GenQ - For the not so straight individual

If you’re one of those people who hate compilation CDs that have only 2 discs in the case and you think ‘Come on! There are heaps more songs that belong on a compilation like this!’ and you love Australian music throughout the ages, then this CD is for you. There are THREE discs! Of Australian goodness! Yayness!

The first CD covers the fantastic 80’s with Jimmy Barnes, Daryl Badbreath’s ‘As Days Go By’ and a bit of Hoodoo Gurus (could there be an Australian CD without them?). Disc 2 begins with Kylie (as it should) and samples our favourite solo girls like Gina G, Vanessa Amorosi and Amiel as well as our long forgotten boy bands like CBD (‘Let’s Groove’), Regurgitator, The Living End and Taxiride with ‘Everywhere You Go’. The third and final disc reads more like today’s radio’s running list with songs from Kisschasy, Rogue Traders and Silverchair’s ARIA winning ‘Straight Lines’ alongside Sneaky Sound System and TV Rock’s ‘The Others’. The emos are kept happy with Evermore and End of Fashion while the girl rockers have the Veronicas, Bodyrockers and (secretly) Young Divas. All up, the three discs equal over 60 songs, which is over 3 hours of listening pleasure. That surely should shut a lot of you up!

I challenge anyone to check out the songs on the DVD and not know (for whatever reason) each one! Yes, a lot are one hit wonders and a lot are ones you’d rather forget and then there are the ones that would make you claim to be a Family First supporter rather than claim you know them but they are all there! All the songs on the DVD are also on the CD but the DVD has only select songs from the CD so choose wisely which one would be better for you. Or just get both… that works too.

Melissa’s ‘Sexy’ is full of well sculptured boys, dancing sexy (please to be remembering that that was the 90’s definition of sexy dancing). You’ve got a few rock boys in there too: Choir Boys, Ian Moss, a bit of Diesel and of course good ol’ Johnny boy, complete with his 1988 mullet for ‘Age of Reason’. Boys, you could buy this a pressie for mum and then plonk yourselves down to take a gander at Melissa’ back up dancers. Who can forget Frente??? Well you can remember all over again with their freaky video clip of ‘Ordinary Angels’. I’m tripping all over again although I do love Angie Hart (who’s now grown up a bit, going solo and back in Melbourne).

Of course, the DVD just like the CD covers more than just the wonderful turbulent 80’s. Kylie makes an appearance naturally (only once though, I am not impressed). Anyways who wouldn’t confide in Kylie with a clip like that? We ease on further into the 90’s with Regurgitator’s giant boobied ‘Polyester Girl’ (another creepy clip), Tina Arena, and omg the first Australian Popstars fake pop music group ‘Bardot’! It did however give Katie Underwood the basis her a singing (and acting) career. Madison Avenue’s one hit wonder song ‘Who the Hell are You?’ music clip is perfect for those of us who couldn’t quite get those dance moves. You can pause, rewind and reply to your heart’s content. Not to mention, to watch Madison Avenue’s lead singer Cheyne Coates making time with her gorgeous back up singers/dancers.

The naughties sneak up on us with some more Australian rock idols like Jet, Eskimo Joe and Missy Higgins as well as some TV voted Australian Idols like Damien Leith and our very own (Mr Boring Clip) Anthony Callea (sweet Jebus, could this DVD get any queerer?) Spiderbait’s version of ‘Black Betty’ just reminds me of a Drag King performance during one Midsumma carnival years ago. The Veronicas seem to always be fighting over the one guy in all their clips so ‘4ever’ is no different. The one clip that had me watching unblinking was Eskimo Joe’s ‘Black Fingernail, Red Wine’. Yes I hadn’t seen it before and so the unfolding story entranced me.

And there you have it. According to Video Hits, these songs are the Australian hits of the last 20 years. These CDs definitely do not fail in giving a trip down memory lane, either feeling proud to be listening to such awesome Australian artists or shivering in shame at the terrible hair of the 80’s (although some of the looks of the naughties gave them a run for their money).