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After heavy discussions, a
very candid and emotionally charged Mark Seymorur acknowledged that
they were in agreement that "Human Frailty" (I doubt that the album title
was known by then given the unknown subject matter with which it was to
be based on) was to be their most commercially directed record.
After a
few acceptable / stagnant years in the early 80s, and a less than
successful tip at the UK, there was a consensus within the Hunters
& Collectors camp that a stronger pop element was needed in order
to move from urban warriors to highly desired pop-sensations.
Ironically,
"Human Frailty" would not be classically regarded as a pop album. Yet,
it had the desired effect, propelling into stardom.
Although
there is some debate as to what genre they belong / or don't belong
to, they are now considered to be one of Australia's foremost
iconic 1980's Rock n' Roll bands. This documentary offers an insight
into exactly what was going on at the time, and how the creative thread
was woven to produce one of Australia's most influential albums.
It begins with Mark Seymour admitting that the opening track, Say Goodbye, and the album as a whole came about as the result of a girl he was in love with at the time.
He
had learned to not separate his emotions from the rest of his life.
Having previously dealt with these issues independently, "Human
Frailty" ostensibly became some kind of "autonomous-collective" therapy
session.
In a way, he offered metaphorical dialogue of his relationship at the time.
Given
that I'm not a Hunters & Collectors fan, this retrospective look at
how "Human Frailty"; more specifically, what was going on at the time
and how the songs came about, didn't really have the fullest possible
impact on me.
I found it fascinating to learn about such a
significant part of Australian culture that occurred right on my own
doorstep, however any retrospective moments with nostalgia in tow were
completely lost on me.
In any kind of review or public discourse involving Hunters & Collectors it's more or less an inevitability that Throw Your Arms Around Me will get a nod at some point.
I
found it interesting that when it was written recorded and then finally
released on "Human Frailty", it was never intended to be a pop-hit, nor
was it received at the time as an anthem betokening national identity.
It
wasn't until quite a number of years later that it began to garner such
a reputation. Over the years it was recorded on a number of different
occasions, presumably to make it sound better.
According
to Australian music industry heavyweight Michael Gudinski, the
lads were trying to uncover that distinct Hunters & Collectors
sound, and recording Throw Your Arms Around Me a number of times was a way of trying to prove their sonic identity.
As a whole this venture into one of Australia's premier post-punk bands most significant album is worth a watch.
Whether
Hunters & Collectors were a band you grew up with, something your
Dad played on Saturday every morning, or you're perhaps a little
curious, this documentary is highly relevant.
There are
extensive, no holds-barred interviews with all members of the band,
highly respected figures of the music industry (past and present)
including as noted before Michael Gudinski and Arnold Frollows.
Add to this interviews with the likes of Andy Cox of The Fauves and Paul Dempsey of Something For Kate.
As long as your not put off by lack of special features, then Great Australian Album 2 - Hunters & Collectors, Human Frailty is definitely worth 52 minutes of your time. DVD EXTRAS
One thing that tends to get a lot of attention on DVD
releases these days is special features (or lack thereof).
The only
thing in the way of special features is (presumably the whole)
interview with Mark Seymour.
Although it's quite interesting to
actually hear him talk in proper sentences rather than the stylised
documentary snippet fashion, you don't really gain much more insight.
As it turns out, they tend to use the most watchable parts in the
actual documentary! Conclusion:
Movie 75% Extras: 40%
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