After The Night

One of the better garage rock recordings of its period, the dozen songs here, cut for Justice Records after the band had placed in the second runner-up spot in a local Battle of the Bands, are full of surprises. For starters, the presence of two rhythm guitarists gives the group a rich, thick-textured sound. The other big surprise is the balance struck between the organist and lead guitarist: Monte Allison and David Marlette make a perfect team of soloists. Allison's organ shifts effortlessly from background to foreground, and Marlette's guitar solos show an engaging, inventive sense of melody. The presence of a handful of very pleasing original numbers only enhances the value of this CD. Excellent sound, too.

After the fluke success of "Hey Saint Peter" made Flash and The Pan's first album into an international hit, this side project from Harry Vanda and George Young had to contend with a follow-up. Vanda and Young, best known as the core of 60's hit makers The Easybeats and producers to AC/DC (George Young is family to Malcom and Angus), were already no strangers to hit song-writing. The result was "Media Man" charting in several countries, and the album expanding on the band's cult audience. The formula remained pretty much the same. Heavy new wave synths paired to either dance-beats or down tempo gloominess, along with monotone, processed vocals. This doesn't click quite as often as it does on the debut album, and there's nothing here as memorable as "Hey St Peter" or "The Band Played On/Down Among The Dead Men." But more than half the album clicks, with "Media Man" being the dance-hit and the title track being the best of the bummers. It's also worth pointing out that, despite the minimalist trappings, these guys were pretty incredible musicians. Give a listen to the piano solo on "Welcome To The Universe" for proof on that one.