Customer Reviews

The Essential Radio Birdman (1974-1978)

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Radio Birdman is one of the most classic of all bands, and it's a shame hardly anyone knows who they are. Credit that to their roots in Austrailia, but still no borders or oceans should be able to contain the ravenous blazing sounds that were coming from down under circa 1976. We should be ashamed they have been ignored for so long (stateside, at least). Compiling material that has not been available in the US for OVER 20 YEARS, The Essential contains most of the recordings of this magnificent band. Influenced by The Stooges, MC5, and The Doors (Lead Singer Rob Younger's baritone reminds one of Mr. Morrison at times), and fueled by the fiery guitar of Deniz Tek, Radio Birdman set a new standard for rock. Truly no band up to then or since has played with such intensity and sense of purpose as RB.

Highlights of this album (and there are many) include the classic "New Race", "Descent Into the Maelstrom", "Burn My Eye", "Breaks My Heart", "I-94", "Aloha Steve and Danno", and "Non-Stop Girls." My only complaint is that this compilation is too short (at 22 songs). At any length, hats go off to Sub Pop for re-releasing this classic band that has been ignored far too long.

I own hundreds of CDs. If I could only take one to a deserted island, it would be this one. I have listened to them every week going back to 1987 (I still have the Aussie releases on vinyl) and I never tire of them. I also recommend to anyone who likes RB a collaboration they did in the late 70s with members of the Stooges and MC5 called New Race. It may be hard to find, but New Race Live is unbelievable. Their version of Looking At You makes the version done by the Damned sound like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Anyone who likes rock, classic rock, or punk will enjoy RB.

If you like power pop fast and lots of guitars this could be
your diamond in the rough.
there are many overtones of other bands like MC5-the Who-the Doors-Stooges.
this Essential disc possess's some of the best Birdman songs ever recorded.....there are a few gems that should've made it on this disc that didn't it but you can't have too much of a good thing!
these guys are from australia and most of these songs are from the time of around 74-78 and still stand tall to the test of time.
they are influenced by the MC5 and the Stooges and cover some of there songs.
these guys have many spin off bands that are quite good as well
the New Race, the Visitors, the New Christs, the Screaming Tribesman, the Hitmen
these guys are very rare in most circles and not to easily available........I refer to it as record collector rock.

this is early punk/power pop and it is good

It is a dark and demented night and in the Marrikville Hotel, Adelaide, South Australia, circa 1976, the amplifiers are shaking as reverb screams across the beer sodden floor, grips your ankles and rivetts you to a spot that you never knew existed. Fortunately, the Australian Broadcasting Commission saw fit to film this entire night and I believe the footage may still be sitting in their archives. Birdman are one of the most under-recognised bands of the late twentieth century. Popular rumour states that when they went to the UK to tour with Iggy, he was miffed by their voluptuous wall to wall sound and sent them packing before the tour ended. This band is unique, but please do not call them punk, they are much, much more. I would definately use the A-word (art) but don't want to scare the kiddies. For example, two of my favourite tracks, Man with Golden Helmet- think Rembrant's portrait of the same name. Desent into the Maelstrom- think Edgar Allen Poe. Rob Younger's voice- baritone, the band- awesome solos. Perhaps I am a purist, but I definately recommend buying Radios Appear, if for no other reason than TV Eye which leaves the Stooges version standing still. Other favourites, in no particular order, Do the Pop, Murder City Nights, Anglo Girl Desire, Love Kills, Aloha Steve and Danno, Hand of Law and New Race. Radios Appear also places the tracks in their logical progression. Radio Birdman, I want to say thankyou.

This band is awesome. The rhythm guitars have some great crunch to them and the solos - magnificent! They take you somewhere and you never want to come back. Great words, great singer, tight as hell band but with sort of a jammy punk feel. It's easy to hear the Stooges influence. I've been diggin' this band for 25 years. They sound as if they could have formed last week, not the least bit dated. They put that emo junk to shame.

It's amazing how, despite being separated by thousands of miles of land and water, so many Australian bands have so much in common with their Motor City brethren. Not so amazing, I guess, in the case of Radio Birdman, whose guiding light is expatriate American (and Ann Arbor, MI native) Deniz Tek. The overrated and much lauded Sub Pop label FINALLY earns its street cred with this long overdue compilation (gathered from long out of print albums and EP's) by the Aussie godfathers of punk, who blend an instrumental attack taking its cues from the MC5 and Stooges with the vocal histrionics of dynamic frontman Rob Younger. Boasting an arsenal of well-written, sharply executed, Detroit-in-spirit heart punches like "Aloha Steve And Danno," "I-94," and "Murder City Nights," Radio Birdman shaked, baked and laid to waste The Land of Oz, inspiring legions of kids to pick up guitars and do it themselves.

Radio Birdman are a sadly neglected band- I live in Australia and they are neglected in their homeland. This compilation CD is a fantastic sampler of the energy that encompasses Radio Birdman.

Consider this a start to your Birdman collection- the good thing is you can get 2 CD's and you basically have the whole Radio Birdman collection (give or take a few songs).

Aloha Steve & Danno is a bona fide CLASSIC tune- if you've never heard it just imagine the theme to Hawaii 5-0 played by the Stooges or something. It deserves to be played on EVERY radio station and at EVERY party you ever have.

For all the youngsters who love The Strokes etc. get this collection (brovo to Sub Pop) - do yourself a favour- you will not be disapointed. A high energy collection, excellent musicianship, magnificent singing, awsome guitar playing....stop reading this and get the CD now!

I wish I had heard of Radio Birdman before now, I haven't heard rock 'n' roll this good in a long time.

Radio Birdman has a great sound, its kind of a garage rock/surf music style mixed with the fast tempos of late 70's punk and just a splash of Doors style trippiness.

And that combination is awesome! These songs are good, fun, high energy rock 'n' roll. Its just as fun as punk, only these guys don't stick to buzzsawing guitar chords, they actually play.

In fact, the guitar work is phenominal. If you play guitar, heck if you've ever even looked at a guitar, you will LOVE Deniz Tek. He just blows me away.

This collection has my highest praise, its a great comp from a great band. If you like old school punk, garage rock, surf music, or just good rock 'n' roll, then you won't be sorry you bought The Essential Radio Birdman.

Well before the Queers, MTX, or even the Ramones, Sydney, Australia's Radio Birdman pioneered the surfy-sneery, pop-punk sound, merging the volume and distortion of MC5 with the tunefulness of... well, of all the bands that came in their wake. This is a spiffy reissue of a bunch of out-of-print collector's item material... Many thanks to SubPop for enabling us mere mortals to hear the dawn of Australian punk without having to spent a hundred-plus bucks to do it. A quick listen will clue you in on Radio Birdman's immense influence on bands to come, particularly folks like The Celibate Rifles and, to a lesser extent, The Saints and The Wedding Party. Sometimes they got a little too fancy, but mostly this is pretty rockin' material. Ace bunny killer!

It's nothing short of a public service when a label takes the time and effort to release essential, criminally overlooked songs from 30+ years ago.

I can't pretend to have been hip to Radio Birdman before listening to a used copy of this CD this afternoon. Not even two listens in, I can safely say everyone should hear this. Here's why:

The Stooges have had a clear and genetic influence on modern rock. It's plain as day. What's also plain is that the raw, unwashed template provided by the Stooges has been only superficially applied by so many modern acts (most of whom start their names with "the" and end it with the letter "s"). It's great to hear a band that internalized the protean sound of the Stooges, the Velvet Underground, and MC5 and yet dared to polish it, add harmony, and (gasp) accomplished guitar solos. Connoisseurs of garage rock, Detroit punk, Mission of Burma, and even the wilder end of surf rock will deeply appreciate Radio Birdman. And this compilation is an excellent, habit-forming introduction. If the name-dropping of this paragraph has perked your ears at all, you should check this out.

Really. Check it out!