Born Sandy Devotional

In 1986 people's view of Australian music changed forever. The Triffids led this change by showing the rest of the world that Aussie songwriting and musicianship was something to be reckoned with. Born Sandy Devotional (BSD) is an essential piece of any music fan's collection. Whether you like rock, country, folk, pop, rap or classical, you will appreciate the songs written by David McComb and performed by The Triffids. The band's fans, know as "TriffHeads", are rabidly devoted to spreading the word about the Triffids and trying to help them reach new fans, especially in America, a country they were not able to break. BSD is considered by most TriffHeads to be their defining album. It is hard to classify The Triffids. I would say somewhere between Johnny Cash and the Rolling Stones - yet, on their own plain as well. For instance the first song doesn't have a jingley-jangley guitar intro or a swelling build up to the first line. Boom, instant. The Seabirds hits like a big fat thick drop of honey upon your eardrum. As the album rolls on, the honey spreads and sinks in to your brain and then down your spine through your bones and blood. And there it stays. In fact, honey is a good metaphor for this music. Honey is sweet, nutritious, universally loved and can even heal wounds when applied to the skin. We know it is produced by bees but not sure how it is made or how the bees all work together in order to get their sweet product. The musicianship is phenomenal. This is a band that listens to each other when they play. The many layers stretch and pull and touch and mingle in a way that keeps the music fresh through endless listenings. The band is known not just for their musical abilities but the way they interpret and produce David's songs. These songs are wired into the band member's brains and played from the heart. David McComb sings, plays guitar and keyboards, 'Evil' Graham Lee plays pedal, lap steel and shoulder guitars, Martyn Casey is on bass, Jill Birt sings and plays keyboards, David's brother Robert McComb plays violin and guitar and Alsy MacDonald plays drums. Another reason to own BSD is that David McComb is arguable one of the greatest songwriters of all time. And I am including Mozart on this list. David was born to write and write he did prolifically for his short 36 years here on Earth. Like any highly regarded artist, his songs come from inside out. His lyrics are quotable and sticky. If you listen enough to The Triffids, you will have an insightful and philosophical comment for every occasion - just don't say it in front of another TriffHead because they will know you are just repeating one of David's lyrics: "I know your shape Our limbs entwined I know your name, remember mine" from Estuary Bed. I give this album the highest rating and it is my favorite