From the source

[ The University of Melbourne Voice Vol. 3, No. 1  14 April - 12 May 2008 ]

By Silvia Dropulich

Punk spirit, with soul

It’s an accolade art historian Dr Christopher Marshall shies away from – he doesn’t agree with music critics’ assessments that his band Harem Scarem’s album Pilgrim’s Progress is a strong contender for the greatest Australian rock ‘n’ roll album.

Dr Marshall teaches undergraduate units and supervises graduate students in the areas of Renaissance, Baroque and contemporary art; art curatorship, collecting and the art market; and the history and philosophy of museums at the University of Melbourne.

Twenty-two years after it was originally recorded, Dr Marshall’s band Harem Scarem has reformed to promote the re-issue of Pilgrim’s Progress, and performed recently at the Corner Hotel, Richmond.

The liner notes in the re-released Pilgrim’s Progress are written by music industry critics Clinton Walker and David Nichols, Christopher Marshall and (band manager) Michael Lynch. There are six bonus tracks (two previously unreleased) and many rare photos.

“I can’t really agree with what some music critics are saying,” Dr Marshall says.

“The contenders for greatest Australian rock and roll album are many and include seismically significant recordings by bands like the Aztecs, AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, Cold Chisel, the Saints, Radio Birdman, the Birthday Party, and others...

“It’s nice to get a favourable review, but we didn’t record Pilgrim’s Progress with the intention of it becoming contender for the greatest Australian rock and roll album of all time.”

Dr Marshall says the band has re-released Pilgrim’s Progress because it has something collectively to say, and because “it felt good making the music”.

Harem Scarem is a loud, alternative rock band that has been described as sounding like what you would get if you managed to cross the original punk spirit of the Stooges and the Velvet Underground with the raw emotion of the blues and sixties soul.

“Harem Scarem is my creative outlet,” says Dr Marsall.

“And being in a band taught me very early on not to set up artificial distinctions between different avenues of creative expression.”

Pilgrim’s Progress re-release is out now on the Aztec Music label.