I never would have known about this band if not for Bill Bailey from Damarge, whose album I reviewed recently. Bailey also runs the Equation Records label which this release is obviously on, and he generously sent me Taming The Outback's 2011 release (the simple version; more on that later), and even though it's over 10 years old, I though it deserved some exposure and a review.

Taming The Outback were an '80s UK band active between 1986-1989, consisting of Tony Sampson (vocals, guitar); Jason Sherwin (bass); Daryl Amos (drums); and Kevin Sans - guitar on some tracks, but mostly the band was a trio. Taming The Outback (like Damarge) were also from Southend-On-Sea, Essex, although their fan base was mostly outside this area. Style-wise, it's post-punk new wave in the manner of Echo and the Bunnymen and Killing Joke. I hear other influences and/or similarities, such as And Also The Trees, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Simple Minds (early), INXS and U2, but Echo and the Bunnymen and Killing Joke seem to be the closest. No question though, Sampson's vocals sound so much like Ian McCulloch's that it's really uncanny.

The CD consists of 21 tracks, which is the band's entire output, and often it's hard to believe that it's only a trio. Since this is the band's entire output, the quality (in both songwriting and recording) is a bit uneven, but even getting a dozen songs from a band of this caliber would have been fantastic. In spite of that, this is a great collection. '1986 - 1989' starts strong with "Fire & Smoke," a killer track that explodes with an intensity and nostalgic familiarity you just don't hear in bands now. I love the rock rawness that only seemed to be prevalent in bands in the early '80's and demurred to more polished sounds by 1986 or so. I think some of this had to do with record labels signing bands that had a more commercial sound and better production over ones that didn’t. Perhaps if Taming The Outback had a quality (big name) producer they might have had more success at the time, but hey, you never know. (The crucifixion cover used for this album and their 7" single ("Fire & Smoke" b/w "Blue Heart"), the only release by the band at the time, didn't endear them to local Christians and conservatives, but they weren't aiming for that market anyway.

Besides the uneven recording quality (from great to miserable, but leaning more toward the former than the latter) I noticed that Sampson's phrasing and vocal melody is similar throughout a number of songs, and that could have been dealt with by an astute producer. Still, there is plenty to love on this album because Sampson is just such a strong vocalist you don't mind if some songs sound similar. While "Fire & Smoke" started out as my favorite track, there are others that deserve mention = "Crack In Your Brain (Westworld)" is an unbelievably good song. I really like the "The Outback Theme," a sort of dark Western song, not as gothy as Fields of the Nephilim, but very cool in its own way. "Roy The Snake," a live track, is one that will have you wishing you had gotten to see this band live.

This release came in two versions, but since the deluxe version (with the CD, an original copy of the band's only 7" in picture sleeve + 4 badges + mini-poster + sticker + miniature reproduction of Alive & Kicking fanzine (from 1987) featuring the band + numbered insert) is sold out, you'll have to settle for the CD in thick LP-style gatefold sleeve + mini-poster + 24 page booklet, numbered (385 numbered copies). Worthy!