Paul Kelly compiles his drinking songs for latest themed collection

Australian musician Paul Kelly stocked the third installation of his themed compilations with alcohol-involved tunes. Set for release on September 30, Drinking follows Time and Rivers and Rain, the first two titles in this on-going retrospective series from Gawd Aggie/Cooking Vinyl.

The 18 tracks on Drinking stretch from “Little Decisions” off Paul Kelly & The Messengers’ debut, Gossip (1986), to the brand new (and previously unreleased) “One More Tune.”

Accompanying Messengers-era songs along with his solo material, Kelly also includes hand-picked pieces from his collaborative efforts with Australian multi-instrumentalist Charlie Owen, Melbourne-based bluegrass outfit Uncle Bill, and the Merri Soul Sessions guest vocalist Vika Bull (of Vika & Linda Bull fame) who sing on "Sweet Guy.”

Drinking presents a trio of live performances: “King of Fools” from his The A to Z Recordings (2010), “Every F*cking City” from Songs of the South (1997), and a never-before-released recording of his classic “To Her Door” from his appearance at Sydney’s 2022 Vivid Festival.

“For me, drinking is one of the great pleasures of life,” Kelly explains. “A glass of wine or two with dinner, the first beer after hard physical work or sport, a dark ale and a whisky on a cold night….the beaded bubbles winking at the brim of the glass on the surf club balcony looking out over the sea… little buzz on.”

Paul Kelly holds the prestigious title of an Officer of the Order of Australia for his distinguished service to the arts as well as being inducted into the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame. One of Drinking’s songs, “To Her Door,” ranked among the top 30 Most Australian songs of all time. Words & Music (1998), featuring “Nothing On My Mind” and “Tease Me,” earned him ARIA’s Male Artist of the Year honors. 2004’s Ways & Means (“Crying Shame”) and 2018’s Nature (“Seagulls of Seattle”) both won ARIA’s Best Adult Contemporary Album awards. Ten other albums represented on this collection are part of Kelly’s approximately 80 Australian music award nominations that he has received during his career.

Track listing: 

1. One More Tune - Previously Unreleased

2. Stories of me – Gossip
3. Nothing on My Mind – Words & Music
4. Forty Miles To Saturday Night – Under The Sun
5. No You – So Much Water So Close To House
6. Gonna Be Good – Spring And Fall
7. Little Decisions – Post
8. Parting Glass – Death’s Dateless Night

9. King of Fools – The A to Z Recordings
10. Crying Shame – Ways & Means
11. To Her Door (Live at VIVID 2022) – Previously Unreleased
12. Sweet Guy – The Merri Soul Sessions
13. Tease Me - Words & Music
14. Blue Stranger – Comedy
15. Don’t Stand So Close To The Window – Foggy Highway
16. I Don’t Remember A Thing – Smoke
17. Seagulls of Seattle – Nature
18. Every F*cking City – Songs From The South