Mental as Anything
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Mental As Anything is an Australian New Wave/rock music band who, since the late 70s have released numerous albums & singles and have produced many innovative music videos. Although they have worked in a much broader musical idiom, Mental As Anything are in many respects comparable to British band Madness, in that their music is typically delivered with a quirky, ironic sense of humour and a strong visual identity.
Founding members Martin Plaza and Reg Mombassa met at art school and formed the band in 1976; all of the early members became accomplished painters, with Mombassa’s work in particular becoming very well known through his designs for the Mambo clothing company.
The Mentals’ music is characterised by poppy, accessible and well-crafted melodies and lyrics, and almost all their work showcases their ironic, satirical and self-deprecating sense of humour. They are arguably one of the most typically ‘Australian’ of rock groups, with their music and their satirical, good-time image deeply rooted in the milieu of Australian suburbia, despite the fact that two key members (the O’Doherty brothers) were in fact immigrants from New Zealand. The group’s art school background and visual design skills also made them pioneers of the music video form in Australia in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and their videos rank as some of the funniest and most imaginative produced in Australia at that time.
The “classic” lineup of the group, which boasted four songwriters and lasted more than twenty years, was:
The Mentals’ music is characterised by poppy, accessible and well-crafted melodies and lyrics, and almost all their work showcases their ironic, satirical and self-deprecating sense of humour. They are arguably one of the most typically ‘Australian’ of rock groups, with their music and their satirical, good-time image deeply rooted in the milieu of Australian suburbia, despite the fact that two key members (the O’Doherty brothers) were in fact immigrants from New Zealand. The group’s art school background and visual design skills also made them pioneers of the music video form in Australia in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and their videos rank as some of the funniest and most imaginative produced in Australia at that time.
The “classic” lineup of the group, which boasted four songwriters and lasted more than twenty years, was:
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Top Albums
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Greatest Hits! Volume 1
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Best Of
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Fundamental As Anything
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Best of Mental as Anything
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Shoutbox
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thestrokeslover wrote:
Live It Up- i'd always heard this song around, and liked it, and then to find out it was by Mental as Anything (and Aussie!). It's up there with all the great 80's hits.
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DCrules wrote:
Hey there you with the sad face Come up to my place and live it up You beside the dance floor What do you cry for let's live it up I love those lines. :)
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Jasperjay68 wrote:
love the music love the group one of aussie,s best
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bunnyfootsaraht wrote:
Always makes me happy, love this song!
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GlenMphoto wrote:
It really doesn't get much better for Aussie 80's sounds than these guys! Still probably my favourite Australian band! "The walls would fall down on all these people in this pick-up joint"
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BWoolmore wrote:
Hey Mentals, If You Leave Me Can I Come Too??
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J1992L wrote:
Gotta love this! Australian music is outstanding! :)
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winstonpilgrim wrote:
hugely underrated band!
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branleur wrote:
They're pretty fucking awesome.
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sladehouse wrote:
it's a bit pearl harbour in here......
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fergusmcphail wrote:
Gimme some Mouth To Mouth!
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ccbassman wrote:
I love the Mentals and their music but sadly I feel they've become a Mentals cover band, a really really good Mentals cover band.
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jessmaggie wrote:
i always thought the nips are getting bigger was awesome.
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closedmouth wrote:
I always thought The Nips Are Getting Bigger was a racist tirade.
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brownda7 wrote:
love too many times. best hang over song
Videos
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Play
Berserk Warriors
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Play
Brain Brain (1983)
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Play
'He's Just No Good For You'…
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Play
He's Just No Good For You (1987)
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Recent Activity
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KhanadaRhodes added Mental as Anything to the lineup of A Day on the Green at Villa Maria Estate. Wednesday afternoon
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Andy30Bonner, ness19734, oXAshleyXo and 1 other person added Mental as Anything to their libraries. Tuesday morning
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jeepsters wrote about Mental as Anything in Seen live. last month
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shanebarnes, lastlegs1, Beautiful-Sorta and 9 other people added Mental as Anything to their libraries. last month
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xpaulx2009 tagged Mental as Anything with rock, pop, rnb and one other tag. December 2011
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OldFart_To, IlyaTsiruk, WrathOfTzolkin and 22 other people added Mental as Anything to their libraries. December 2011
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Amelie_Leto tagged Mental as Anything with soft rock, new wave, 80s and one other tag. October 2011
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Amelie_Leto, mojobeenster, JesusStoner and 2 other people added Mental as Anything to their libraries. October 2011
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dark_path connected Mental as Anything to the group We Love The 80s. September 2011
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Spacko1965, kristy300189 and 9 other people added Mental as Anything to their libraries. September 2011
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