From the land down under

From the New Musical Express file labelled “Colonials” …

IT'S GOOD to be sitting in a pub courtyard with the pleasingly craggy Max Merritt.

It would be good just to pass somebody in the street exhibiting the obvious signs of mellow satisfaction, that, in Max's case, overflow into laughter and repeated exhortations for another Carlsberg Special.

If you were Max, you'd also be happy.

’Cos after a chequered career that began at the Christchurch, Australia, Teenage Club, Max is now one of the hottest artists on the shiny new Arista label. In this capacity he's won the approval of all, from his hordes of fans from sunny Oz to none other than Clive Davis.

Like many another musician who's paid his dues more often than he cares to remember, Max isn't keen on talking about the past …

- Vivien Goldman, ‘It’s Almost Like Art’, New Musical Express, 23 August 1975. At right, a review from the NME’s singles column, 13 October 1979.