| Espresso Bongo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 1980 | |||
| Recorded | Music Farm, Byron Bay, Australia | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Label | Regular | |||
| Producer | Cameron Allan | |||
| Mental As Anything chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Espresso Bongo | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Espresso Bongo is the second studio album released by Mental As Anything. It was released in July 1980, [2] and peaked at #37 on the Australian Album charts. [3]
Greedy Smith later said the recording, "just got away from us all together. We'd only learned the songs the week before we recorded them, and then we put them down in seven days." [4]
O'Doherty later recalled, "we did it in six days under the influence of all sorts of terrible things. It's one of my favourites and it's the weirdest album we've done but it could have been played a lot better and done a lot cleaner." [5]
AllMusic said, "Sounding like it consists of songs leftover from the sessions for their debut, Espresso Bongo does no one any favors, although it is not a bad album. Cameron Allan's production is even flatter than before, sucking almost all the excitement out of what could have been an exciting album." The efforts of Martin Plaza are described as "buried". [6]
Rip It Up said "The hooks are just as subtle, but growing songwriting expertise and excellent production mean that the sound is smoother, and the band no longer wear their influences like badges". The subject matter was said to be, "that great Australian institution, suburbia". [7]
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian (Kent Music Report) [8] | 37 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) [9] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia / New Zleanad | July 1980 | Regular Records | Vinyl LP, Cassette | L 37358 / C 37358 |
| Australia | 1992 | Regular Records | CD | D19561 |
Mental As Anything are an Australian new wave and pop rock band that formed in Sydney in 1976. Its most popular line-up was Martin Plaza on vocals and guitar; Reg Mombassa on lead guitar and vocals; his brother Peter "Yoga Dog" O'Doherty on bass guitar and vocals; Wayne de Lisle on drums; and Andrew "Greedy" Smith on vocals, keyboards and harmonica. Their original hit songs were generated by Mombassa, O'Doherty, Plaza and Smith, either individually or collectively; they also hit the Australian charts with covers of songs by Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry.
Breakfast at Sweethearts is the second studio album by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel, released in February 1979. It spent 32 weeks in the national charts, reaching a peak of number 4.
Martin Edward Murphy, commonly known by the pseudonym Martin Plaza, is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician and visual artist who is a founding member and the lead vocalist and guitarist of the new wave band Mental As Anything. He has also worked with other bands and is an accomplished artist. Plaza also has a solo music career and had a No. 2 hit in Australia in with his 1986 cover of the song "Concrete and Clay".
The Barking Spiders Live: 1983 is a live album by Australian rock band Cold Chisel. It was recorded during the final performances of their Last Stand tour in 1983, at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. The name of the album derives from a name the band used occasionally when playing warm-up shows before tours. Don Walker states a "barking spider" is "Scottish slang for a fart."
"The Nips Are Getting Bigger" is the debut single by Australian band Mental As Anything, released in July 1979. It was released as the first single from the album Get Wet and the song reached at number 16 on the Kent Music Report. The song was written by Mental As Anything lead vocalist Martin Plaza.
Creatures of Leisure is the fourth studio album released by Australian band, Mental As Anything. It was released in March 1983 and peaked at #8 on the Australian Album charts.
Fundamental or Fundamental As Anything is the fifth studio album released by Australian rock/pop group, Mental As Anything. The album was produced by Richard Gottehrer and was released on Regular Records in March 1985. It peaked at #3 on the Australian Kent Music Report albums charts.
Cats & Dogs is the third studio album by Australian band, Mental As Anything. It was released in September 1981, produced by Bruce Brown and Russell Dunlop, the album peaked at #3 on the Australian chart and #2 o the New Zealand Album charts.
Get Wet is the debut studio album released by Australian band, Mental As Anything. It was released in November 1979, and peaked at #19 on the Australian Album charts.
"Live It Up" is a song by Australian rock band Mental As Anything, released in May 1985 in Australia and then in Europe and the U.S. in 1986 and 1987 after the song's appearance in the film Crocodile Dundee.
"(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet" is a 1964 hit single by the Reflections, their recording of a composition by Bob Hamilton and Freddie Gorman.
Sondra is the fourth and final studio album by Australian rock and pop band The Sports, released in May 1981. The album peaked at number 20 on the Australian Kent Music Report.
Greatest Hits Volume 1 is the first compilation album by Australian pop rock band Mental As Anything, released in April 1986. Greatest Hits Volume 1 peaked at number 2 on the Australian chart and number 36 in New Zealand.
"Apocalypso " is a Christmas song by Australian band Mental As Anything, released in November 1984. The song reached at number 37 on the Kent Music Report.
Come Around is a song by Australian band Mental As Anything, released in May 1980. as the only single from the group second album, Espresso Bongo. The song peaked at number 18 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart. The song was written by their lead singer and guitarist, Martin Plaza.
Mouth to Mouth is the sixth studio album by Australian pop rock band Mental As Anything, released in July 1987, and the album was produced by Richard Gottehrer. The album peaked at number 14 on the Australian chart.
"Possible Theme for a Future TV Drama Series" is a song by Australian band Mental As Anything, released in November 1979 as the second single from the album Get Wet and the song reached at number 57 on the Kent Music Report. The song was written by Mental As Anything lead vocalist Martin Plaza.
"He's Just No Good for You" is a song by Australian pop rock band Mental As Anything, released in July 1987. It was released as the second single from the band's sixth studio album, Mouth to Mouth. The song was written by Mental As Anything guitarist Greedy Smith and peaked at number 15 on the Australian charts.
"If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too?" is a song by Australian band Mental As Anything, released in May 1981 as the lead single from their third studio album Cats & Dogs. The song peaked at number 4 on the Kent Music Report.
"Too Many Times" is a song by Australian rock band Mental As Anything, released in September 1981 as the second single from their third studio album, Cats & Dogs. The song peaked at number 6 on the Kent Music Report.
