Phil Judd - Play It Strange Album Review
Play It Strange is a mind meld of funky pop folk tunes, its what a love child conceived by the pairing of The Beatles and Split Enz would sound like!
It’s The Sgt Pepper’s album with amplified eccentric Phil Judd's “Enz” style bohemian theatrics. 14 tracks full of rhetorical comments of everyday life, like in Sense of Humour, with its line of “if it weren’t for the bad times the good times wouldn’t be so good”. Phil Judd’s vocals are a mix of natural melodic crooning, with lots of falsetto and vibrato insertions, while some songs have added reverb or a megaphone effect to bring more personality to the track.
The title track Play It Strange is a song that was performed but never recorded by Split Enz in the late 70’s, and is full of Phil’s delightful acoustic guitar, which thankfully is littered through the album. We are also treated to some excellent electric guitar licks and solos in Renovators Dream, Autopilot and Salamander Man.
Overall the album is a joyous bohemian circus, with the exception of the dark Baby and the Bath Water which may be a retort to being left out of the Split Enz reunion! There’s the quirky Castle of Regret which starts acoustic and then shifts to rock about 2 minutes in, and the funky n folky sound of Kite Flying Day. My favourites are the delightful Love Crusade and Renovators Dream both are a fun and whimsical stomp which lift your spirits.
I appreciated that each song has a unique characteristic (some very subtle) to each other, showing that Mr Judd is still full of inspiration and creativity which this album showcases so charmingly well.
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About Phil Judd
Swingers had some minor success in their homeland (including a number one hit with the unforgettable Counting the Beat) but fell apart by the early '80s. Judd released his first and only solo album in 1982, Private Lives (edited down to the Swinger EP in the U.S.). It was virtually ignored and Judd changed directions, focusing more on composing film music, winning many awards, and pursuing art.
In 1986, he joined with former Split Enz bandmates Nigel Griggs and Noel Crombie, along with guitarist Michael Den Elzen, to form Schnell Fenster. After two albums, the group broke up in 1992. Judd then returned to film music, including acclaimed scores for The Big Steal, Death in Brunswick, and Mr. Reliable. In 2006, Judd returned with a solo album, Mr. Phudd and His Novelty Act.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Phil Judd
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