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Mushroom Rock/40 Years 40 Tracks (Mushroom/Warner)

Compiled by Jeff Jenkins this collection delivers everything it says on the tin. In his notes Jenkins stakes out his brief. There’s no Kylie, just the rock tunes on which the legend of Michael Gudinski’s label was built. The set kicks off with Skyhooks ‘Living In The 70’s’ and then its on to Matt Taylor ‘I Remember When I Was Young’ and ‘The Dingoes ‘Way Out West’. As the 1970’s roll by the line-up features Billy Thorpe, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, The Sports and The Ferrets. There’s no ‘Don’t Fall In Love’, Jenkins has gone with ‘Janie May’. Paul Kelly is here with ‘Leaps And Bounds’, The Sunnyboys with ‘Happy Man’ and Russell Morris with ‘Hush’. Spread over two discs: the first closes with The Triffids ‘Wide Open Road’. Commercial success kept coming with the likes of Jimmy Barnes, Ian Moss, The Saints (‘Just Like Fire Would’), The Angels (‘Dogs Are Talking’) and The Models (‘Out Of Mind Out Of Sight’). Ask any music fan to raid the Mushroom vault and you’ll never get the same outcome twice. Occasionally you’ll wonder why Jenkins went for ‘this’, instead of ‘that’: but it’s his perogative. Overall, it’s a fine set that celebrates a once great label and is a perfect introduction to anyone that missed the roster in its’ heyday.

[rating: 4/5]

Mitchell Peters