Talk about your continental divide. I knew Paul Kelly’s name because some of my favorite artists, including Last Train Home, Kelly Willis and Kasey Chambers had recorded his work.
But I’ll have to admit that I was totally unprepared for the scope and quality of the music on “Songs of the South: Paul Kelly’s Greatest Hits,” a 40-song reissue about to be released.
Kelly is in fact one of Australia’s most respected singer-songwriters. The “greatest hits” collection spans about 25 years of his work, serving as both a career overview and an introduction to an artist too few Americans know about.
The range is remarkable, a bit like if you had never heard Elvis Costello and were suddenly introduced to his endless permutations.
Early Paul Kelly sounds a bit like early Al Stewart and current John Wesley Harding, but it all evolves into intriguing rock, pop, country and folk.
There’s a bit lost in translation, most notably the tribute to cricket legend “Bradman,” but it’s a compelling collection overall.
From the charming “St. Kilda to King’s Cross” to the haunting “Deeper Water” and the heart-rending “How to Make Gravy,” this album makes clear just what this continent has been missing.
Tag: Kasey Chambers
Americana Music chart: Keen’s “Ready for Confetti” soars
Robert Earl Keen’s fine new album (reviewed here this week) “Ready for Confetti” moved into sixth on this week’s Americana Music Chart, while the top five places were unchanged, with John Hiatt, Gillian Welch, the Jayhawks, Kasey Chambers and Joe Ely in the top five spots.
New to the chart: The Bottle Rockets’ “Not So Loud” at 40. (Pictured)