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.
