentertainment
Budget Centsability

I have to agree with Hatchy's choice even though it's too old for this list. It is a great song. It made me look over some of the Aussie music we have released and there is very little I think deserve any kind of top anything.

Another really oldie but goodie is The Real Thing by Russell Morris, I still love that song.

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