Dom Mariani - PopsidedGuitar (Anthology 1984 -2004)

Thu 14th Jul, 2005 in Music Reviews

It takes a brave man to admit his quest was to painstakingly collect the ultimate radio-sized guitar pop songs from his own collection. Dom Mariani, the brains behind many of The Stems, The Someloves, and Stonefish tunes, has a fair stack of material to put under the microscope for his 1984 – 2004 Anthology, Popsided Guitar.

Mariani seems to be one of those figures who, while remaining relatively quiet on the local scene, manages to single-handedly floor overseas audiences. And surprisingly, word of this rarely gets back home. Although, after listening to Popsided Guitar, you begin to wonder whether Mariani’s virtually unknown status has assisted in his aim to retreat and select the tracks on this double-album. If a mini-catalogue of pop gems was the ultimate goal, then Mariani has gone over and above.

Beginning with the infectious and distinctly Australian pop-rock of Mariani’s own Hold On, the first section of the anthology focuses on ‘92 – ‘99. Hold On is uncomplicated, effective and technically spot-on. It wouldn’t be surprising if later pop rock acts like Motor Ace and Klinger admitted influences were partially derived from Mariani and his associated projects, because the rock sensibilities are uncannily similar. Pity that Mariani didn’t also throw one of his tracks on the soundtrack of an Aussie soapie – he may have received more notoriety at home.

Can’t Get What You Want is more catchy vocal melodies and reliable rhythms. Though the lyrical content isn’t upbeat, the song skips along with a sense of fun and abandon, displaying Mariani’s huge radio potential. Remember the candy pop-rock of Rhubarb? (They sang that song about exercising.) This song is Rhubarb, with less Christianity.

Also slinking its way into the first half is Something Heavy, a bass-heavy ballad with organ accentuating the lazy drum rhythm. The vocal harmonies on this track are gorgeous, and the instrumental bridge works incredibly well. The subtle touches on this track separate it from the straight-ahead pop of the previous songs, yet it’s still undeniably catchy.

From the meat-and-potatoes rock factory comes Soultop, full of driving guitar riffs and flashes of organ interludes. The drum kit gets a well-needed workout and a virtuoso guitar solo slips right into the rock formula seamlessly. Lure arrives as a bit of a wildcard, an almost grunge number in the midst of a sea of pop. Lure swaggers and teases, slight vocal reverb adding more grunt. It’s a great number, and certainly boosts Mariani’s credibility as multi-genre songwriter.

The tracks with the The Stoneage Hearts have a more vintage rock feel, with tracks like Rock ‘n’ Roll Boys Rock ‘n’ Roll Girls throwing around references to the MC5 and moulding Mariani’s vocals into a less-constricted rock snarl.

On the second disc, the tracks with The Stems slow the pace once more with the focus on the details. With For Always the rhythm section is pushed to the back of the mix, and Mariani’s vocals are even slightly obscured by the shivers of keyboard and strumming of chords. At First Sight, a notable hit with the band, is a charming rock-ballad showcasing yearning vocals and carefully-placed harmonies.

Crashing into the list with its infectiously rockabilly rhythm and screeching guitar solo, Make You Mine is an album highlight. Its dance-inducing feel and tension-raising vocals combined with a driving two-note bassline make this song impossible to ignore. This song sounds amazingly familiar, but being born the year this anthology begins renders it difficult to remember such details.

Just when I’d penned Mariani as simply the master of pop-rock songwriting, the second disc obnoxiously proves his songwriting ability extends far beyond bubblegum pop.  The Stems songs are simply brilliant. Whether it’s the chemistry, the combination of songwriting ideas or another element, all eight songs work incredibly well. Mr Misery and Just Ain’t Enough are highlights, but all of the songs are well above average. I know I’ll be investigating the back catalogue of these guys.

The Someloves material is more radio-friendly, beginning with the fast-paced pop of Know You Now before introducing a focus on guitars and vocals. Sunshine’s Glove verges on cheesy with its ‘80s guitar techniques and exaggerated snare drum, but somehow it remains above water. Generally the songs from this section are good – again they seem almost irritatingly familiar – but after the interlude from The Stems, The Someloves stuff seems a little tame.

One track from the D3 period – Rome -  makes an entrance, a fantastic instrumental with ringing organ and guitar reverb. The melody is great, and the hand claps are the icing on the cake. I’m glad for the absence of vocals, because this little number deserves all the focus.

Similarly, the lone Guitar Radiation is the only inclusion from The Stonefish era. It’s a shame, because this Cramps-style surf-rock with crashes of cymbals sounds like it could be promising. Some very impressive tom-pounding during the stormy guitar solo too. Another band for the back-catalogue search!

The proceedings are wrapped up with The Majestic Kelp helping out. The Golden Ones gently shuffles under a rain of soft cymbals, with slow sustain on the lead guitar and dreamlike multilayered vocals. Indian N’Ocean is another instrumental, an almost bizarre fusion of Aussie rock and twangs of sitar, with later hints of organ and various percussion instruments.

It’s been quite a journey into the world of Dom Mariani and his exploits. I’m still baffled by the fact that not one of the songs on his anthology is bad. Sure, there are some I’m more taken by than others, but I’m starting to wonder whether this man is actually human. It’s not that far-fetched to imagine there may be an actual hit-machine out there, a robot that cannot produce anything less than a pleasing-sounding song. Popsided Guitar is an enthralling look into one musician’s evolution in songwriting. If Mariani’s aim was to produce a double-album of songs in which every song was at least decent, and at most fantastic, he’s certainly achieved that aim.