Australian

1001 Albums I Heard While Alive: Tex Perkins And The Band of Gold - Self titled

Tex Perkins and The Band of Gold - Self titled

Tex Perkins should need no introduction to any Australian music fan. Over the last 30 odd years he has been involved in so many projects you would be forgiven for not keeping up.

There are the obvious outings like The Cruel Sea, Beasts of Bourbon, and Tex Don & Charlie however there are also other lesser known projects like TnT (a collaboration with You Am I’s Tim Rogers), Butcher Shop, The Ape and this week’s subject Tex Perkins and the Band of Gold.

The Band of Gold is the same group of musicians that performed with Tex as part of The Man in Black - The Johnny Cash Story and as you might have guessed this record is a love letter to country music.

Country music is often criticised unfairly. Sure, it has it’s fair amount of embarrassments and cliches but doesn’t every genre? For every Pearl Jam there is a Creed, for every Nirvana there is a Nickelback, for every Frenzal Rhomb there is a Good Charlotte... You get the idea.

The tracks on this record are all covers and it includes tunes by the legendary Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, George Jones and many others. Tex has always had an audible country influence on most of his records however here he plays it completely straight. No winking or sly smiles.

The full tracklist is:

This is the type of record that is perfect for the morning after a big night. Help Me Make It Through The Night is a fantastic opener and the album has a nice consistent feel throughout.

Highlights for me are the aforementioned opener, If I Needed You, Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness, Kathleen and Rock Salt and Nails.

I bought this album the day it came out and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in hearing some reinterpretations of classic country songs. Also, if you haven’t checked out Townes Van Zandt stop what you are doing and watch some videos now. A big thanks to Lyndon Rodriguez for getting me interested in Townes. Here are a few tunes to get you started:

Over to Moose.

Pointy: Do you own/like this album?

Moose: I don’t own this album, no – but i have heard it a few times, and i like it.

Pointy: Do you think this record belongs on the actual 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die list?

Moose: No, he is an artist with such a vast amount of work, that i think there are other Tex records I’d put on the list first.

Pointy: Any particular thoughts about this record?

Moose: Tex has a lovely voice, and i like slide guitar.

Mrs Pointy’s pick for next week: The Doors - Waiting For The Sun

The Doors - Waiting For The Sun