Almanac Music – Not Quite Bob: Paul Kelly…of course
To celebrate the release of ‘How to Make Gravy’ as a movie, and Christmas as well, we reprise this wonderful ‘Not Quite Bob’ Paul Kelly piece by Trevor Blainey.
Paul Kelly: [Source: Wikipedia]
Impossible to ignore the Australian who fits this bill except that it might reasonably be alleged that Paul Kelly is nobody’s doppelgänger, nobody’s imitator. A unique voice of his own making, songsmith supreme, much admired everywhere.
It’s probably redundant here to repeat Kelly’s history as its so well known. In heavy precis then, born in Adelaide six months before I was born somewhere else, first started performing in 1974 (in Hobart), recording in 1980 (‘It’s The Falling Apart That Makes You‘; written and recorded after hearing Astral Weeks) and most of the rest you know. Of note is that the Hobart debut was a two song set in Salamanca Place. The two songs? Bob Dylan’s ‘Girl From The North Country’ and a song called ‘Streets of Forbes’, a traditional Australian folk song about bushranger Ben Hall. Scene set; die cast.
From that time PK has been nothing but prolific and from right at the start he set himself a high bar. His first couple of albums were with an outfit called The Dots and while he now largely ignores those records he then started a run in 1985 with Post until 1991 of 4 all time favorites that included Under The Sun, Gossip, So Much Water So Close To Home and Comedy that feature a fair slab of his best known tunes.
My favorite album of his? Gossip from 1986. In case you’re a musical Rip Van Winkle here it is.
And from there this cracker (slightly out of his more usual style) which appeared on every mix tape I did at that time.
Over the next 30 years Paul has continued to pump out one golden record after another with many, many highlights along the way not the least of which is this from 2007’s Stolen Apples.
A feature of Paul’s career has been his inclination to take slight detours with his material and as such he’s recorded bluegrass (Foggy Highway), Aussie folk songs (Smoke) and also a soundtrack to a film in 2001 called One Night The Moon which was directed by Rachel Perkins.
Further, he’s never been frightened of collaboration and has always surrounded himself with the best of the best including Steve Connolly, Shane O’Mara, Peter and Dan Luscombe, Ash Naylor, Dan Sultan, Vika and Linda Bull, Kev Carmody, AB Original, Steve Hadley and his nephew Dan Kelly. In making that list I’ve ignored many worthies including Charlie Owen with whom Paul issued one of my favorites from the more recent releases, 2016’s Death’s Dateless Night. And from there a cover of Stephen Foster’s Hard Times.
Which is my second favorite cover of that mighty song. The favorite is by Syd Straw who I wanted to include in one of these except that her discography is very thin. Go find her 1989 Surprise for an aptly named all killer, no filler debut that she never lived up to afterwards. Alas.
Not wanting to cover ground that others may have Paul Kelly is clearly also keen on nurturing and mentoring young talent. It cuts both ways because recently he’s covered his own ‘Dumb Things’ with AB Original and Dan Sultan.
With a back catalogue like his why wouldn’t you want to do that?
Other young artists like Alice Skye, Clairy Browne, Kira Puru, Missy Higgins and Marlon Williams have also worked with Kelly or he’s written songs with or for them. Never stand still; keep moving. A theme for PK and for virtually all of the artists I’m covering in NQB.
I couldn’t write a piece about Paul Kelly without noting his incredible collaborations with Indigenous artists and further noting the songs he’s written covering the deeply vexed matters of the treatment of Indigenous people in this country. Probably the most famous of these is From Little Things Big Things Grow co-written with Kev Carmody. The song speaks for itself and here is one of the multitude of great performances of it I’ve seen or watched on the Tube. This at Gough Whitlam’s memorial but really I could have picked any of 20 others.
When writing these I frequently defer to more scholarly analysis but just this year (and noting the Alamanac’s provenance) there was this about Eddie Betts. Tissues required as with many of Kelly’s songs.
I think I can hear Col Ritchie urging me to wrap this up but noting the time of year (and considering my normal irreligious views) Kelly this year has issued a Christmas album to join the mostly odious list of terrible similar fare. Bob Dylan’s is particularly awful.
But from the list of disciples listen to this unique take on O Holy Night by Paul and Marlon Williams and the Dhungala Children’s Choir.
Provided you’ve kept the tissues handy let’s finish with the new version of ‘How To Make Gravy’ also from Christmas Train.
Paul Kelly. The giant of Australian music, the laureate, the bard, once a folk singer but ever after, our Bob. His own category of musical greatness.
Read more stories from Trevor Blainey HERE.
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A national treasure though I still think he does not rightfully receive the full credit his fantastic music deserves.
Who else fits the bill so well from these shores? What a superb songwriter (always a skill that deserves more visible credit, to add to Col’s comments).
I’ve enjoyed your takes so far Trevor, I wonder who else will get a nod?
Thanks Jarrod and Col. I’ve got quite a few stored up. Mostly just fun for me to do but I’m pleased they hit a nerve with readers. And yes more Australians. The one I wanted to do was Mark Gillespie who was probably Not Very Bob but nonetheless there was something about his delivery, wry songs and style that made me want to include him in this. Covered by someone else at the time of his passing so I’ll leave him for now. For what it’s worth Mayday In Arcadia is my favourite song of his and the one that most put me in mind of Bob.
In reading this again it might be imagined that I’d placed Paul’s Christmas Train in the same category as the dozens of parlous renditions put out by others for the Xmas cash-in. Not so. It’s on high rotation around our way this week and will remain so. Lucinda Williams also did a great collection in her Lu’s Jukebox series. Others don’t reach these heights.
Well said, Trev. The version of the John Donne poem ‘Nativity’ is just about the best musical rendition of a poem I have ever heard. Magical, mysterious and hauntingly beautiful.
With some trepidation Claire and I sat down on Gravy Day (last Saturday) with tumblers in hand and watched the film adaptation of this celebrated song. Apart from a couple exceptions, screen versions of literary texts are generally disappointing as so much is necessarily omitted, and this is usually the stuff you loved (Great Gatsby: I’m looking at you).
However, I reckon the writers took the lyrics and characters and expanded upon these favourably while retaining the song’s integrity. The acting was excellent, and it was constantly engaging. The setting, score and production values were nicely realised too. I’m unsure if I’d watch it annually but reckon it’s worth a squizz.