Solid Rock (Goanna song) explained
"Solid Rock" is a song written by Shane Howard and recorded by Australian rock band Goanna. The song deals with issues of land rights for Indigenous Australians and was released in September 1982[1] as the lead single from the band's debut studio album, Spirit of Place. "Solid Rock" peaked at number 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report.
At the 1982 Countdown Music and Video Awards, "Solid Rock" won Best Debut Single.[2]
In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Solid Rock" was ranked number 13.[3]
In 2021, MTV Classic ranked the song 10th during their special Top 100 Big in the 80s countdown.
Background and release
According to Howard, the inspiration came on a ten-day camping trip at Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) during 1980 where he had a "spiritual awakening" which brought "the fire in the belly" to the surface over injustices to Australia’s indigenous peoples. Howard said "I realised that this country that I grew up in, that I thought was my country, wasn't. I had to reassess my whole relationship with the land and the landscape, and understand that we had come from somewhere else, and we had dis-empowered a whole race of people when we arrived."
WEA were reluctant to release it as a single and Howard initially had reservations about whether commercial radio would play it because of its politically sensitive theme but Howard insisted on its release to make a statement about the European invasion of Australia.[4] [5] The song was released in September 1982.
Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described it as "a damning indictment of the European invasion of Australia."[6]
Track listing
- 7" WEA Records (100223)Side A: "Solid Rock" – 4:28
Side B: "Four Weeks Gone" – 5:42
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Cover versions
- In 1994, Shane Howard recorded the song on his album Live in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
- In 2009, Street Warriors featuring Shannon Noll released a version of "Solid Rock"[11]
- In 2011, heavy metal band Darker Half covered the song on their album Desensitized.
- In 2014 Heavy Metal band Dead Kelly covered Solid Rock on their YouTube Chanel
- In 2016, Scott Darlow featuring Shane Howard released a version of "Solid Rock"[12]
- In 2017, Jessica Mauboy covered the song on her album .
- in 2017 Robbie Miller created a slow acoustic version.
- In 2020, The Waifs, John Butler, Jordi Davieson, Carla Geneve performed a cover of "Solid Rock"[13] during the Fire Aid concert, a benefit performance for the people affected by the 2020 bushfires.
- Also in 2020, Amanda Palmer covered the song on Forty-Five Degrees: Bushfire Flash Record, a benefit release supporting the Firestick Alliance.
- in 2023 WildHeart made a heavy metal cover of Solid Rock in a double song album with another song Sacred Ground somewhat of a spin off of Solid Rock
Notes and References
- Web site: Platterlog: Singles – Supplementary Page: 46 > 6 September 1982. Platterlog. Imgur.com. 22 January 2023.
- Web site: Countdown Date: 19/4/1983 . Countdown Archives . 4 December 2008 .
- News: Musicfeeds. Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'. 4 January 2020. 27 January 2018.
- Web site: Sweet and Dangerous Music: Soundtrack for a Secret Country . . Choudry . Aziz . 7 November 2002 . 19 August 2010 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110217004646/http://www.shanehoward.com.au/media/sweet.html . 17 February 2011 .
- Web site: They Wrote the Songs Pt2 . APrap . Kruger . Debbie . Debbie Kruger . July–August 2002 . 19 August 2010 .
- Book: McFarlane . Ian . Ian McFarlane . . Encyclopedia entry for 'Goanna' . https://web.archive.org/web/20040624173601/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=1036 . http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=1036 . 1999 . . . 24 June 2004 . 1-86508-072-1 .
- Book: Kent, David. Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6.
- Web site: Goanna Billboard . www.billboard.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20181011210235/https://www.billboard.com/music/goanna . 2018-10-11.
- Web site: National Top 100 Singles for 1982 . . . 445 . 3 January 1983 . 22 January 2023 .
- Web site: Kent Music Report – National Top 100 Singles for 1983 . . Imgur.com . 22 January 2023.
- Web site: Solid Rock feat. Shannon Noll. 4 September 2009. iTunes Australia. 15 August 2018.
- Web site: Solid Rock feat Shane Howard. iTunes Australia. 15 August 2018.
- Web site: Solid Rock Cover-The Waifs-Freemantle Arts Center Jan 30, 2020. Blanca. 2 February 2020.
