Stoneage Romeos The Hoodoo Gurus

I first remember hearing the Hoodoo Gurus on the radio in high school, I assume the first song I heard was My girl but it’s 35 years ago so my memory may not serve as well as it should.

I know for certain that Like Wow Wipeout was a big hit and always played at school socials, but I know I didn’t get my cassette of Stoneage Romeos until about 1987.

And what a fine album it was, from the opening track Let’s all turn on, a track where Dave Faulkner name drops the titles from dozens of pop tunes, the album then rolls into some classic pop interspersed with some darker moments : I want you back and My Girl bookend the darker tunes of Arthur, Death Ship and Dig it up. It’s perfect and timeless power pop and the guitars are up front.

Side two takes a turn which at the time of first listen was unexpected. I appreciate that in the age of CD’s and iPods side two is irrelevant, but when I first heard this album it had sides and was better for it. Opening with Zanzibar Faulkner takes us on a trip, summoning images from the far flung African nation while confessing quietly at the end that he’s never been.

The rest of the side continues with wild stories, of Lelani, a South Pacific sacrifice to the gods(which gives us the live favourite shouting of Umgowa, wait for it), Tojo about cyclone Tracy, closing with In the Echo Chamber and I was a Kamikaze pilot which both read like plots to some Saturday afternoon movies.

Then it hits you, these really are movie plots, Faulkner is genuinely the television addict that he sang about in The Victims.

You flip the tape over again and it’s back to old school pop.

The Hoodoo Gurus produced many fine albums but this one for me is the most complete, the one that works from start to finish, is complete, which is quite rare for a first album.

I’m keen to hear people’s thoughts about their favourite Hoodoos album, song or anything else. Leave a comment below.