Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Purchasable with gift card
$10AUD or more
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
“What an epic airing of this brave Australian tragedy! Ash Davies’ dynamic instrumentals truly do justice to the peaks and troughs of Burke and Wills’ journey. It was a pleasure to be a part of the whole shebang in giving voice to the narratives.” Henry Wagons
Ashley Davies is a consummate musician and composer with the capacity to bring uniquely Australian stories to life with breathtaking accuracy. His new project Burke & Wills: The Expedition is an extraordinary piece of work.
Musically it reinforces Davies as one of the country’s great talents... but it is more than that. His commitment to bring one of Australia’ most epic tales of triumph and ultimate defeat to the fore via his music is exciting and commendable. The creative license is with the music only. The narrative written by Australia’s foremost Burke & Wills scholar Dave Phoenix, President of the Burke and Wills Society upholds the highest historic integrity. The music combined with the narrative makes Burke & Wills: The Expedition one of the most significant independent music releases of 2013.
This project is not Davies first foray into interpreting sto- ries of historical significance. In 2001 Davies launched his CD and live road show of Ned Kelly, produced with noted historian Ian Jones. The project told the story of the legendary Australian outlaw and bushranger, and the album won the 2001 Best Australian Debut CD in Rhythms Magazine Readers poll. Ned Kelly was critically acclaimed across the nation.
Burke & Wills: The Expedition the perfect saga for Da- vies’ to create another outstanding project featuring an album and live shows.
Davies says of writing Burke & Wills: The Expedition “I think a lot of people see Burke and Wills’ expedition as a failure – I don’t see it that way. After reading about the expedition I was astonished at what they accomplished and totally inspired by what they did... The ideas came and I started to write a musical journey of the Burke and Wills expedition.” As listeners we should thank Davies as the music takes you on an aural journey where your minds eye can truly retrace the steps, joyous and an- guished, and distinctly Australian
To work on this project Davies gathered together some of Australia’s finest musicians to work with him includ- ing Matt Walker, Reg Mombassa, Shane O’Mara, James Lee, Rick Plant, Craig Pilkington, Anita Quayle, Abbie Cardwell, Howard Cairns, Andrew Ogburn, Eugene Ball, Monique DiMattina, Michelle Lewit and Glenn Romanis.
Davies also secured the artistic talent of Reg Mombassa for the front cover, which complements perfectly the his- toric images in the accompanying booklet.
Includes unlimited streaming of BURKE and WILLS -THE EXPEDITION
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
...more
“What an epic airing of this brave Australian tragedy! Ash Davies’ dynamic instrumentals truly do justice to the peaks and troughs of Burke and Wills’ journey. It was a pleasure to be a part of the whole shebang in giving voice to the narratives.” Henry Wagons
Ashley Davies is a consummate musician and composer with the capacity to bring uniquely Australian stories to life with breathtaking accuracy. His new project Burke & Wills: The Expedition is an extraordinary piece of work.
Musically it reinforces Davies as one of the country’s great talents... but it is more than that. His commitment to bring one of Australia’ most epic tales of triumph and ultimate defeat to the fore via his music is exciting and commendable. The creative license is with the music only. The narrative written by Australia’s foremost Burke & Wills scholar Dave Phoenix, President of the Burke and Wills Society upholds the highest historic integrity. The music combined with the narrative makes Burke & Wills: The Expedition one of the most significant independent music releases of 2013.
This project is not Davies first foray into interpreting sto- ries of historical significance. In 2001 Davies launched his CD and live road show of Ned Kelly, produced with noted historian Ian Jones. The project told the story of the legendary Australian outlaw and bushranger, and the album won the 2001 Best Australian Debut CD in Rhythms Magazine Readers poll. Ned Kelly was critically acclaimed across the nation.
Burke & Wills: The Expedition the perfect saga for Da- vies’ to create another outstanding project featuring an album and live shows.
Davies says of writing Burke & Wills: The Expedition “I think a lot of people see Burke and Wills’ expedition as a failure – I don’t see it that way. After reading about the expedition I was astonished at what they accomplished and totally inspired by what they did... The ideas came and I started to write a musical journey of the Burke and Wills expedition.” As listeners we should thank Davies as the music takes you on an aural journey where your minds eye can truly retrace the steps, joyous and an- guished, and distinctly Australian
To work on this project Davies gathered together some of Australia’s finest musicians to work with him includ- ing Matt Walker, Reg Mombassa, Shane O’Mara, James Lee, Rick Plant, Craig Pilkington, Anita Quayle, Abbie Cardwell, Howard Cairns, Andrew Ogburn, Eugene Ball, Monique DiMattina, Michelle Lewit and Glenn Romanis.
Davies also secured the artistic talent of Reg Mombassa for the front cover, which complements perfectly the his- toric images in the accompanying booklet.
credits
released November 16, 2017
STACK MAGAZINE MUSIC REVIEW – JB 4 STARS
It’s inspired books, movies and monuments. Now Burke and Wills’ ill-fated trek across Australia has inspired a double album, compiled by Melbourne musician Ashley Davies.
From Reg Mombassa’s cover painting to Henry Wagons’ perfectly phrased narration, this is a work of art.
Davies creates evocative images with his instrumentals, capturing the highs and lows of the mission, exposing the loneliness and danger, and the harsh beauty of the landscape.
Ultimately, the expedition was an epic failure; the album is a triumph.
- Jeff Jenkins
BEAT MAGAZINE 4 STARS
Along with his musical skills, Reg Mombassa provides the unique cover for this unique two disc set, one instrumental, the other narrated by Henry Wagons. Yet the cover is a little to positive for a recording that celebrates an initially euphoric vision which ultimately ended in stoic fatalism in the desolate Australian outback. This is a record which should be placed in a time capsule for future reference as a prime example of taking the listener on a romantic journey through the beguiling Australian landscape as it wreaks havoc on the expedition party. Nothing can be faulted with this deluxe package.
Ashley Davies reignites his musical relationship with Matt Walker and this works a treat. History records this expedition as no venture for delicate sensibilities. But just like the journey, this record is something of a milestone in the career of those involved. It is astonishingly drifting and superlatives come easily. The narration of Henry Wagons traverses a story as vast and inspiring as it is doomed, to the inevitable end. It is a snapshot of the Antipodean ideal of giving everything a go. Valorising the principle that despite overwhelming hardship, mateship will shine through.
How can one not get a heavy heart when violin and didjeridoo are the backdrop as Wagons recites a dying Burke's wish that fellow traveller King "remain with me til l am quite dead, it is a comfort to know that someone is by." Or when King is found after being the last man standing, drenched in a flood of tears answering "I am King, sir, the last man of the exploring expedition." This recording should become compulsory syllabus in Australian history and its benefit would be two fold. Not only would young minds be nourished by important national events but their ears would be exposed to some sterling music.
The listener has a birdseed view of the journey from Royal Park in Melbourne through torrential rain and stultifying heat. All the while there is omnipresent gloom surrounding the optimism, The Gulf- Success, Of A Kind, Gray Has Suffered Very Much, Towards Adelaide, By Mount Hopeless. The Expedition is one of the finest Australian records that can only instil the very best of national pride.
BY BRONIUS ZUMERIS
In A Word: Colossal
ASHLEY DAVIES
RHYTHMS MAGAZINE
The adjective “epic” is not always positive when applied to music. While there is nothing overblown about Ashley Davies’ new instrumental soundtrack to the saga of Burke & Wills, its scope and ambition are as epic as the journey it is based on.
Featuring two CDs – one of instrumental music, the other including narratives by Henry Wagons – a cast of hand-picked Australian musicians, and a magnificent booklet of photos and paintings (including a cover painting by Reg Mombassa), the whole production smacks of dedication and application.
Indeed, the first track of the narrative CD is entitled ‘The First Steps In An Epic Journey’. It portrays the expedition’s ceremonious departure from Melbourne and quotes Burke as exclaiming, “No expedition has ever started under such favourable circumstances as this.” We all know how dramatically those circumstances turned.
There is a huge amount to digest on Davies’ project. The CD of 11 instrumentals intends, it seems, to follow the expedition in music, setting out optimistic and jaunty (though there’s a definite note of trepidation in Track 1) with the guitars of Matt Walker and Shane O’Mara featuring prominently. Some of this material is robust and structured, like rock songs without vocals (though Abbie Cardwell does contribute some wordless singing).
A foreboding tone creeps in around Track 6 before Track 7 drops the pace to a stumble. Inevitably, the tone becomes increasingly dark and then intense (Michelle Lewit contributes some spooky violin) before Davies winds up the album with a poignant guitar composition.
The second CD features the same tracklist with Henry Wagons reading narrative over the top. I love the narrative, but I’d almost prefer an album with the narration set between each track so you could give each the attention they deserve.
Nevertheless, you can’t help but marvel in admiration at what Davies and co have accomplished here.
By Martin Jones
Ashley Davies is a composer and drummer from Melbourne, Australia. He has recorded and produced 6 albums and conceived 3
live theatre shows incorporating his own compositions. He’s a highly sought after session musician having played on over 60 albums, recorded for film and television soundtracks, and performed with various artists in Australia and internationally....more
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