Thursday, December 8, 2011

A Little Christmas Music, Bastard Style

Given that yesterday was the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, and that Christmas is coming soon, how about a song which, oddly, combines a WW2 theme and a Christmas theme?

One of the bands which features most prominently in my "80's" playlist is Australia's Hoodoo Gurus, whose first album, Stoneage Romeos is a personal favorite (seriously folks, it's all killer, no filler). It's a bizarre album, which features songs about girlfriends who choose sacrifice to a volcano over marriage, heartbroken lovers driven to necrophilia, and the Flying Dutchman, along with more traditional songs about unrequited love and the simple pleasures of listening to popular music. There are two songs on the album which reference World War 2, but only one of these is a Christmas song.

The song Tojo is a parody "response" to the song Santa Never Made it into Darwin, which was written about the Cyclone Tracy, which destroyed 70 percent of the buildings in the city of Darwin and killed 71 individuals. Darwin had survived bombings during the Second World War, but Tracy accomplished what Tojo could not (warning- video depicts 80's hair):





The album's other song is this vein is I Was A Kamikaze Pilot (they gave me a plane, but I couldn't fly it).

The Hoodoo Gurus are still a going concern- still slinging their heady mix of straightforward rock-and/or-roll and gallows humor. I've seen them play live a few times, and they never fail to deliver the goods, unlike that Santa guy.

14 comments:

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

I have NOT seen the Hoodoo Gurus.

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

I have not seen them either, but somehow the word 'hoodoo' comes to mind.
~

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

I have NOT seen the Hoodoo Gurus.

That is actually, genuinely shocking to me.

I have not seen them either, but somehow the word 'hoodoo' comes to mind

The hoodoo that you do!

Laura said...

I'm going to have to try and find a picture of me from the 80's.
Now THAT was 80's hair. :P
I used to smoke when I was in my teens and one time I lit my bangs on fire there was so much hairspray!

Okay, I'm digging this song... I've been chair dancing while tying this all out.
Be back to click on links tomorrow when I have more time. :)

((Hugs))
Laura

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

I have NOT seen the Hoodoo Gurus.

....ummm, not that I remember. There are parts of the 80s that are kind of fuzzy.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

I am, however, quite certain I have a copy of "Blow Your Cool" in the vinyl and am methodically working my way toward digitizing it.

Laura said...

Upon further reflection "caught on fire" may have been a bit over the top.
Singed is more accurate. :)

Dr.KennethNoisewater said...

So Jackson Browne was in Hoodoo Gurus?


I can see where you would like them, if this song is a good indication of their style. It's not bad. Not bad at all. I have real appreciation for straight-up, straightforward rock, also too.

You know what's weird? Is that because so many styles have come and gone and come again that a lot of these old 80's videos aren't IMMEDIATELY recognizable as 80's videos.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

You know what's weird? Is that because so many styles have come and gone and come again that a lot of these old 80's videos aren't IMMEDIATELY recognizable as 80's videos.

I thought it was because a lot of current bands have been mining the 80's nostalgia thing.

Dr.KennethNoisewater said...

Yup.

Is that because so many styles have come and gone and come again

Hamish Mack said...

Go the Hoodoos Mars needs guitars

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

Aren't they from New Zealand?

Smut Clyde said...

Since ZRM has stolen my comment, I shall settle for wondering whether "liitle" is a Finnish word.

Dr.KennethNoisewater said...

I wanted to say something about that,too, but I try not to work your side of the street. There's some terrifying stuff over there.