Hush - C'mon We're Taking Over (1974)

Aussie rockers, Hush, came to life in 1971 as a five-piece unit consisting of Keith Lamb (vocals), Chris Nolan (keyboards), Robin Jackson (guitar), Rick Lum (bass) and John Koutts (drums). The band gigged in this incarnation until the middle of 1972, when Nolan, Jackson and Koutts exited. Les Gock (guitars) and Chris Pailthorpe (drums) were enlisted, leaving Hush as a four piece. This newly revitalized lineup went on to win Hoadley’s National Battle of the Sounds contest later that year, putting them squarely in the spotlight and prompting a recording contract with Warner Brothers. By 1973, "Alive 'n Loud" was issued on the strength of their first single, "Get the Feelin", which peaked at #11 on the Aussie charts. Touring ensued and by early 1974, Hush moved to Wizard Records to record their sophomore album.

"Get Rocked" was released in early spring, spawning three singles that were all met with a reasonable amount of success. However, Wizard was not satisfied with the album's triple gold status. Sensing the impending glam explosion that had already swept the UK, the band were pressured to adjust their look accordingly and focus on finding a glam standout that could send them up the charts. The band were quickly shuffled into the studio to record their third album, "C'mon We're Taking Over", which hit store shelves in September of 1974. The album failed to impress critics and fans, causing their lone single from the album to sink without a trace.

Though their live reputation was formidable, Hush seemed barely on the cusp of something great and luckily Wizard made one last attempt to help the band strike gold. This finally came in 1975, as their fourth album, "Rough Tough n Ready" exploded onto the scene with the help of an explosive cover of "Boney Maroney" and a colorful appearance on the famous, "Countdown" TV program. Soon Hush were the glam darlings of their native country and their tour that year sold out virtually everywhere in Australia. This success lasted thru most of 1976, which also saw the addition of a second guitarist, Jacques DeJongh. This augmented lineup was short lived as Gock departed at the conclusion of the tour in early 1977.

Determined to eclipse the success of their last album, Hush released "Touche" in the summer of 1977, but their audience had all but vanished along with the dying glam scene that helped them achieve such success. One single from the album was issued and failed to chart, prompting Wizard to drop the band later that year. The band effectively ceased to exist by early 1978. In the wake of the split, several of the members went on to issue their own singles to little response. In the years following, Lamb suffered from mental illness and eventually left the business to work in embroidery (Rajmahal) and gaming (TAOC). Gock became a jingle writer and has successfully maintained his career for 20+ yrs. Lum returned to his first career in graphic design, while Pailthorpe became an architect. DeJongh is now a chef. Hush reformed twice, once in 2004 and again in 2006 for short tours but as of this writing, the band is finally put to rest.

"C'mon We're Taking Over" is easily the band's most unusual work which explains why this album seems to be overlooked by fans of the band. Not subscribing to the overt glam stylings of their subsequent work, the band shoot for depth here and to some extent it works. Tracks like "In My Short Life", "Rocking Gypsy Kings" and "Longing To Get Home" show the band at their most subdued, which came as a surprise for ardent fans. Though Hush should be commended for attempting to diversify their sound, these tracks all lack the hooks necessary to make them classics. Predictably, it's the fiery rockers that command attention here, as tracks like "Caroline" and the title track illustrate. In truth, most of the material here is bordering on mediocrity, but this interesting nugget deserves revisiting. It's a clear step in a different direction that Hush would never return to in subsequent years. Enjoy this nice vinyl transfer of "C'mon We're Taking Over"...

256kbps @ http://rapidshare.com/files/66856574/Hush256.rar.html