Jenny Morris
Clear Blue In Stormy Skies Liberation Blue Acoustic Series/Liberation Music

Kiwi Jenny Morris' vocals first graced our airwaves when she sang the theme song to the 1981 film Puberty Blues, before hooking up with INXS on 1984's 'The Swing'. This was followed by commercial success with Everywhere I Go, touring on INXS' Listen Like Thieves world tour, before branching out in full time solo capacity, and success, in 1986 with the Andrew Farris penned You're Gonna Get Hurt.

Numerous singles (even a support slot with Paul McCartney) kept her in the public eye, with her staple of radio-friendly pop including She Has To Be Loved, You I Know and Body And Soul.

This release, an acoustic reworking of her halcyon hits of the '80s and '90s is a bit of a hit and miss affair, which seems to be a bit of a thing with several acts in the Liberation Blue Acoustic series (see Ian Moss for hit and The Mentals for an each way bet).

Yep there's the obligatory new track The Time which is pleasing enough, and the Neil Finn vocals and guitars on You I Know are just oh, so Finnesque. INXS's This Time is pared back to what sounds like a bohdran drum and electric guitar but doesn't lack any urgency. Street Of Love is given a swing/gospel feel, and lordy yes it works. The upbeat Body And Soul is slowed down dramatically to the point of almost being unrecognisable, and is one of those tracks that, depending on one's listening mood, either works or it doesn't.

Jenny's vocals are still in fine form, but overall it lacks that certain spark. The co-listener at chez Liebelt commented in her one and only listen, that there was nothing new on this.

If you are into classic, indeed heritage Australian acts, the Liberation Blue series is providing something wonderfully different other than the usual Greatest/Best Of-s. But for me six out of twelve tracks is a bet each way.

Mark Liebelt