Radio Birdman 1981 ( 2005 remastered reissue BONUS CD )

Radio Birdman was one of the first Australian independent bands to carry the punk label, along with the Saints. They were formed by Deniz Tek and Rob Younger in Sydney in 1974.The group influenced the work of many successful, mainstream bands, and are now considered instrumental in Australia's musical growth .

Deniz Tek and Rob Younger formed Radio Birdman in mid-1974 in Sydney, having recently left their bands TV Jones and the Rats respectively. The pair sought to begin a band that would challenge the commercial mainstream and be completely uncompromising. They recruited classical keyboard player Philip "Pip" Hoyle, drummer Ron Keeley and bassist Carl Rorke. The band took their name from a misheard lyric from the Stooges' song "1970" (the actual lyric is "radio burnin'").

After being rejected many times from various venues, and having resorted to putting on its own concerts in rented garages and tiny community halls, by mid 1975 Radio Birdman found an upstairs room at the Oxford Tavern in Taylor Square, Sydney. Soon, a small but growing subculture grew around Radio Birdman. This

coincided with the beginnings of the Sydney punk scene.After unsuccessfully trying several studios, Radio Birdman found a supportive recording milieu with the help of Rock Australia Magazine editor, Anthony O'Grady. They recorded an EP, Burn My Eye. and their first album Radios Appear, produced by John L Sayers and Charles Fisher at Trafalgar Studios in Annandale.

While Radios Appear (overseas version) remains the full-fledged classic by Radio Birdman, the reissue of Living Eyes shows that it was damn near as good as the first one, and maybe a bit more original.

Living Eyes was the second studio album released by Sydney, Australia punk-rock band Radio Birdman. It was the last recorded album by the band as they split up shortly after it was recorded in 1978.The album was recorded over a three-week period at the Rockfield Studios in Waleswhilst the band was on its first overseas tour, supporting the Flamin' Groovies around Britain and Europe.

Fully loaded with classic songs that inspired several generations of Australian rockers, Living Eyes is an album that has benefited greatly from modern technology as well as a little luck. Recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios in Wales when the band went to Europe to tour with the Flamin' Groovies (their first shows outside Australia), the original master tapes disappeared before the album was released.

The band then broke up and Living Eyes ended up being mastered from a cassette. While no one really complained about the sound quality at the time, it wasn't all it could've been.
Flash forward to the '90s and the master tapes are found on a dusty shelf at Rockfield. The band bakes them up and remixes, remasters, and re-sequences the album. It is now a total monster, screaming out of your speakers with intent to do damage.

From the time Chris Masuak's stun guitar comes in at the beginning of "Hanging On," it is apparent that this is not your big brother's Living Eyes. The sound is deeper by degrees. The songs remain superb. "Crying Sun" and "Breaks My Heart" were both made classic by the New Race but rock in a slightly more tempered way here.

"More Fun" is an upbeat little punk-surf tune while "Smith & Wesson Blues" is truly chilling.
Sample lyric: "You're never alone with a Smith & Wesson, baby...." There are plenty of references to the Ann Arbor, MI, area where guitarist/songwriter Deniz Tek grew up, particularly "I-94," which was covered on the Dodge Main disc and has even inspired a website dedicated to Detroit/Australian rock & roll.

Living Eyes, unlike its predecessor, doesn't have any "there's an MC5 riff" moments. In fact, one of the four bonus tracks, "Didn't Tell the Man," finds guitarist Chris Masuak heavily influenced by the Flamin' Groovies, and it is simply a gorgeous, twangy rock song. Singer Rob Younger is as ferocious as ever, a true original to the hardcore, and Deniz Tek solidifies his place as father of real Australian rock & roll.

Radio Birdman – Living Eyes ( 2005 remastered reissue  BONUS CD )

Label : Red Eye Records – 529 441 2, Red Eye Records – RED CD 53

Format : CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered

Released : 1981

Recorded : 1978

Country : Australia

Genre : Rock

Style : Garage Rock, Punk 

    Artwork – Ray Maras

    Bass – Warwick Gilbert

    Drums – Ron Keeley

    Guitar, Backing Vocals – Chris Masuak, Deniz Tek

    Lead Vocals – Rob Younger

    Organ, Piano – Pip Hoyle

    Producer – Deniz Tek

    Written-By – Deniz Tek

DISCOGRAPHY

Studio EPs/albums

Burn My Eye EP Trafalgar Records     1976

Radios Appear LP Trafalgar Records     1977

Radios Appear LP (Sire)     1978

Living Eyes LP     1981

Zeno Beach CD and LP     2006

Live albums

More Fun! (ep)     1988

Ritualism     1996

Live In Texas     2011

Live at Paddington Town Hall     2015

     TRAXS

01. Hanging On     3:38

02. 455 SD     2:45

03. Do The Movin' Change 2:28

04. T.P.B.R. Combo     2:12

05. I 94     2:49

06. Iskender Time     1:49

07. Burn My Eye '78     1:35

08. Alien Skies     3:15

09. Time To Fall     3:11

10. Smith and Wesson Blues 2:55

11. Crying Sun     2:56

12. Breaks My Heart     3:02

13. More Fun     2:00

14. Alone In The Endzone 2:07

15. Dark Surprise     3:29

16. Didn't Tell The Man 3:12

17. Death By The Gun     3:05

18. Dark Surprise     3:56

19. Breaks My Heart     2:54

20. More Fun     2:00

MP3 @ 320 Size : 502 MB

FLAC  Size : 502 MB

Πέμπτη 25 Οκτωβρίου, Fuzz Live Music Club (Πειραιώς 209 ΠατριάρχουΙωακείμ 1, Ταύρος, Αθήνα, 210 3450817

Οι Radio Birdman, ένα από τα σπουδαιότερα και επιδραστικότερα groups της καταπληκτικής Αυστραλέζικης σκηνής των 70s-80s, επιστρέφουν στην Αθήνα, 11 χρόνια μετά την τελευταία τους επίσκεψη στα μέρη μας. Ο Deniz Tek (κιθάρα, φωνή), ο Rob Younger (φωνή), ο Pip Hoyle (πλήκτρα), μαζί με τους Jim Dickson (Survivors, Barracudas, The New Christs), Dave Kettley (The New Christs), Nick Rieth (The Celibate Rifles, The Visitors), έρχονται για να μας ξαναθυμίσουν για ποιο λόγο θεωρούνται πρωτοπόροι της high energy rock'n'roll σκηνής, την Πέμπτη 25 Οκτωβρίου, στο Fuzz Live Music Club.

Η προπώληση ξεκινάει προς 24 ευρώ και για περιορισμένο αριθμό εισιτηρίων. Μετά την εξάντλησή τους, θα συνεχιστεί στα 27 ευρώ. Στο ταμείο, η τιμή θα είναι 30 ευρώ.