Died Pretty - Out Of The Unknown (The Very Best Of)

Reflecting back on the 1980’s, it’s easy to rattle off a seemingly never-ending list of Australian bands who rode high on commercial success throughout the decade – both nationally and internationally: INXS, Midnight Oil, Men At Work, Icehouse, Divinyls, Australian Crawl, etc …
It’s equally easy to rattle off those bands who snubbed their nose at the commercial excess that littered the decade, instead achieving critical acclaim that has stayed with them over subsequent decades: The Go-Betweens, Triffids, Birthday Party, etc …
Then there are those bands that never quite fitted into either camp releasing quality material over an extended period, gaining a reputation for passionate, memorable live shows at the time but never quite transferring those achievements into an enduring legacy that would make them household names. The Celibate Rifles, Church and Died Pretty all fit this mould.

What you will find on this collection are 16 reasons that suggest if the cards had fallen a little differently, then Ron Peno & Brett Myers may well have been able to lay claim to being more than just the leaders of a band with a “cult following”. Certainly, the quality of song writing on display is extraordinarily high throughout - particularly on the selections taken from their most well-known albums: 'Free Dirt' & 'Doughboy Hollow'. But what really makes this collection worth hunting down is the picture it paints of a band that was constantly evolving. From the early days where psychedelic rave-ups like ‘Desperate Hours’ were the norm, to the more sweeter sounding latter-day singles such as ‘Harness Up’, it illustrates that in the end, the band were able to achieve the right balance that sought to utilize Ron Peno’s vocal intensity in a manner that tried not to alienate those potential listeners who just weren’t prepared for that sought of intensity all of the time.
While the absence of classic early single ‘Mirror Blues’ is noteworthy, it could be argued that if you want to delve that deeply, then you just really need to pick up 'Free Dirt' and be done with it. What is here does the job of providing a fine introduction to one of Sydney’s forgotten bands. As such, if you are keen to become part of the “cult following” but just aren’t quite sure how to do it, then this collection may well be what you need to start your conversion!

Died Pretty had been something of an ill-fated band, for whom lasting commercial success proved elusive. Forming in Sydney in 1983, they topped the alternative Australian charts with singles such as Out of the Unknown, Mirror Blues, Stoneage Cinderella and Everybody Moves. The band made eight albums, including Doughboy Hollow, which debuted the band in the Australian Top 20 charts in 1991, and is regarded as an Australian classic. Its successor, Trace, yielded the band's best-selling single, Harness Up.

The band's run at international success after signing with Sony/Columbia, however, was beset by woes. After being dropped by the major label in 1996, Died Pretty returned to Citadel Records, the influential Sydney-based independent label they called home, along with contemporaries such as the Screaming Tribesmen, the New Christs and the Lime Spiders.

"Died Pretty should have been a hell of a lot more commercially successful than they were," says Citadel founder John Needham, who also managed them from day one. "They just didn't have the luck."

 

Died Pretty - Pre Diety

Reissue of the seminal compilation that brings together Died Pretty's first two singles (neither of which appear on the Very Best of, despite that album taking its name from their first single) and the breakthrough Next To Nothing EP. Pre Deity sounds and runs like it's proper album and many people think it's one of their best releases! Died Pretty is/was one of Australia's best, though sadly underrated, rock groups. Their music is always fresh and sharp, and although regular chart success has unfairly eluded them, their spirit has remained intact, along with their substantial following. "Pre Deity" is a cleverly titled collection of the band's material prior to their debut album. It features their first single, "Out of the Unknown" and B-side "World Without". The first is a fast paced rocker with searing guitar and dual lead vocals from Ron Peno and Brett Myers (who are the creative force behind the band, and the remaining foundation members); the second is a quiet ballad. The single encapsulates Died Pretty, proving they are capable of loud, in your face rock, but also have a gentle side. Their second single, "Mirror Blues" is an epic - it runs for 10 minutes, but its shifts and changes ensure it never drags; it is a brilliant song. The final four tracks comprise the EP "Next to Nothing", which provides more of the band's diversity. It has a soothing ballad ("Plaining Days"), another epic in the form of the 8 minute "Desperate Hours", which has a quiet, brooding opening, bursts of angry guitar, and Peno's vocals, which range from low murmurs to guttural screams, ending in a crescendo of wild and manic sound. The last track, "Final Twist", is a beautiful and evocative song; perhaps it's apocalyptic, but who can tell? Whatever it is about, it grabs you and never lets go. This is a fine collection of early material from a truly great band.

Died Pretty - Free Dirt

The band's first full-length album found the group starting to come into its own more and more. While the various influences that can be referred to are still present, Died Pretty are starting to sound more like a group finding a distinct sound instead of taking a cue from good influences. Helped in the studio by a variety of guests on everything from sax to pedal steel guitar, and with good, full production from Rob Younger continuing the job he started with the Pre-Deity tracks, Free Dirt is a fine, fiery effort. "Wig-Out" serves as good an example of its quality as any; with martial drumming and a very Celtic drinking tune atmosphere made just that much more intense by being performed on rock instruments; it shows how the band hotwires the past for its own purposes. Opening song "Blue Sky Day" is, perhaps, the band's best-yet, an energetic but never overbearing rocker with a comfortable glow and surge to it, Brett Myers' really wonderful guitar matched by the additional performances on mandolin and violin. His work throughout the album is exemplary, powerful but never pointlessly showy, while Brunetti's keyboards take the melodic lead more often than not, calling to mind Ray Manzarek's often-similar role in the Doors, while not sounding like a clone of same. Similarly Ron S. Peno's Jim Morrison inspirations are clear, but his higher-pitched, less self-obsessed singing is in many ways warmer and more immediate than those of his forebear. Top it off with the fine Mark Lock/Chris Welsh rhythm section, and it's clear a crack band is at work. "Through Another Door," sung by Myers in a warm, winning fashion, the grand concluding solos on "Life to Go" and "Next to Nothing," and the beautifully cryptic "The 2000 Year Old Murder," are among the many highlights. 

Died Pretty - Next To Nothing 12''EP

Released in August 1985, Died Pretty’s Next to Nothing 12" EP is a critical early release (4 tracks) that established their sound, blending melodic jangle with 1960s-influenced psychedelia, blues, and a hint of the Velvet Underground. The EP was praised for its mature songwriting and haunting vocals, contrasting with the era's typical pub rock. The EP is described as a mix of Velvet Underground-inspired sounds, bluegrass, and early Rolling Stones, characterized by a darker, moody, yet uplifting tone. Next to Nothing serves as a crucial bridge between their early, noisier roots and the more polished, epic songwriting of albums like Free Dirt.