Description
CD REVIEW – by John Williams
Buckley’s Chance – Home Again And Free
If you like revival bush music from bands such as The Cobbers, Paradiddle or The Bushwackers then you will surely enjoy this CD.
It contains several staple songs of this genre such as “Denis O’Rielly”, “Wooloomooloo Lair”, “Lazy Harry’s” and “Waltzing Matilda”.
It would be selling this band short to stop here however.
Buckley’s Chance also branches out into other territory with success.
The CD contains an interesting version of the old Lucky Starr hit, “I’ve Been Everywhere”.
The hero of the song no longer “humps his bluey” he carries a backpack, guess this is to make it easier for a younger audience to understand!
Buckley’s Chance also play a fine version of Stan Wakefield’s “The Rabbiter’s Song”.
The band also do justice to two John Dengate songs “The T.A.B. Punter’s Song” and “Bare Legged Kate”, a song John wrote about his mother’s childhood and upbringing in Gundagai.
The group performs a great version of “Freedom On The Wallaby” by Henry Lawson with the tune by Chris Kempster. This was my favorite track on the CD.
Another fine song was “The Outside Track”, also written by Henry Lawson.
The band has two songs written by band members included on the CD.
The title song “Home Again And Free” is a plaintive song which would reduce any expatriate Aussie to want to rush home.
“If Hearts Are Stone” is also a strongly delivered track which tackles the white view of history and argues that without reconciliation then the words of the National Anthem are meaningless.
Powerful stuff indeed.
The CD sounds as if it was recorded live at times but the CD notes say it was recorded in a studio. You get a mixed bag from this CD of traditional and modern songs.
It is well worth a listen and I enjoyed it and can recommend it, especially if you like a good “Bush Band”.
