It all started back in 1974, my fascination with rock’n’roll songs on the radio. I loved the way that a song could lift me unexpectedly out of the humdrum of daily life and drop me into a sweet bubble of emotion, as if I was suspended in time. Chasing that moment of magic has made me one of the record industry’s most loyal customers over the years. Although I enjoy being a listener, I have always had a longing to be involved in the production process. We released a couple of singles on vinyl back in the ‘80s, including one called “This Jazz wants you” which was recorded by Clive Shakespeare of Sherbet in his basement recording studio in Lindfield, Sydney. After that seminal release those other priorities of life led me elsewhere, until recently, when inspired by amazing reductions in the cost of digital recording equipment, I decided it was time to record my first album. It was an opportunity for everyone involved to take a walk on the creative side and for me it represents a personal milestone in terms of my quest to master the art and science of audio engineering. “Ned, Che and a captive audience” is loosely based around a theme of symbolic cultural icons such as Australian bushranger Ned Kelly, who the artist Sidney Nolan depicted simply as a black helmet, perhaps to reflect how the can no longer separate the image of Ned’s legendary headgear with the man himself. As for Che, well somehow he just morphed into his own brand…for T-shirt revolutionaries. Personnel on the album include the incredible soaring lead guitar of Rick McCullagh on Gibson “Dot” and Les Paul series guitars (Tracks 1,2,3,4,5 & 9). Tom Hubble on Telecaster, (thanks Tom for your “Riffology” that made “Shark’s Tooth” and “Mah Jongg’, not to mention the “police siren” solo). The groove engine was powered by the drumming of Matthew Hirst (Tracks 2, 3 & 7) and Lloyd Simmons (Tracks 1,4,5 &9). Rick and Lloyd spontaneously created “Take me to the Witchdoctor”, just don’t ask them to try to repeat it! Stuart Ziegler played guitar on “Candy’s expectation” and many thanks to the other members of Stu’s band who played on the night, the lineup being: Jeff Lenham (guitar and keyboard), Mike Flynn (bass) and Chris Simons (drums and hollerin’). I played the trombone and acoustic guitar as well as the occasional Fender Telecaster and delivered the vocals as well as played the bongos, electric bass and other instrumentation. Many thanks to Paul Sammes for the original master of “The Lighthouse Road”, Tracey Bensley for the excellent cover photography and my beautiful Indie for all the support and taking the pix in L.A. Until we meet again…rock on! (Rob Carrick 2007).