Magic Dirt - 'Life Was Better' (1994)

Versions:

CD

Tracklisting:
1. Daddy
2. Ice
3. Amoxycillin
4. Fairy Park
5. He Man

Best Tracks:

He-Man
Ice
Amoxycillin

Currently listening to:
CD

Magic Dirt is another big one that I need to get started on. I could (and probably will, later) wax poetic - at considerable length - about Magic Dirt. They're still my favourite band. Ever.

For now, we'll start with Life Was Better. Partly, because it's possibly the one Magic Dirt release that I only have one copy of. And partly, because it's perfect. I can't think of a better EP - one that, in five tracks, completely sums up what's great about a band. Despite the great work they did in the years after Life Was Better, I feel like this is still the perfect summation of Magic Dirt. The fact that most of the tracks on Life Was Better remained staples of Magic Dirt's live set, right up until they stopped touring, is testament to that. It's pop. It's catchy. It's sloppy. It's grungey. It's noisy. In Life Was Better, you can hear the roots of the sloppy masterpiece Friends In Danger, the riffy/stoner Young And Full Of The Devil, the poppy hooks of What Are Rock Stars Doing Today and Tough Love, and the noise freak-out of Roky's Room. More than 1993's Signs Of Satanic Youth EP (which is also great), Life Was Better, feels like a planted seed. From which, greatness sprang.

Life Was Better could not have been an album. It's potency lies in that it only contains 5 tracks. The self-titled Magic Dirt album that became their American debut, which contains all the tracks from Signs Of Satanic Youth and Life Was Better, is proof of that. Or maybe it's that I'm so used to hearing the two EPs separately, that they don't pack the same punch when compiled together. Either way, Life Was Better deserves to be taken on it's own.

The EP opens with 'Daddy', which is the only song on the EP that, for me, was a grower. In retrospect, I'm not sure why. It's great. Then onto 'Ice', which is probably one of their best known songs, but is nowhere near as revered as it should be. It should be classed with Ratcat's 'That Ain't Bad' or Silverchair's 'Tomorrow' or even You Am I's 'Berlin Chair' as an essential early 90's Australian rock song. These days, it seems to be remembered by a small handful of Triple J listeners and people who saw Magic Dirt play in shitty pubs in the early 90's. I must admit, I kinda like that. Although, I hope I'm wrong.

Then, 'Amoxycillin'. Which is possibly even catchier than 'Ice'. So, what do Magic Dirt do? They put ten minutes of feedback onto the end of it. Which is one of the many, many reasons I love them so.

'Fairy Park' is one of the few tracks of Magic Dirt's career that sees bass player Dean Turner take on vocal duties. Sincer Turner's passing in 2009, the song has taken on a new significance. For me, it's full of memories of many Magic Dirt gigs, from the Big Day Out to shitty country pubs.

'He Man' closes Life Was Better and remains one of my favourite Magic Dirt songs. It encapsulates everything I love about this band. It's dirge-y, but has a great hook. And, Adalita's vocals are insanely good. When I first got Life Was Better, I was in a band myself, and just wished I could sing like that. Her scream at the end of 'He Man' makes me weak at the knees, even now.

As I said, I only have one copy of Life Was Better, which is only unusual because it's the only Magic Dirt release from their years on Au-Go-Go Records that was never released on vinyl. Considering it was one of their better selling releases, it's surprising. And, a shame. What I wouldn't give for a beautiful vinyl pressing of this EP! It'll probably never happen (even the CD is long out of print), but after Adalita's debut album was pressed on vinyl for the first time this year, I'm quietly hopeful that anything could happen. I won't hold my breath, however.

I never quite understood how Magic Dirt weren't huge. I fell in love with them, hard and fast, back in the day. And, my tastes were pretty mainstream. If you're a new convert, interested in checking Magic Dirt out, this is a good place to start.