Once in a while a concept comes along that seems stunning in its complexity and once the project has been completed, you wonder why it was never done before. One of those deceptive projects is the one called "Where Joy Kills Sorrow," a compilation by W. Minc Productions.
The contributors include Mick Harvey (Birthday Party, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), Dave Graney (the Moodists, and the Dave Graney Show),Paul Kelly, Robert Forster (the Go-Betweens),David McComb (the Triffids), Rob Snarski (Blackeyed Susans). Those familiar with these names will smile knowingly - all Australian. Upon seeing these names, you might be thinking that this is a compilation of alternative music or a tribute to a particular rock artist (artists like Lou Reed or Jim Morrison come to mind).

Then you look at the writers and song titles of some of the songs included. Writers and titles such as Fred Neil - "Just a Little Bit of Rain," John Prine - "The Speed of the Sound of Loneliness," Hank Williams - "When You're Tired of Breaking Other Hearts (Wont You Come Back Again and Break Mine)," Kris Kristofferson - "I'd Rather Be Sorry," Tex Perkins - "This is Forever," Miller/Sessions - "Thanks a Lot," N.S. Engel (aka Scott Walker) - "Duchess," Dan Hicks - "I Scare Myself," Rick Zehringer (aka Rick Derringer)-"Still Alive and Well," and John Prine/Phil Spector - "If you Don't Want my Love," among others.

In the liner notes, Graham Lee, who produced the CD and played either acoustic or pedal steel guitar on several of the songs, states that this is a largely acoustic CD with a theme that the songs be not well known and all songs in some way be connected with country music. He goes on to say, "I attempted to take singers out of their usual musical environment." The fulfillment of this project goes to show, you never know what project will get an artist excited and what kinds of music must have influenced them.

There you have it - a concept for a compilation. Take a bunch of musicians and have them record mostly unknown songs that the artists themselves may not have heard of and make a CD. Give them a genre and some back up musicians, give them a few hours in the studio and say go. Graham Lee made a tremendous effort to put the artists together with these songs, and we can only be thankful that he did.

The CD begins with Mick Harvey's rendition of "Just a Little Bit of Rain." This version makes you want to cry and go out and buy everything that Fred Neil ever wrote. That is how wonderful this rendition is. Of course, I wonder why Mick Harvey does not sing a little more with the Bad Seeds or on his own. If you want a few more tears to flow, you have to skip to Rob Snarki's rendition of "If you Don't Want my Love," and then to Chris Abrahams and Melanie Oxley's version of "The Way you See me," sung by Melanie.

It is not surprising that Robert Forster contributes to this compilation. One of his solo CDs is called "Calling from a Country Phone," and he namechecks Guy Clark and Townes van Zandt as influences. The peerless Robert Forster's version of "The Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" reflects RF's incredible subdued versatility, that is when he wants to be subdued (and of course he does have one peer (Grant McLennan)).

Renee Geyer's "I Scare Myself" scares me too. She sounds a little like a deranged Peggy Lee (where Peggy Lee may sound assured, Renee sounds obsessed). Matt Walker's "When I dream" is shoegazing meets country - a little like how Jeff Buckley, My Bloody Valentine, Coldplay, or David Kilgour might sound singing "Wild Horses." It doesn't matter if you like either style or both, you gotta love how this song blends these styles.

Some of the songs sound more typically country than others; sometimes it is the instruments or a note or two or how the lyrics are phrased. All of them avoid sounding like modern country pop - no Shania, Faith, Garth or their ilk. These songs reflect through a prism of roots country, rather than as mirror images of the original versions of the songs. The influence of Australian life plays a part in these artists' interpretations. This is where country may have been today if it had not been hijacked by the so-called country stations. Those that are more directly recognizable as country songs include Joel Silbersher's version of the Hank Williams tune, Greg Perkins version of "Yellow Roses," Warren and John Elllis's "Mis'ry is my Middle Name" and Paul Kelly's "Thanks a Lot," and the wonderful Bull Sisters version of "I'd Rather be Sorry," among others.

While the late Dave McComb's "Still Alive and Well" is the least country either lyrically or musically,we have no quarrel with its inclusion here. If it's country enough for Graham Lee, it should be country enough for us. Another suspect entry in the country category is the 15th and final song on the CD, Dave Graney's and Clare Moore's "This is Forever." In many ways this is the biggest surprise and perhaps biggest success in taking the artist out of his or her typical milieu. You will hear this immediately if you are at all familiar with Dave Graney's work with the Moodists and his new band the Dave Graney Show. Dave Graney sings a duet with Clare Moore, a song filled with sad harmonies reminiscent of the kind made by Gram Parsons and Emmy Lou Harris (without sounding at all like Gram or Emmy Lou). I keep expecting a samba or waltz to break out. And there during much of the song is that train probably leaving. A perfect ending.

This is a must have for any completists of any of these artists. This is also a CD worth exploring if you are interested in any of the writers or artists. You will not be disappointed if the only reason you buy this is to get a flavor of one man's vision - that man is Graham Lee. Thank you Mr. Lee. We wait impatiently for volume 2.