You Am I - Dress MeSlowly

Thu 11th Aug, 2005 in Music Reviews

Let’s put aside quasi-journalistic objectivity for a second.  I wish I was in You Am I.  I mean screw Davey Lane; why can’t I be the next member of Australia’s greatest band?

Obviously my lack of musical talent would be the answer to that question. But, I’m not here to discuss pissy little details like that.  I’m here to pose a question.  

What is You Am I’s dud album? 

If you were to judge solely by the number of copies available in used cd stores seems it would be a pretty safe assumption that that title could belong to Dress Me Slowly. 

And I don’t fear hyperbole when I say that never a greater lie would have ever been uttered!  There is of course no such thing as a flop of a You Am I album!  As long as you’ve got songs from Tim Rogers, rhythm from Russell Hopkinson and Andy Kent, and great guitar sound from Lane and Rogers, how could one fail?

Dress Me Slowly was You Am I’s fifth studio record released in 2001 a long three years after their previous release, #4 Record.  After spending that time battling record companies, Rogers and his merry men came out on top with a great album filled with thoughtful and timeless rock music that no one can do better than You Am I.

While Hourly Daily is in a league of its own, Dress Me Slowly is arguably more consistent than the earlier Hi Fi Way.  Whereas Hi Fi Way has a handful of unbelievable songs, the record is a bit all over the place.  But Dress Me Slowly starts off with typically great Rogers’ songs infiltrated with smooth guitar riffs and the tightest rhythm section in Australian music, and maintains this non-stop for the entire forty-six minutes of the record.

Damage was the first single off this long player and is reminiscent of # 4’s Heavy Heart.  Get Up, the second release, probably could have been You Am I’s first hit radio single of the lyrics hadn’t been so great.  If maybe the line “got a kiss on the neck from a morning cartoon” was replaced with ‘baby’ and “I want a life dedicated/not just endless parading” with ‘yeah’ it would have gone platinum.  And Kick a Hole in the Sky is probably the best introduction to You Am I song because its a catchy listen to the first time but more plays reveals layering that never gets old. 

There are so many great songs on this album it would take forever to go through them all.  Beautiful Girl is milder romantic rock with sincere lyrics that make anyone swoon.  Weeds is a taste of what was to be expected of Tim Rogers and the Temperance Union.  And Doug Sahm is a great energetic rock anthem. 

Dress Me Slowly is a timeless album that I will take to my grave.  I don’t know why anyone would ever sell a copy of this so take to your streets, your shopping centres, your markets and seize those copies of this great album from the depths of the bargain bin and enjoy!