I don’t remember how I first discovered Huxton Creepers. I hadn’t heard of the Australian band before reaching the college radio station in the fall of 1988, and, as I recall, they weren’t an especially hyped outfit on the left side of the dial either. Their records came and went without anyone paying them much attention. One of their album covers may have been pinned to the studio wall, which was wallpapered with album flats at that time. Maybe I just found their record because my standing default was to go the H section when I didn’t know what to play next, a somewhat odd and arbitrary tactic perhaps, but those corners of the stacks housed Robyn Hitchcock, Husker Du, Hothouse Flowers, the Housemartins, Hoodoo Gurus, House of Love, House of Freaks, Hunters and Collectors, John Hiatt and on and on. It felt weirdly like a safe place to pull from, even when I was grabbing an entirely unfamiliar release.
Regardless of how the initial aural contact happened, I’ve no doubt that my affection for the band was immediate. This was exactly the sound I loved back then. It was earthy but glossy, sharp but smooth, yearning and melodic. It challenged the status quo of my somewhat undeveloped music taste, but could also fit snugly into a collection still dominated by Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel records. It sounded great, and fit in perfectly to the still evolving adventurous of the radio station’s sound.
It’s been over twenty years since Huxton Creepers broke up. Their record isn’t one I pull out anymore, but the new era of listening to music has its generous side. My digital collection is as loaded as I can make it with music, especially music that held special impact for me during those years I was college kid with access to a transmitter tower. Hitting the “Shuffle Songs” option on a long car trip means the possibility of rediscovery, and that’s precisely what happened when I took to the Interstate last week. Suddenly, up comes “Rack My Brains.” And it sounded just as good as it did back in that little studio all those years ago.
Huxton Creepers, “Rack My Brains”
(Disclaimer: I feel confident is asserting that any and all releases from the Huxton Creepers are out of print. Maybe it’s a different story in their native land, but I doubt it. This song is presented here with that understanding. If anyone with due authority to do so contacts me requesting its removal, I will gladly and promptly comply.)
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“something is happenin’ to me…”
Wow. Hadn’t heard, or thought of, that one in awhile. And I’m not entirely certain I knew who did it (I would have guessed Hoodoo Gurus). Such an educational site you have here, sir!
They certainly share Hoodoo Gurus pop sense and knack for a fine hook. Australia produced some excellent bands back in the 80s.
To me it was the infectious sound of the horns combined with the hammond organ, and that you could hear the aussie accent in singer Rob Craw. I still have the vinyl filed alongside all those other H bands you mentioned. Thanks Dan.
That sounds like a record collection that’s worth giving a good, regular airing.
To say I have been hoping you would one day post this one was an understatement. Thank you sir, a fond memory of our shared days raiding the “H” stack.
Little did I know that this was one of the most anticipated offerings in this little series. This was exactly the sort of song that grabbed our attention back then, wasn’t it?
Ah, but my question is — did you ever follow up a spin of “Rack My Brains” with Syd Straw’s “Think Too Hard?”
If only I operated with that level of ingenuity! The closest I ever came–or at least the only one I can still remember–is a segue from John Hiatt’s “Still Standing” to Suzanne Vega’s “Solitude Standing.” Not quite as clever, I’m afraid.
See, and on that one, I would have segued into Elton John, because I’m, well, you know.