By Joe Matera
Welcome to this week’s edition of Musical Musings, and as it’s the last column for this year (it’ll return on January 5), today’s column includes a special ‘best of 2022’.
Best live music of 2022
According to Riverlinks in Shepparton, the five best-selling music shows this year were:
John Williamson in February, Jon Stevens in March, Human Nature in May, Bjorn Again in June and Baker Boy in September.
John Williamson
This year Australian music icon John Williamson embarked on his Winding Down Tour, which saw him perform at Riverlinks, with the show itself one of Riverlinks best selling of the year.
“My show at Riverlinks in February was the second last of a run of nine concerts over 12 days,” he told me last week.
“Hardly sounds like ‘winding back’ — the theatre was full, and the crowd was enthusiastic.
“It’s hard to contemplate giving the game away when my show makes a lot of people happy.
“The job is not that hard, as I understand how we all like to hear our own Australian stories.
“As a youngster I didn’t hear that much music that related to who we were.
“So, it was a battle originally to push aside the American influences and be myself, unless it was a novelty song like Old Man Emu.”
With more than five decades in the business, John has had many highlights during his career. He kindly shared some with me.
“While I mostly enjoy just entertaining everyday Aussies like myself, there have been a few one-offs, such as singing All Australian Boys Need a Shed at the opening of the new Parliament House,” he said.
“Singing Waltzing Matilda at the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony and for the Wallabies at the Bledisloe Cup as well as the World Cup in Wales.
“I also sang True Blue at Steve Waugh’s final Test (we’re good mates) and for Lleyton Hewitt on Centre Court at the Australian Open for his last match.
“Then there have been serious occasions like Sir Donald Bradman’s memorial service, singing my song Sir Don.
“Singing True Blue at Steve Irwin’s memorial service.
“When my first song, Old Man Emu, went to number one on the pop charts (not just the country charts) for five weeks, I had no idea how hard that would be to achieve again.
“However, the Mallee Boy and Warragul albums also made number one on the pop charts in the 80s.
“Then there was the unveiling of the bronze statue of me in the main street of Tamworth in April this year, which was a great honour.”
Looking forward to 2023 and beyond, John has no plans to slow down.
“My future is picking and choosing the venues that get to the most people, which includes many festivals these days,” he said.
“I’m still writing songs and enjoy doing that, but I’d like to spend more time at my property at Springbrook in south-east Queensland, where I have so many creative ideas I want to achieve.”
Top music books
According to Goulburn Valley Libraries, the five most borrowed and read music books for 2022 were:
1) Musicophilia: Tales of music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks
2) Rockabilly: The twang heard 'round the world: The complete illustrated history by Michael Dregni
3) 1001 songs: The great songs of all time by Toby Creswell
4) Bruce Springsteen: All the songs: The story behind every track by Philippe Margotin
5) High Voltage Rock ’n’ Roll by Christie Eliezer
News picks of 2022
My colleagues at the News picked their most listened to music and best live concert of the year.
“My most played artist was Leonard Cohen. This was due to a trip during the year to Greece and the Greek island Hydra. Leonard owned a holiday house on the island in the 60s, where he visited for about a decade. I listened to the songs he wrote during his time in Hydra and about Greece, to understand what it was like in the quaint village in the 60s. Sadly, I wasn’t fortunate enough to see any live performers this year. However, I already have two locked in for 2023: Elton John and Robbie Williams.”
— Christine Anderson, Director; Content and Audience
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“I’m a big Taylor Swift fan, and although you can’t quite wear out a streaming service like you can a physical CD, I think I have gone close with her latest release, Midnights (the 3am version, of course). The only live concert I have been to this year was my eldest daughter’s dance concert, but my wife, Grace, and I have already booked tickets to see Ed Sheeran in Melbourne early next year.”
— Tyler Maher, Editor, Shepparton News
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"The song I’ve streamed the most this year is King by Florence and the Machine from the new album Dance Fever, which also happened to be my most listened to album this year. My favourite live performance was at Land of Plenty festival in Shepparton, a set by Ball Park Music."
— Caitlyn Grant, Features and Magazines Co-ordinator
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“The best concert I’ve seen this year was the Treaty Day Out at Rumbalara Football and Netball Club in Shepparton in February. It was one of the last performances of the late, great Uncle Archie Roach, who was clearly struggling at the time, but still put in a remarkable performance. The album I played the most this year was not a new release. It was a CD (yes, a CD) that I rediscovered in my collection from the olden days before streaming. It is Home by the Irish band Hothouse Flowers, which was released in 1990. I’d forgotten how great the vocals and music are. There’s a great range of rock, folk and even gospel influences that give the album an amazing life and I just wish I had seen them live in their prime.”
— Murray Silby, Senior Journalist
Fun fact
Australian band The Church named their song Violet Town, which appears on the group’s 1984 EP Persia, after the town itself.
Send feedback, suggestions, share your stories etc to: MusicalMusings@mmg.com.au
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and happy new year. Rock on, and see you in 2023.