In his new CD "Coonawarra Has Three Shadows" Barrie Davis  takes us on a vocally rich

and resonant excursion through Australia's life and times, from the poignant colonial story 

of  "Mrs Thomas Moore", to life in industry  ("Turning Steel" and "The Navvies") to

agriculture ("Heart of the Land" and "Send her down Hughie") and on through the

goldfields (NZ) ("Farewell to the Gold") and celebrates the sweeping and romantic history

of the country's riverboats in the title track, by local singer/songwriter Judith Crossley.

The journey is wide-ranging  and thankfully achieved without "diddle-diddle-dummery" 

or the click of a single shear!!  A thoughtful international/migrant  perspective in Enda

Kenny's "Child of Prague" adds depth, while continuing un-addressed community

concerns about pollution are voiced in Bernard Bolan's  "Not Many Fish"

Barrie's passion for train songs, with which he's totally at home, led to the inclusion of

the Broken Hill inspired  "Silver City Comet".

If you've made it through life thus far with your sense of humour intact, you'll love the wickedly delicious observations of Bernard Bolan's "The Gnome".

Added to this mix are  a couple of "Australian Classics" , Mike McClellan's "Saturday Dance" and the  under-appreciated Kevin Johnson's "Rock n' Roll".  This eclectic personal selection, which also includes two verse readings ("The Navvies and "The Sleeper Cutter's Camp") has something to please everyone and is a great showcase for Barrie and his fellow musicians.

  -  Carole Whitelock, Radio 5AN, Australian Broadcasting Corporation

ABOUT THE SONGS - This is a collection of (mostly) Australian stories in song and verse, written by and about Australians and the land they call home.   I've found these songs in all sorts of places and learned them from all sorts of people.   To the musicians who created these fine works  thank you and I hope you like what I've done with them.

Coonawarra Has Three Shadows 

Written by Judith Crossley, this is the story of the paddle steamer Coonawarra (Black Swan) built from the hull of the barge JL Roberts with paddle wheels from the Excelsior and shaftings from the burnt out Murrumbidgee.   A lovely song and a tribute to Australian ingenuity in all things mechanical.

Child Of Prague 

By Enda Kenny, an Irishman now living in Australia, this song tells the story of a whole generation of Australian immigrants after World War 2, mostly from Europe, who built the massive Snowy River hydro-electric scheme which supplies Sydney with power and water.

The Gnome 

Certain garden ornaments crack me up for no particular reason that I can explain.   So does this Bernard Bolan song!

Silver City Comet 

John Broomhall's journey home to Broken Hill from Sydney and part of my collection of railroad songs.   Why I like railroad songs so much isn't really clear to anyone including me  I just do!

The Navvies 

This evocative poem was written by Ralph Rogan of Yeppoon in Queensland.   Building railroads was some of  toughest work ever done, especially without the machines we take for granted.  

Don't Think Twice It's Alright 

This one is a ring-in.   One of two non-Australian songs in this collection, it has been one of my favourites for a very long time, perhaps because it marked the first time I learned a song with more than four chords.   Whatever the reason, Bob Dylan's lyrics cross the boundaries of time and country and are as apt today as when they were first written.

Saturday Dance 

Mike McClellan's lovely lilting ballad about one aspect of life in the country always makes me want to pack my bags and move out of the city.   Perhaps it's the romantic in me.

Mrs Thomas Moore

Penny Davies and Roger Ilott wrote this evocative song about life in the convict settlement days in Australia.   Many things have changed since then but the poignancy of the message of this song is everlasting.

Big John 

A very good friend of mine (and an excellent musician) tells me he got this from a truck driver in Queensland.   He was kind enough to let me steal it.   So to the unknown author and to my friend Ian  thanks a lot.

Turning Steel 

Work you hate is perhaps the greatest curse of modern technological man.   Most of us can relate to the idea of being trapped by circumstances and needs and Colin Dryden's magic song tells the tale as well as any.

The Sleeper Cutters' Camp 

Written during the First World War in Messines France by Dan Sheehan, this poem was originally banned by the military censor.   Obviously it wasn't acceptable to express doubts about the carnage and stupidity of what was going on.   In today's more enlightened age, it stands as an eloquent reminder of the human feelings of soldiers.

Farewell To The Gold 

Paul Metzer's song about the lusts and hardships of gold mining in New Zealand in the nineteenth century is based on historical facts.   It's also one of the prettiest things I know.

Not Many Fish

When Bernard Bolan wrote this song more than thirty years ago about pollution in one of the loveliest harbours in the world it was accurate and topical.   Now the Olympic Games are to be held in Sydney it's sad that the sentiment of the song still applies.

Wings 

Brian Bedford is an accapella singer in the UK and the author of this great song about the wonders and terrors of love.

The Heart Of The Land 

No collection of songs about Australia would be complete without a contribution from the master.   Eric Bogle has created a picture of the life of the farmer in Australia, not much different from the life of farmers everywhere and all of it hard and tough, but strangely satisfying.

Send Her Down, Hughie 

A typically Australian look at a not very funny subject.   All Australians know about drought but those on the land live with the joys, hopes and terrors of unpredictable rainfall every day.   The true Aussie way of dealing with something this serious is to be utterly irreverent about it, as Penny Davies and Roger Ilott demonstrate in this song about the rain gods.

Rock And Roll 

With just a couple of different decisions at key moments in my life, this could easily have been about me, although I'd like to think the ending would be different!   Kevin Johnson wrote this song for all those people who have ever picked up a musical instrument and dreamed.   Not many of us have the courage to try living this particular dream and disaster lurks around every turn in the road.   Just the same, better to have loved and lost, etc, etc.