What Are You Listening To?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

MENTAL AS ANYTHING "CATS AND DOGS" 1981.(vinyl)

the mentals were having hits in Australia and across the Tasman Sea in NZ 5yrs prior to the world wide smash hit 'live it up'.
this is their third album,their first two were released in 1980.
the mentals formed at art college in the second half of the 1970s...the reason...not to make a living out of music but to buy beer on weekends because the life of a college student was tough then. they ended up designing all their album/singles covers, choreographed their videos, and several members of the group now hold art exhibitions of their paintings.
much like 'huey lewis and the news', the Mentals were/are not great musicians or vocalists but they know how to write infectious pop songs.
their music is pop tinged with a splash of country and added new wave beats. their songs tend to be of a light hearted nature and they have never taken themselves seriously. most of the songs on here deal with drinking,drugs,picking up girls,cars etc...the usual things that Aussie guys in that era thought about,so it is not surprising that they were huge at the time. one song on the album 'berserk warriors' is a tongue in cheek look at the marraige split of Anna/Bjorn from ABBA and a war between the two Vikings.
Elvis Costello toured here in 1981 and the mentals were his national support act, he then took then back to UK with him and they toured with him there, he also produced their follow up single to this album 'i didnt mean to be mean'.
sadly there are only 5 links to this album,the best song not one of them..Doh!
the album reached #3 here in oz, #2 NZ and #44 Canada, foru singles made the Aussie charts:
If you leave me(can i come too) #4
too many times #6
berserk warriors #30
got hit #12

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

best track:Sad Poetry
worst track: Hararei I Akarana (only because im not a fan of instrumentals)

tracks:

1....too Many Times***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_X3KmWUog4 (live)
2....Walking On Rails**
3....If You Leave Me(can i come too)***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSGtg26-TpU (video)
4....Berserk Warriors**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpu12PXG4rA (video)
5....Let's Cook**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywi0H-zPoyw (live)
6....Got Hit**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCJCZjvGplQ (video)
7....Ready For You Now**
8....Lookin' For Bird**
9....Chemical Travel***
10..Catalina's Reward**
11..Psychadelic Peace Lamp*
12..Sad Poetry***
13..Hararei I Akarana*

3s-4
2s-7
1s-2

rating 2.0