The sheer number of Mental As Anything hits is gobsmacking. How many acts are delivering 17 of their own hits in a show on 2015 and still not do them all? AC/DC and INXS maybe but you are never going to see them in a club in the suburbs on a Sunday afternoon.
Mental As Anything wrote themselves into Oz Rock History with a succession of chart hits that started in 1979 with ‘The Nips Are Getting Bigger’ and continued through to 1995 with ‘Mr Natural’.
Some perspective, of the most successful bands since Mentals, Powderfinger and The Living End each had 12 hits. In total, Mental As Anything had 20 Top 40 hits in Australia. The only person to have as many hits as the Mentals in the 20th century is Guy Sebastian with a current tally of 20 as well. Some more perspective, Jet only ever had 6 hits.
Mental As Anything is a phenomenal Australian music success. Today Greedy Smith and Martin Plaza continue the legacy with James Gillard (ex-Mondo Rock), Martin Cilla (The Atlantics) and drummer Jacob Cook. The O’Doherty brothers Pete & Reg left long ago and built their own success out of Dog Trumpet. As the guitarist for surf band The Atlantics, Martin Cilla brings a different feel to the Mentals while not tampering with the legacy.
Mental As Anything will next play Sydney on August 15, 2015.
Mental As Anything, Melbourne, 9 August 2015
Too Many Times (no 6, 1981, from Cats & Dogs)
Let’s Cook (from Cats & Dogs, 1981)
Berserk Warriors (no 30, 1981, from Cats & Dogs)
Spirit Got Lost (no 20, 1983, from Creatures of Leisure)
Date With Destiny (no 25, 1985, from Fundamental As Anything)
I Didn’t Mean To Be Mean (no 25, 1982)
Come Around (no 18, 1980, from Espresso Bongo)
Live It Up (no 2, 1985, from Fundamental As Anything)
Marie’s The Name (Elvis Presley cover)
If You Leave Me Can I Come Too (no 4, 1981, from Cats & Dogs)
Alien Abduction (from Tents Up, 2009)
Let’s Go To Paradise (no 15, 1986, from Mouth to Mouth)
Mr Natural (no 27, 1995, from Liar Liar Pants On Fire)
The World Seems Difficult (no 19, 1989, from Cyclone Raymond)
Mountain of Love (Harold Dorman cover)
He’s Just No Good For You (no 15, 1987, from Mouth to Mouth)
Concrete And Clay (no 2, 1986, from Martin Plaza’s solo album Plaza Suite)
Just Like Romeo and Juliet (no 27, 1980)
You’re So Strong (no 11, 1985, from Fundamental As Anything)
The Nips Are Getting Bigger (no 16, 1979, from Get Wet)
Beautiful (new song)
The Rise And Fall Of Fingal Bunt (The Shadows cover)
Rock N Roll Music (no 5, 1988, from Cyclone Raymond)
Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Town (Kenny Rogers cover)
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