Australian Penthouse

A POSITIVE RAGE

THE HOLD STEADY
SHOCK

THE HOLD STEADY are really something special. A modern blend of ’70s sounds (think Boz Scaggs, The Clash) with the lyrical heart of American troubadours (John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen), their live shows are dynamic, enthusiastic and full of genuine warmth —an Irish-Catholic rock opera of Holly-loves-Charlemagne lyrics of love, loss, guilt and bonhomie—something sadly lacking from the toolkits of many modern musicians.

This two-disc set features a DVD documentary plus the band’s first-ever live album.

In fact, many reviewers have described this as “near-perfect a live album” as you can experience—and we agree.

A Positive Rage captures the excitement and positivity of the band’s famed live shows, along with Craig Finn’s indescribably sublime lyrics and unexpected turns of phrase.

If writing the perfect rock song is on your life’s to-do list, then The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn has something to inspire you.

AMERICAN CLASSIC

WILLIE NELSON
EMI

FOR those who never tired of Nelson’s pivotal, seminal and totally incredible 1978 take on the great American songbook, Stardust, his second album of standards—and Nelson’s solo debut for Blue Note Records–has been a long time coming.

Produced by Tommy LiPuma, American Classic boasts guest appearances by Norah Jones and Diana Krall, string arrangements by Johnny Mandel, Mickey Raphael on harmonica, Joe Sample on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums.

Where Stardust dazzles, American Classic soothes. These are two entirely different musical beasts, and while they do complement one another, a comparison can’t help but show Stardust as the gifted first born to American Classic’s redheaded stepson. The easy seductiveness, passion and verve of the former is somewhat lacking on the latter, with ‘Fly Me to the Moon’, ‘Ain’t Misbehaving’ and ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ oddly low on Willie’s usual zest.

HOW TO AMPUTATE A LEG AND OTHER WAYS TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE

Nathan Mullins
Allen & Unwin

NATHAN MULLINS was in the 1st Commando Regiment of the Australian Army, was a cop in Melbourne’s western suburbs, and became an Australian Aid International volunteer, so the man has a few tales to tell.

Recounting emergency surgical procedures, swordplay and riots, Mullins puts a humorous spin on the many unusual situations he has found himself in. The author’s aim is for readers to learn from his experiences, and so he has carefully selected stories with an underlying message. For example, Mullins recalls a couple of terrifying encounters with fear (such as when an Army colleague freaked out in a chopper) as well as his reactions to it, in order to help others face fears and cope with stressful incidents.

Those who don’t need lessons in staying cool will discover an interesting book about an extraordinary man. Read our interview with Mullins

SPADE AND ARCHER

JOE GORES
HACHETTE

THE prequel to Dashiell Hammett’s crime classic, The Maltese Falcon, Spade and Archer provides noir lovers with detailed character studies revealing how Sam Spade, one of the world’s most iconic detectives, became the hard-
boiled, straight-shooting and canny operator we know and love.

Gores creates, seemingly effortlessly, an enthralling and atmospheric recreation of San Francisco in the 1920s—where bootleg booze, broads, gold smugglers, waterfront thugs and grizzled cops vie for attention in a series of cases delivered to the PI’s front door. But the book also reveals the history behind the famous Spade and Archer feud, introducing the two to their uneasy business partnership and secretly shared affections of Spade’s former lover, Iva—now Archer’s wife. However, even more fascinating is the story of a courtship between Spade and a female client, and its devastating conclusion, which destroyed the hopes and heart of the Spade we later come to know.

If you’re a fan of The Maltese Falcon, or just noir mysteries in general, this book is definitely for you.