5 Records With Dirty Three’s Mick Turner

“This came out not long after I started playing guitar, and it’s got some of these great songs from Harvest. It’s a strange record because it’s a compilation, but it just came across my path. [At the time,] I didn’t know Neil Young. Of course, there are such classic Neil Young songs from that era on this compilation, but I particularly liked him playing guitar on ‘Cowgirl in the Sand.’ The solo he plays, I had never heard anything like it. It changed my whole view on playing guitar. It was very moving. It’s just wandering, and it’s so expressive.”

“The Saints were an early punk band in Australia. It was exciting to see them play on national television when I was young. There was never anything like it. There’s a song called, ‘Knights of Venice,’ which I think closes the record. It’s this epic track that goes quite long. It’s part wash of guitars and drums, and you feel immersed. It just carries you away, and it’s an extraordinary song by this young band, and that was so inspiring. I played it to death.”

“I spent a whole year listening to nothing but The Velvet Underground when I discovered them in my early 20s. This is not the most well-known record by them. It [was recorded] after John Cale left. But it’s Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker, and Doug Yule. There’s no Nico either, but they play those songs from [The Velvet Underground & Nico].

“I think when bands go into the studio, they tense up a bit because time costs money, especially in those days, and you want to get things right. But these are live and laid back. They play beautifully, and Lou Reed is an amazing singer-songwriter and guitar player. I love these versions of these great songs on this record.”

“I’ve always been a fan of Nick Cave’s. This record is great. He hadn’t written many love songs previously, well, maybe on the cover record, Kicking Against the Pricks, but [the opening song,] ‘Sad Waters,’ is timeless. It’s an amazing love song. It’s just always stuck with me. I could listen to that song all day and not get sick of it.”

“I just love Big Thief and this record, which came out just at the start of COVID. I played it a lot at home. Although we’re different bands, I see a similarity between them and Dirty Three with the type of communication between the players.

“I was lucky enough to support them in my other band, Mess Esque, during the Australian shows on one of their tours. I got to see them play live night after night. It was so impressive. Adrianne Lenker is a great songwriter, and they’re all great players, but the best thing about that band is the way they communicate musically on stage – they’re something to witness. Extraordinary.”