| Author | Message | ||
     Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 410 Registered: 04-2005 |
I don't recall them being mentioned here before. My girlfriend works with a woman from New Zealand who loaned us some CDs of music from her homeland. One was the Mutton Birds' album "Envy of Angels," which is quite good and sounds like something people on this board would like. I'm wondering if anybody here has thoughts on this band, and if so, is their back catalog worth diving into? | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 435 Registered: 05-2005 |
It is worth diving into Kurt if, like me, you love the NZ sound. They are closer to Crowded House than the Flying Nun bands, but there is still something about most of these bands that makes them unmistakably New Zealand. I really like Mutton Birds! Great songs for adults (no teenage angst there). | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 537 Registered: 05-2005 |
They were always in the barigan bins in the record stores over here in the uk, and the press I'm afraid! | ||
| Thomas Keitsch Member Username: Thokei Post Number: 6 Registered: 06-2005 |
"Salty" is a classic! (imo), great band. The later stuff ( rain ,steam and speed )isnt sooo interesting anymore. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 351 Registered: 08-2004 |
For some reason VH-1 UK were pushing them in the late '90's with other MOR such as The Corrs & Ricky Martin. | ||
| Andrewnz Member Username: Andrewnz Post Number: 22 Registered: 08-2005 |
sorry - should have responded to this much earlier but have been busy changing jobs and catering with new baby - righto - the Mutton Birds were essentially Don McGlashan's new band starting late 80s and really getting going in the 90s. Based initially in Auckland they headed to the UK after their first two albums (Mutton Birds and Salty) where they produced two more albums (Envy of Angels and Rain, Steam and Speed plus a number of fan club cds (live shows and b-sides mainly) before splitting. Don McGlashan has recently released a solo album (Warm Hand) which is thoroughly marvellous and has also contributed to a number of soundtracks (most recently and notably Bathe in the River to the No.2 film soundtrack). Another notable from the Mutton Birds Alan Gregg formed Marshmallow which released a lovely wee album and gigs round London occasionally. Don McGlashan has a fine NZ music pedigree - mainly known for early work with Blam Blam Blam (great songs in "Don't Fight it Marsha Its Bigger Than Both of Us"and "There is No Depression in New Zealand") and the theatre/comedy/musical duo/troupe "The Front Lawn". For those of you who enjoyed the Mutton Birds product I thoroughly recommend searching out the above other projects - most are still in print in one form or another and available from NZ cd sites. there endeth the lesson | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 526 Registered: 04-2005 |
Thanks for the primer, Andrew. I've come to like "Envy of Angels" quite a lot, so tracking down some more of their stuff seems like a good idea. | ||
| Duncan Hurwood Member Username: Duncan_h Post Number: 52 Registered: 05-2005 |
I've got the recent Don McGlashan solo album (shipped from NZ to me in the UK) and it's very good: but much slower than the Mutton Birds records. "Toy Factory Fire" is very moving, and as he often did on the MB records, many of the songs seem to be character pieces sung from a particular point of view. |