The Clean : Tally Ho
[Purchase]
I won’t even bother to reiterate what my fellow blog writers have already put forth beautifully in their prior, respective posts about actual time length of a particular track falling within the parameters of desired “perfect song length”. My iPod said this tune was 2:42. Fair enough for me! More importantly, regardless of it’s length, I could never argue against it being a perfect pop song. Outside of The Beatles, I can’t think of another band that has influenced it’s native music scene as much as The Clean did in New Zealand during the the 1980’s. Formed in 1978, things jump started for the band when a fan started a small record label called Flying Nun in order to get the band’s music heard to wider audience. Who would have guessed a whole movement would be created, that is the “Dunedin Sound”, or to foreign ears, later known as “Kiwi Pop”. More importantly, it birthed a underground scene that flourished for decades after, thanks in part to their Government’s Art Council which issued grants to bands so they could record their music in studio sessions. The Australian/New Zealand labels, Flying Nun and Xpressway signed many of these bands throughout the 80’s and into the 90’s. The Clean went on to record albums for another three decades and I don’t believe they have officially disbanded. Band Leader, David Kilgour continues on with a brilliant solo career, while fellow band mate Robert Scott formed, my personal favorite Kiwi band, The Bats, who have a very impressive catalog as well. The Merge Records label released a far overdue respective of The Clean, for American ears in 2002.
