“Friday On My Mind” by The Easybeats - album review

features in: Album Chart of 1967Album Chart of the Decade: 1960s

TJR says

In a break with Easybeats tradition there are two covers on this one. The album opens with some serious ambition – tackling “River Deep, Mountain High” is a tough challenge. They put a lot of creative effort into it and they escape with credibility intact. Later on, “Hound Dog” registers as a miserable fail that just leaves me cold. Why have Sydney pub rock when you could have Big Mama’s raucous R n B? As always, this band generally leave me cold – but always have a song or two which contradicts my negativity. Here, the title track is a clear killer. The minor-key verses of “Friday On My Mind” depict the tedium and drudgery of the working week, taking each day at a time (“Monday morning feels so bad/Coming Tuesday I feel better”). We all recognise the Friday feeling and the infectious “Paint It Black” rhythm just helps the message win party favour. Though the song has long been termed a “working class anthem”, George Young maintained it had “more to do with their outlook on the world than any class statement”. In 2001, it was voted “Best Australian Song” of all-time by the Australasian Performing Right Association. I wouldn’t go that far – but it would’ve got me dancing in 1967. And you know that can’t be bad…

The Jukebox Rebel
09–Nov–2008

Tracklist
A1 [03:56] 5.9.png The Easybeats - River Deep, Mountain High (Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector) Cerebral Pop
A2 [02:58] 4.6.png The Easybeats - Do You Have A Soul (George Young, Harry Vanda) Cerebral Pop
A3 [03:25] 4.4.png The Easybeats - Saturday Night (George Young, Harry Vanda) Cerebral Pop
A4 [03:21] 4.1.png The Easybeats - You Me, We Love (George Young, Harry Vanda) Cerebral Pop
A5 [02:14] 5.0.png The Easybeats - Pretty Girl (George Young, Harry Vanda) Cerebral Pop
A6 [02:47] 7.1.png The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind (George Young, Harry Vanda) Blues Rock / Soul Rock
B1 [02:40] 5.1.png The Easybeats - Happy Is The Man (George Young, Harry Vanda) Cerebral Pop
B2 [03:19] 3.7.png The Easybeats - Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) Rock n Roll / Rockabilly
B3 [02:34] 4.6.png The Easybeats - Who’ll Be The One (George Young, Harry Vanda) Blues Rock / Soul Rock
B4 [02:05] 4.5.png The Easybeats - Made My Bed, Gonna Lie In It (George Young) Pop
B5 [02:30] 4.7.png The Easybeats - Remember Sam (George Young, Harry Vanda) Cerebral Pop
B6 [03:09] 4.6.png The Easybeats - See Line Woman (George Young, Harry Vanda) Rock n Roll / Rockabilly

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