It was such a sad loss to the music industry when the ultra talented Chrissy Amphlett passed away. She was an amazing singer, great songwriter, massive personality and brilliant live performer. Her absence is noticeable, but she will always live on through her amazing songs.
Even though I am a massive pop fan, it's crazy how much I love the Divinyls. Their songs are stuff of legend here in Australia, they are true icons. Spanning over a few decades, they had some amazing hits and some incredible albums. I love to go back and revisit their songs often.
So once again choosing just five was near impossible, and I am genuinely in shock at some of the songs that were left off. Like, "Pleasure and Pain", brilliant song - probably number six on the list. It's a great tune. Then there's "Back to the Wall", how the hell did that not make the list? Then if only just looking at album tracks, the ballad "Come Down to Earth" is so incredibly beautiful. Such great songs missing out on the top 5.
So here's my list, love to hear your favourites in the comments section below:
5 - I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore
I didn't realise for many years that this was in fact a cover version, as it has such a Divinyls sound. Their adaption is pretty amazing. Used in the soundtrack to the great, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", this is such a great rock track. Amphlett's voice is incredible here and sounds so beautifully effortless. It's such a catchy song and always gets stuck in my head after I listen to it. Such a solid track that defines so much of my years at Uni.
4 - Human on the Inside
Lyrically this is stunning, "If love was a war, it's you that has won, while I was confessing it you held your tongue; now the damage is done". Great lyrics, I probably could share them all, they are that good. The song also has an amazing cover version from The Pretenders, but it's the Divinyls original that is superior. And what a great album "Underworld" is, even though it didn't chart well - "I'm Jealous" was close to making this list. Again the vocals are amazing here, such a beautiful song!
3 - Boys in Town
This was the first ever Divinyls release, written in 1979 and released in 1981. It is full on Aussie pub rock, the special exception? There was a woman fronting the band, and she kicked complete arse!! It was great reading Chrissy's autobiography and hearing her talk about the inspiration for this song, the boys she used to hang around at the beach. It reached number 8 on the Aussie charts and is rightfully considered an Aussie classic.
2 - I Touch Myself
Without a doubt, this is the Divinyls most iconic song. In fact, it was this song that turned me from a casual Divinyls fan into a massive one. It's a brilliant rock track that hit number one in Australia and went top ten in the US and UK. Co-written with the guys who wrote "Like A Virgin" for Madonna, and "True Colors" for Cyndi Lauper, it's an impressive tune. Just the right level of naughty, this ode to self love is damn catchy. What a truly great piece of music this is.
1 - I'm On Your Side
I had to seriously decide whether to put this or "I Touch Myself" at number one on my list, but when I thought about which one I love the most, this came on top. This stunning ballad has always been a favourite of mine. Amphlett's voice soars here as she sings so passionately in this song about love falling away. After Amphlett's passing, this song holds an even bigger place in my heart. Truly, truly beautiful!
So what's your favourite Divinyls song? Tell me in the comments section below.
No comments:
Post a Comment