| Author | Message | ||
     Scott_R Member Username: Scott_r Post Number: 1 Registered: 05-2017 |
Hello folks, glad to join you here. As some of you may know, I am currently undertaking a PhD at QUT that looks at the concept of the Brisbane Sound. Essentially what I have done is gather as many contemporary (historical) quotes about what people have said it is, then cross reference this with a musicological analysis of the music itself and see what lines up. So far I have collected over 100 quotes from many sources. I post here to see if anyone wants to either contribute to the debate about the etymology of the term, or offer suggestions about further sources that I might not have tracked down. At the moment, the earliest written mention I have found is from Ian Gray's article in issue 4 of x-change fanzine (1981). "The short-lived Birds of Tin created some excitement for a while. Rumoured to be "just like the Go-Betweens, only better," they did lend to credence to that band's theory that there is a "Brisbane sound" and that they (the Go-Betweens) are it". From the above quote, regarding the "band's theory", all I can garner is that Gray is conflating The Brisbane Sound with the Striped Sunlight Sound from Lee Remick/Karen. However, if some of you think otherwise I'd love to hear about it. Shortly after, in Clinton Walker's "Inner City Sound" with reference to Four Gods, The Apartments, The Poles, and obviously the Go-Betweens (1982). Their is a much earlier usage of the term in Billboard from 1965 relating to the Reverbs, but I am treating this as an anomaly. Then there is a gap, from 1982 until 1988 when the two Marks (Dadd and Callaghan) discuss it in the Brisbane Bands documentary screened on Rock Arena (ABC TV). Based on the questions, and the responses from the Marks, it is clear that the trope is circulating as subcultural parlance in the scene. The fact that the question is even posed (although not aired) says a lot. Anyway, I have waffled on enough, Thanks very much Scott | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3812 Registered: 03-2005 |
Hi Scott. Welcome to the Board! I'd say any reference to a "Brisbane Sound" is just a lazy journalist's attempt to create narrative. After all, while you can reasonably argue that the early Apartments bore a noticeable similarity in musical philosophy to the Go-Betweens--I am referencing the Apartments who recorded "The Return of the Hypnotist"--I wouldn't want to argue that there is a common musical philosophy running from the Saints to the Go Betweens other than DIY, which was not unique to Brisbane. I tend to think of Brisbane as a particularly fertile musical breeding ground back in the late 70s and 80s. My outsider theory (Californian here) is that restless and creatively ambitious young people in Queensland felt isolated and third-class up against the relative sophistication of Sydney and Melbourne. I remember Robert and/or Grant describing Brisbane as a "big country town" back then. And yet Brisbane WAS fairly big with a significant educational infrastructure. What maybe was more often shared by Brisbane bands was an outward-looking orientation, at least for musical inspiration if not for career aspirations. | ||
| Scott_R Member Username: Scott_r Post Number: 2 Registered: 05-2017 |
Thanks Randy, Although I agree with your points, my efforts here are not so much to determine the validity of the concept, but to collect early examples that I may not have found. I reach out here because I know that some members may have a hoard of fanzines that are not yet digitised/publicly available (RAM for instance), and they may remember instances of the term Cheers Scott |