Richard Clapton - Main Street Jive & Bonus Tracks (Uk) [CD]

Richard Clapton as one of Australia's foremost singer/songwriters, paved the way for subsequent generations of songwriters to write about the experience of being Australian. When Richard Clapton released his third album, Main Street Jive, at the time it seemed like a letdown, a pale imitation of his hit album Girls on the Avenue. Yet on reflection it might be more consistent than we suspected. Musically the sound is moving away from his earlier country rock or folk rock modes towards a generally more mainstream rock sound. The concentration on soulful ballads ('Kickin' the Moon Around', 'Islands of the Heart') and mid-tempo pop ('Soldier of Fortune', 'Casanova's Got the Blues') might have been the sticking point but they're actually great songs so it elevates things appreciably. The highlights are the uptempo single 'Suit Yourself' and the absolutely gorgeous, melodic soul of 'Need a Visionary' while the hidden gem is tough rocker 'Factory Life'. Clapton was great at relating tales of the down-trodden or the down at heart, so 'Factory Life' is his plea to a friend to search for a better life - "so tired of the factory life / trying to escape it on Saturday night / pick yourself up and open your eyes / get yourself out of the factory life". It's close to the heartland rock of someone like Bruce Springsteen but is still clearly and distinctly Richard Claptonesque. The soundtrack from Highway One (1976) included the single "Capricorn Dancer", which reached #40 in early 1977 and remains a concert staple, plus Babe Rainbow and Deep Water.