Love That Album podcast Episode 115 - Tamam Shud’s “Evolution” and new Aztec releases

According to the Collins Dictionary website (because I don't have a physical dictionary handy), “evolution” is “a process of gradual development in a particular situation or thing over a period of time.” There could not be a more apt title for the name of the debut album by Newcastle band, Tamam Shud.

For episode 115 of Love That Album podcast, I am once again joined by music journalist and author of The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop, Ian Mcfarlane, to talk about psychedelic prog-rock (and some suggest surf) band Tamam Shud and their debut album Evolution. They'd formed several years prior as The 4 Strangers, then changing their name to The Sunsets. The general consensus was that they made surf music, though singer songwriter Lindsay Bjerre has never placed much stock in that description. What is indisputable is that they provided the soundtrack for surf movies directed by Paul Witzig. When the late sixties counter-culture turned its musical ears to the sounds from the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Cream, and Jefferson Airplane, The Sunsets changed their sound and name and evolved to Tamam Shud (and they continued to evolve beyond that point as well). They were a highly charged and exciting band.

Ian and I discuss the history of the band and it's place in Australian rock history, as well as the album itself. Evolution was recorded in only a couple of hours It took almost as long to record the podcast!  We also talk about how the band changed its sound drastically just a couple of years later with its contributions to the soundtrack to Morning Of The Earth, regarded as one of the greatest surf films of the era.

But wait....there's more. Ian has been a regular writer of liner notes for the wonderful Australian archival label, Aztec Records. We spend time discussing some recent re-releases on the label, as well as a hugely important box set of sixties pop material from the independent label Go! Records. Gotta tell you folks, I considered myself schooled after this episode in Australian music history. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did recording it.

If you've been following the Facebook page, notes or are regularly subscribed to the podcast, you'd know that Eric Reanimator is taking a break from the show, so my great friend David Blom has elected to do a couple of Album I Love segments. This show around, he talks about the debut EP from Kevin Parker (aka Tame Impala). I always thought Innerspeaker was debut album, but there was an EP that came before that, and Dave brings his thoughts about why you need to have it in your life. Thanks for the segment, Dave.

You can download the show from iTunes (search for “Love That Album podcast”) or from the website at http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com.

You can (and should) order a copy of Ian's brilliant encyclopedia from https://www.thirdstonepress.com.au/ The site also features an archive of Ian's liner notes for a number of the Aztec releases....all hugely informative. My thanks for his support of the podcast.

You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum.

If you’d consider writing an iTunes review or recommending the show to a friend, we’d be immensely grateful.

If you enjoy what you hear, please tell a friend or ten to tune in

Right click to download episode 115 here.