Various: Give It A Whirl

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * * *)

This double CD comes subtitled "the soundtrack from the major television series". Which isn't quite right — the rockumentary is there to serve the music, not the other way round. But as an attempt to define the history of Kiwi rock in 25 tracks (not counting Ian Morris' perfunctory theme tune), this is very smart.

It is attractively packaged, and Simon Grigg's liner notes are thorough and entertaining. It avoids the obvious hits, featuring songs which define an era or an act — Split Enz is represented by Titus, Dragon by Rock'n'Roll Ponsonby, Dance Exponents by Sex and Agriculture, the Chills by Rolling Moon, Hello Sailor by I'm a Texan, Herbs by Listen and so on — tunes which capture an essence.

Starting with Sam Mateparae and the Rockin' Rockers' prehistoric instrumental, the first CD stretches from the 50s to Th'Dudes. The second goes from punk to Nesian Mystik. In between are many unfamiliar gems and some songs you thought you knew, but which in this context soon start sounding timeless.
Label: Universal