SCALA Tell The World CD Review What gives rise to a music scene developing in a certain place? There have been many identifiable music scenes linked to specific locations. We have (or have had) the Liverpool sound, the Nashville sound, the Bakersfield sound, the Haight-Ashbury scene, the West Coast sound, the Manchester sound, the Lubbock scene, the Austin scene etc., etc. (Robert Altman's latest film Kansas City gives a classic example of a jazz scene developing in a specific locale). Sometimes a city or region gives rise to a whole style or genre as in Chicago Blues and Delta Blues. With some, a music scene or sound comes about because of the enormous impact of a certain individual or group. Other performers are then influenced and inspired and the momentum for a music scene is created. Sometimes a place has historical and cultural traditions which makes it a mecca for musicians. New Orleans, Memphis, Los Angeles, and Nashville are such examples. Indeed one could say that entire music industries have been created in those cities. Sometimes a “sound” starts in a congregating place for musicians who enjoy various aspects of the locale. Sometimes it just happens. Since the formation of SCALA (Songwriters, Composers And Lyricists Association) in Adelaide in 1987, there has been both impetus and support for local songwriters. There is certainly an active performing and recording scene in Adelaide. Of course that doesn't always translate to security or success for the artist. There are a whole lot of factors associated with that. Too many Australians tend to devalue their own country's music and don't think that their local musicians can make music as well as Americans or the British can. Then there's the lack of support for local music by radio. Recordings need to get played regularly on radio to gain exposure and promotion. These, of course, are ongoing problems. SCALA, though, for years has shown that Adelaide has a lot of creative and talented writers and performers. SCALA used to put out the annual tape of the Songwriter's Event which was then held at Goolwa. It released 6 tapes between 1989 and 1994 and these gave many songwriters and musicians their first taste of recording and professional recognition. A giant leap was undertaken in 1995 with the first SCALA compilation CD, SCALA Big and Strong. With this CD, recording opportunities (and a release) were enabled for more SCALA members, not just the winners at the Songwriter's Event. The high quality of most of the work on SCALA Big and Strong was undeniable. With the release of SCALA Tell the World that quality has continued. It's another chance to tell the world of South Australia’s songwriters and performers. There's a generous 18 tracks here covering a range of musical styles and themes and the best is exhilarating. Cavan Te's brooding and intense Street Lights got a wonderful crowd response and great accolades from the judges at the grand final of SCALA’s Festival of Original Music Song Competition (FOOM) in 1995. Cavan’s was a performance which conveyed the dark edges and harrowing quality of the song. The version here is augmented by other musicians and it is a moving and powerful performance of a song which deserves recognition. The "Fruit connection" features strongly on SCALA Tell the World. A lot of us have thrilled to their energetic, infectious live gigs and warmed to their literate, insightful material over the past couple of years. Susie Keynes from Fruit (which won Most Outstanding Release for its debut CD in 1995) performs a dark and strong Washaway which, like Street Lights and others was a co-winner of the live section of the 1995 FOOM. Washaway is an intense song about a doomed relationship and is full of powerful images and lines. The whole of Fruit performs Miranda Bradley's classy Been There, Done That (yes, another joint winner) which focuses on the doubts and concerns of an impending relationship which threatens to overwhelm. Another Fruit member, Sam Lohs, wrote Three More than 202 and with Adam Budgen (he's Fruit's sound engineer) performs it under their duet's name Breathe. On this intriguing song of travel, love and complications (the fourth joint winner of the 1995 live section of FOOM) Breathe is helped out by Fruit's Mel Watson and Susie Keynes (becoming ubiquitous!). Speaking of ubiquitous, Ralph Schmidt has two songs on SCALA Tell the World. Roboman won the Working Life section of the 1995 Songwriter's Event. Roboman, set to a pounding beat, rails against the soul destroying work many must do and the tragic consequences of it. Ralph's other song Waiting for the Storm is a plaintive and pretty folk ballad sung to a lovely backing of guitar and keyboard. Another folk-based song Charlie was a Rover by Ian McDowall won the Open Section of the 1995 Songwriter's Event. It's a poignant, eloquent narrative ballad of a man who just can't settle and spends a lonely life of loss and regret. It moved a lot of people when sung at Victor Harbor and the CD version should have a similar effect. The winner of the 1995 FOOM master tape (instrumental) section was Stephen McKenzie whose prize winning Carry That Light was one of the highlights of last year's SCALA Big and Strong. The instrumental of Feel Free is a lovely and elegant piece of music performed by guitar, percussion, cello and clarinet. Chris Henderson's Graveyard Country Towns won the B# Award at Victor. Chris is a very consistent and insightful writer who's had success at previous Songwriter's Events. Graveyard Country Towns, performed by Chris's band Vis-a-Vis is a telling account of the crisis in rural communities. This fine song is strong on imagery which heightens the impact, and the addition of flute makes this a compelling version. Garth Dutton continues the rural South Australian theme and hardships of the land in Goyder's Line with a strong historical narrative. George Arab's I Feel Love is a percussive and rhythmic piece with a strong dance groove. It's one of the bigger production pieces on SCALA Tell the World but as so often with this genre the lyrics aren't that strong. George appears again on the CD as backing on Nick Love's song Human Nature. It's a well produced, catchy dance-pop number which is classily sung by Polly Xeni and lots will like it, but, for me, it’s lyrically naive. The state of the world and the human condition concerns many songwriters and in this era of constant change and huge environmental, social and political problems there's plenty of material. Dez Wade’s impressive Hymns of our Time explores the world situation with self-confessed "exuberant enthusiasm". It's a catchy, dramatic and thought-provoking song with the vocals mixed back a little. Then there's the final five songs, not that the songs mentioned thus far have been in chronological order! Brenton Edgecombe's Seashores, performed by The Bard, is a well produced pop-ballad of love and reflection. The A C Syndicate perform Andy Cooper and Robert Thompson's Perspectives, which has good production values and is a strongly percussive track with catchy vocal interplay, about the dilemma of two people seeing things differently. Trina and David Howlett, with just a vocal supported by acoustic guitar, eloquently perform the stark, moody and philosophical Moonshine. The three-piece (now four!) DogWater play David Robinson's lyrically oblique put-down song You Don't Like That, a long and dramatic piece of rock/pop. Steve Ashley, another artist from SCALA Big and Strong, closes SCALA Tell the World with the poignant and reflective Extremes, a song with a very personal and sincere slant. Through its live performance venues, radio shows and CDs like SCALA Tell the World, SCALA gives local and aspiring songwriters, composers and lyricists wonderful opportunities. SCALA Tell the World continues SCALA's proud tradition of promoting local songwriting and showing anyone who cares to listen the quality of the local music scene. Let's not be coy or reticent about supporting local songwriters and musicians. Adelaide has a music scene which should be supported and celebrated. We may not be New Orleans or Los Angeles but ... well, let's tell the world where we are. Copyright © Rob Woodard 1997 Originally published in SCALA News # 56 March/April 1997.