July 2008
This is the long-awaited (well, by them) second album of Men With Day Jobs, Sydney ring-ins to the BackPocket stable. A few years have passed since their eponymous first (link) offering since they reunited after a failed 1970s pop career. And they do seem to be growing, don’t they, despite their advancing years. This album kicks on into a wider range of feels – from up-tempo disco/house through to tuneful ballads, folksy and countryish croons, punchy rock, sendups of film songs and New Wave, some sultry blues and savage rap. The lyrics are again very strong, running the gamut from parody to passion and poignancy. Guests this time include Ruth Conley on vocals and BackPocket’s own Ken Stephenson on mandolin.
| 1 | 20 QUESTIONS Kids ask the damnedest things |
MP3 |
| 2 | DREAMS AND TINSEL Sad song of a party playboy |
MP3 |
| 3 | WIDE BROWN LAND Bloody strange place, then and now |
MP3 |
| 4 | BOYS NEVER DO Girl bruised but unbowed by blokes |
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| 5 | HURT AND RESCUE Girl bruised but unbowed by blokes |
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| 6 | THE SOUND OF SPEED Upbeat Tassie travelogue |
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| 7 | RETROMANIA Coiffed tribute to the 80s |
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| 8 | THE BOY WITH THE SUN IN HIS EYES Men not paying attention |
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| 9 | AN ACCIDENT IN TIME The morning after the night before |
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| 10 | BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Pollies promise us the world |
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| 11 | IN THE SHADOWS OF GIANTS (V2) A cool green anthem |
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| 12 | SONG FOR OSCAR A cool green anthem |
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| 13 | (THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU) MAD! Weapon & tobacco dealers rapped |
MP3 |
| 14 | BEN BEHAVING MADLY Let’s blame one bloke for all our sins |
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| 15 | FOR SENTIMENAL REASONS Misty reflections in an antique shop |
MP3 |
| 16 | THE NEXT BIG THING On missing the bigtime… and loving it |
MP3 |
ROD CRUNDWELL: keyboards, bass, electric guitar, vocals (Day Job: loan shark)
PAUL FENTON: electric guitar, bass, percussion, vocals (Day Job: pool hustler)
STAFFORD SANDERS: acoustic & electric guitars, djembe, vocals (Day Job: spin doctor)
with Ruth Conley (guest vocals on 4 & 12); Ken Stephenson (mandolin on 3); Tony Latimorec(co-lyricist on 3 & 11); Steve Wilson, Reaktor Audio (final mix & mastering)
Great tunes, great words. Funny, poignant, political without being precious, ingenious without being pretentious'
commented John Huxley, Sydney Morning Herald
YouTube Videos: Exposed and Ben Behaving Madly
No we won’t give up the Day Jobs, and we won’t get off the stage We groove on in the basement, still refuse to act our age “Cause we may not be young and pretty, and we’ll never be all the rage But we can stick kick it - and that’s…the best thing!
| 1 | UPBEAT | |
| 2 | IN THE SHADOWS OF GIANTS | MP3 |
| 3 | FRAGILE EYES | |
| 4 | EVEN BOWERBIRDS GET THE BLUES | |
| 5 | SHOULDA BEEN HERE YESTERDAY | MP3 |
| 6 | OASIS | MP3 |
| 7 | MOTHER ENGLAND | |
| 8 | THE GREAT DIVIDE | |
| 9 | DROP ME A LINE | |
| 10 | TWO | |
| 11 | FRIENDLY FIRE | |
| 12 | CRUISING IN FULL COLOUR | MP3 |
| 13 | GET INTO THE CAR AND GO | MP3 |
| 14 | REFUGEE (For Mercy’s Sake) |
ROD CRUNDWELL: keyboards, bass, electric guitar, card embosser, vocals
PAUL FENTON: drums, electric guitar, harmonica, pool brushes, vocals
STAFFORD SANDERS: acoustic and electric guitars, djembe, stapler, vocals
Just as AFL finally won Sydney, so has Back Pocket Records – in the form of Men With Day Jobs. The Sin City trio’s first eponymous CD, five years in the making (well, that’s day jobs for you!) draws from diverse influences in pop, rock, blues, funk, folk, groove, country, surf music and more. Strong vocal harmonies and sharp lyrics range from the socially savvy to the personally passionate with detours via the queer and quirky. The group’s name is a reminder of long-gone days when the boys made the usual mistake – never again. See bonus nostalgic photo… hey, that’s not Back Pocket stalwart Ken S in bad 70s blond curls is it?