''Electric Digger Dandy'' is the third solo

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

by Australian singer/songwriter

James Reyne James Michael Nugent Reyne Order of Australia, OAM (born 19 May 1957) is an Australian musician. He achieved fame as the lead singer of Australian Crawl, and subsequently went on to a successful solo career. Biography Early years Reyne was born ...

released in June 1991. The album was released in the United States as ''Any Day Above Ground''. The album peaked at number 3 on the

ARIA Charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...

and remains Reyne's highest-charting album. The album saw Reyne's return to a more electric sound. It features the singles "

Slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

", " Any Day Above Ground" and "Some People", as well as a new, acoustic rendition of the

Australian Crawl Australian Crawl (often called Aussie Crawl or The Crawl by fans) were an Australian rock band founded by James Reyne (lead vocals/piano/harmonica), Brad Robinson (rhythm guitar), Paul Williams ( bass), Simon Binks (lead guitar) and David ...

song " Reckless".

Reception

Tomas Mureika of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

wrote that on "''Electric Digger Dandy'' Reyne expanded his musical boundaries with collaborations with

Jim Vallance James Douglas Vallance (born May 31, 1952) is a Canadian songwriter, arranger and producer. He is best known as the songwriting partner of Canadian musician Bryan Adams. Vallance began his professional career as the original drummer and main song ...

and

Tony Joe White Tony Joe White (July 23, 1943 – October 24, 2018), nicknamed the Swamp Fox, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for his 1969 hit " Polk Salad Annie" and for "Rainy Night in Georgia", which he wrote but which was first ...

. The result is an invigorated Reyne, who seems to be having a great time winding his voice around gorgeous melodies and intense rants alike. Despite its nutty had-to-be-changed-for-America title, ''Digger Dandy'' finds a more introspective experimental Reyne, one content to play the music at a lower level and let his words and stiletto voice speak for itself."

Track listing

#"Some People" (J. Reyne, J. Vallance) – 4:13 #"

" (J. Reyne, J. Vallance) – 4:13 #" Reckless" (J. Reyne) – 5:19 #" Any Day Above Ground" (J. Reyne) – 3:38 #"Take a Giant Step" (J. Reyne, S. Hussey) – 5:10 #"Company of Strangers" (J. Reyne, S. Hussey) – 4:05 #"Black and Blue World" (J. Reyne, B. Goldsmith) – 4:06 #"Stood Up" ( J. Hiatt) – 4:52 #"Outback Woman" (J. Reyne, T. J. White) – 3:38 #"Water, Water" (J. Reyne) – 5:40 #"Lay Your Weary Head Down" (J. Reyne) – 2:34

Personnel

– vocals, guitar * Jef Scott – guitars, bass, vocals *

Simon Hussey Simon Cyril Hussey (born 7 July 1960) is an Australian multi-instrumentalist, songwriter-arranger, record producer and audio engineer. In 1984 he formed Cats Under Pressure on keyboards with David Reyne (ex-Australian Crawl) on vocals and Mark G ...

– keyboards, producer * John Watson – drums

Guests

* Mick O'Connor – Hammond organ * Renee Geyer – backing vocals * Gene Black – guitar * C. J. Vanston – keyboards * Scott Griffiths – piano, Hammond organ, keyboards * Steve Housden – guitar solo on "Slave" *

Richard Pleasance Richard Arnold Pleasance is an Australian rock musician and producer. He was a founding member of Boom Crash Opera on guitar, bass guitar, vocals and as a songwriter in 1985; they released three albums before Pleasance left in 1992. Their hit Au ...

– mandolin * Brett Kingman – electric guitar * Mark Goldenberg – guitars, keyboards *

Kenny Aronoff Kenneth D. Aronoff (born March 7, 1953) is an American drummer, best known for his work as a session and touring musician. He has toured and recorded with a wide range of artists throughout his career, including the Rolling Stones, the Smashing ...

– drums, percussion * Jimmie Wood – harmonica * Eric Lowen – backing vocals, acoustic guitar *

Dan Navarro Dan Navarro (born Daniel Anthony Navarro, September 14, 1952) is an American vocalist, guitarist and voice actor best known as half of the duo Lowen & Navarro. He is first cousins with Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction and the Red Hot Chili Pepp ...

– backing vocals, acoustic guitar *

– electric guitar, harmonica, bass, drums * John Pierce – bass * Byron Berline – fiddle * Jim McMains – backing vocals

Reception

Track listing

Personnel

Guests

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References