Description
“This long-awaited 7th release from Frank Jones (Whirling Furphies) is full to brimming with his trademark folk/altpop songs – songs of wit, joy and emotion.”
Frank penned Naarm’s (Melbourne’s) iconic anthem, ‘My Brown Yarra’, one of the great Australian songs, and his lifetime of cross-genre songwriting includes six outstanding albums of his own and a multitude of songs written for and co-written with other artists.
Frank Jones – Twice Round the Moon
CD review by Tony Smith
TN2582-91 – $20
Frank Jones wrote these varied songs which he sings while playing guitar and harmonica.
He is supported by several musicians including Rosie and Christy Wositzky-Jones, Dave Steel, Tamara Murphy, David Hicks, George Butrumlis and the Lomond Session Players, Dan Bourke, Tony Hargreaves, Andrew Le Blanc and Jamie Molloy.
On the technical side, Jones mentions Butrumlis, Cliff Burtt, Dave and Tom Wayman, Peter Leman and Craig Pilkington of the Audrey Studios, Coburg.
This is Jones’ sixth album.
He also has to his credit the anthem for Melbourne’s river, ‘My Brown Yarra’.
He reckons that he almost drowned there and that the river must have spared him so that he could write the song!
The first three tracks are bluesy love songs: ‘Bullet Train’, ‘Part of My Heart’ and ‘Tangambalanga’, which has some very fine images including those of the silo and welcoming kookaburras and magpies.
‘Rainy-Eyed Girl’ and ‘A Million Breaths’ belong to that genre too.
The standard of these songs is uniformly high.
Towards the middle of the album are some very appealing protest songs.
When ‘A Dodo and a Thylacine’ discuss species extinction, you feel that they have a message about ecocide and genocide as well.
The delivery here is deceptively gentle but is powerful nonetheless.
On ‘Greenacres Lane’, Jones uses a recitative style for the verses and sings the choruses.
Mandolin and dobro enhance the tune considerably.
The message of the song is that ‘Progress Street’ is often a misnomer and some none too subtle propaganda for property developers.
‘Frank and Juliet’ is a fine bluesy number introduced by seductive harmonica.
Jones again highlights the ways in which we are told that the simple life, around Collingwood for example, is somehow inferior to that lived by celebrities.
An almost jolly arrangement for ‘Can’t Find the Money’ (for the things we need) highlights the serious message in this song.
It is difficult to disagree with the call to ‘Ban the billionaires’ when they set us against each other competing for the crumbs that fall from their tables.
‘The Goldfish Song’ tells a tale from the goldfish’s POV.
Again, there are some subtle parallels here.
Ask anyone who feels trapped.
Backed by some very appropriate piano providing variety in styles, the ‘Refugees’ Prayer’ is a lullaby that exudes good will.
A feature of this track and the entire album is the strong vocal support Jones gets from Rosie.
Indeed, Rosie has a solo lead briefly on this track and without denigrating Jones at all, I have to say that I wished she had more lead parts.
When Jones says that he hopes refugees will find welcome here, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that they would find the Australian community opening their arms if only the politicians would get out of the way.
Among the half dozen or so songs which might be described as love songs, the final and title track ‘Twice Round the Moon’ seems to me the best.
It has simple lyrics and honest sentiments.
The accordion accompaniment helps provide a positive atmosphere.
It is encouraging to see that most musicians today, as Frank Jones does here, acknowledge that they perform on unceded Indigenous lands.
In this case, Jones pays his respects to the Gulidjan, Wurundjeri, Bunurong and Wadawurrung peoples as well as the broader Indigenous community.
Frank Jones has produced a heartfelt album with lyrics high on integrity and tunes delivered with musical expertise.
Ed. Twice Round the Moon is available from the Trad&Now website and can be heard on Trad&Now Live! from time to time, but particularly during the recent arrivals hour from 12 noon daily.
