104. Last Goodbye by Jeff Buckley 1995

This one goes out to Dan. It is it still one of his favourite songs? I guess so. Dan was a Lizard regular who really wanted to have a go at DJing. One night I gave him a set at the Lizard. He never looked back. He became part of the Lizard gang and it's hard to think of a time when he wasn't there. (although there was!) A popular DJ who was there through the good and the bad times. And always supportive. He became such a good friend that he was best man at my wedding.  He'd play this often near the end of the night. Then he'd moved his head from side to side in his own world. And let out a cloud of smoke. What was he thinking of?
Now he rides his huge skateboard down my street. One night I followed him slowly in my car. He gave me the dirtiest look known to man. He didn't know it was me!

Liz and I saw Jeff at the Palais. Great concert but it seemed as if Jeff was a little bit out of it. this song was the highlight. Really it's the best song he ever did. It was enough to build a legend on. Though I haven't heard anyone mention him for a while.
Dan and I are still in discussions about a Lizard reunion. Meanwhile we've got tickets to Roxy Music.

103. Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead 1995

In 1995 every time you went to someones house for dinner they would be playing The Bends by Radiohead. Dropping into a friend's house for a drink you would get The Bends. Slowly it spread like a virus through the inner suburbs. After Creep Radiohead were kind of dismissed because of their average debut album. Now they were omnipresent.
The night I fell in love with Radiohead. My girlfriend at the time was living with Lee S. She was living in Elwood. It was a hot night and we were having a few drinks. Lee put on the Bends. Four songs in this song came on. It was such a new sound. It took my breath away. Of course before that came High and Dry.
Those two songs were enough for me. I was a fan. from then until Kid A I tracked down every single to collect all their B-sides. Went Napster was big I found tons of rare stuff.
Then they got a little bit too clever.

 It just builds and builds. Fantastic song.

102. Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen 1975

Just listening to this song you want to get out on the highway and blow this town. This song is really that exciting. It was my second radio win as I also wrote to the station about this being one of the greatest songs ever. This time they had a go at my English accent! No prizes for migrants.
I bought a Telecaster after seeing those early Bruce filmclips. Actually my girlfriend bought me the Telecaster. I originally got a 12 string electric guitar but the tuning was crap so I took it back and got my Tele. A bit more money but a real guitar. I bought it at Clement's music store in Russell Street.

In the early 80's Bruce came Melbourne. He played at the Showgrounds. It was the first time in Australia and I went there with a few mates. We were all drinking a lot before the show and when Bruce came on the crowd really did go wild. he played for 3 hours with all the people packed on the showgrounds oval. And there wasn't a boring minute. But it was long time and the toilets were far away through a hell a lot of people. My friend had to go. He didn't want to fight his way out and then in. He was desperate. So he went in the middle of the crowd hoping the darkness and the crush of people would cover him.
I couldn't believe it!
A group of guys to our right started to get really angry. So we moved far away.

101. Eton Rifles by The Jam 1979

1979 London. Victoria Station. It's just bloody exciting to walk into Virgin records and see Eton Rifles at number 4 on the charts. Did the Jam chart in Australia. Probably not until Malice. As a chart junkie Australian charts had long ago lost their hold on me. And here I am in a country where The Jam and The Clash are battling it out in the the top 10. And I'm in a train station. It's just so English.  I had already bought Setting Suns but seeing the picture sleeve of the Jam single I knew I had to get that too. I brought back a lot of picture sleeves singles from the UK that winter. There were a lot of sales on. And a lot of the stuff was the new Mod bands. So I came home with a big collection of mod singles. But also a lot of new stuff which had dropped out of the charts.

A couple of years ago I saw Paul Weller at the Forum. He played Eton Rifles. It rose the roof. A few months before that Little Murders supported From The Jam. Bruce and Rick from the Jam. Eton Rifles. Big song. Even better live.

100. There is a Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths 1985

For my 100th post I had to go with something magical.  Many times we'd save this song until last at the Lizard lounge. Many are the times I've danced to it. Especially when the Friday nights weren't going too well and we put on these kinda sad brilliant songs on to complete the night. Whoever was there would get up though and dance.

I was driving a girl back to her house in Elwood one night after Rubber Soul had finished and we had gone for a few drinks at the Jump Club in Collingwood. I was driving along the Upper Esplanade towards Elwood (a suburb I didn't know existed at the time!) when I asked her where we were going. This song was on my car stereo. She said  quietly "I don't want to go home!". It just fitted in perfectly with song. Though it did produce an air of melancholy to the night. I felt like I was in a Smiths film clip.

99. Ascension Day by Third World War 1971

Not many people would have heard this song!

Earlier this year I wrote my first letter to a music magazine. Uncut were asking readers to put forward their great lost records. I wrote in about the Third World War album released in 1971. A proto type punk album 5 years before it all happened. And I picked up the magazine one afternoon and there was quote from me. Cool.

I picked up this album at a Brashes sale. 99 cents. Probably around 73. It was so different to anything I'd heard before. Sten guns in Knightsbridge indeed. This song was the highlight of the album. A bit of Clash a dash of Stranglers.
This is one of those songs drove my mum mad. "That's not music our Robert!"

98. Runaway Boys by The Stray Cats 1981

A rockabilly hit from the early eighties that reminds me of the first Mod club Kommotion which was in the back room of the Prince Alfred Hotel in Richmond. Sometimes when I wasn't playing a gig on a Wednesday night I 'd be a guest DJ. I guess this is where all my DJing started.
Anyway although a Mod club there was always room for good music. And in early 1981 this song was roaring up the charts but was also beloved of all the cool cats including the Mods. Maybe because it was different to the soul and new Mod and sixties it stood out.

The Kommotion was started by Michael and Chris in a room the size of a living room. Huge speakers. A couple of turntables and a little window where you bought your beers. You danced until you couldn't breathe because of the heat and then you went into the back courtyard where all the scooters were lined up ready to be admired. smoked cigarettes and planned your weekend. It's where the Melbourne Mod scene finally found it's legs. Brilliant summer nights.