Mental As Anything is an Australian band formed in Sydney in 1976 and originally consisting of Martin Plaza (real name Martin Murphy), Reg Monbassa (real name Christopher O'Doherty), Wayne De Lisle (real name name David Twohill) and Steve Coburn.
The band's name Mental As Anything is actually derived from late 1970s Australian slang meaning crazy, extravagant, having fun to the extreme or "going away".
The group's first production was a mini album "Mental As Anything plays at your party", a mini album which was released in 1978. First production which would not go completely unnoticed...
The real beginnings came with the release of a first Single “The nips are getting bigger” in 1979, a title which gave them their first success and thus allowed them to move from the shadows to the light. Title that we will find on their first album “Get wet” which will be released the same year and which will also be popular with the public.
Success confirmed but not amplified the following year in 1980 with the release of the new album "Espresso bongo", an album which mainly produced the high-profile Single "Come around".
It was the following album “Cats & Dogs” which finally allowed them to move up a gear in 1981, notably with the Singles “If you leave me, can I come too? ” and “Too many times.”
Slight relapse in 1983 with the album “Creatures of leisure” which saved the furniture at the last minute with the Single “Spirit got lost”.
They will have to wait until 1985 and the release of the album “Fundamental” to finally achieve recognition with the enormous Single “Live it up”. Single which will be a real global hit and offer them the biggest success of their entire Singles discography.
A huge feat that they will not be able to reissue despite the subsequent release of other albums and other Singles...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others…) :
C.Y.O. Dance 1978
The Nips Are Getting Bigger 1979
Possible theme for a future TV drama series 1979
Egypt 1980
Come around 1980
(Just like) Romeo and Juliet 1980
If you leave me, can I come too ? 1981
Too many times 1981
Bersek warriors 1981
I didn’t mean to be mean 1982
Close again 1982
Spirit got lost 1983
Brain brain 1983
Working for the man 1983
Apocalypso (Wiping the smile off Santa’s face) 1984
You’re so strong 1985
Live it up 1985
Date with destiny 1985
Big wheel 1985
Sloppy croc 1986
Let’s go to paradise 1986
He’s just no good for you 1987
Don’t tell me now 1987
Love me tender 1987
Rock and roll music 1988
The world seems difficult 1989
Baby you’re wild 1989
Overwhelmed 1990
Mr Natural 1995
Nigel 1995
Whole wide world 1995
Marianne 1996
Just my luck 1998
Calling Colin 1998
Shake off your sandals 2015
Goat tracks in my sandpit 2016
The luckiest player 2017
Clips :
1978...a first title which allowed the group to start making headlines. On the recognition side, they will have to wait a little longer...
1979...it didn't take long for the band to achieve their first success. Certainly limited exclusively to Australia but that's already it...
1979... the dynamic of success is now well in place and sees the group obtain a second hit which can only encourage them to continue the adventure...
1980...a new title that will go somewhat unnoticed. The transition to the next decade does not go as well as they could have hoped...
1980...fortunately business will pick up with this new title. There was no need to worry more than that about the previous slight air hole...
1980...two titles out of three will be classified during this year 1980 which is not that bad. This at least allows the group to stay in the race...
1981...success now extends to the entire southern sphere. The rise in power is slow but steady, it is clear...
1981...after the southern sphere, it is the North American continent that seriously begins to take an interest in them. It all smells good...
1981...the group has still not succeeded in producing THE title that would allow him to play in the big leagues but we are getting closer, that's clear...
1982...they still happen to have titles that pass 'through'. This will be the case for this one but nothing worrying at this stage concerning them...
1982... they will save in extremis their year 1982 with this title. A year of transition with limited success but success all the same...
1983...the year 1983 begins in a better way which can only reassure us about the future of events. Everything is possible at this stage...
1983...the only problem is that the group is unable to raise its level of play and stagnates at a level of success that varies little...
1983...after that, it's better to have limited success than no success at all. This is what the group says to himself, hoping for better days...
1984...with them the even years are rather years of limited productivity to say the least. This year 1984 will not escape it...
1985...a year 1985 which started off significantly better than the others with a level of success which began to spread across the entire planet...
1985...then finally arrives THE title which will finally allow them to obtain a direct ticket for posterity. It took them a while to get it, but it's now done. HU-GE !
1985...a feat that they will never be able to repeat, but what is taken is no longer to be taken, as they say. Everything else will just be a bonus...
1985...a beautiful and BIG year 1985 which ends with this new success. Success of small scale certainly but success all the same...
1986...it is clear that the rest of the adventure will be much less glorious but there will be a sequel and that is the main thing...
1986...success diminishes but remains constant in Australia which allows them to stay afloat without too much difficulty. Let's hope it lasts...
1987... they will even manage to classify this title in England but it will indeed be the last time. All thanks to a quality that remains stable year after year...
1987...the group will not remain as the most gifted in Australia but all that he has produced throughout the years is far from deserving, that's clear...
1987...revisiting one of Elvis' most famous titles dating from 1956 is a risky bet, to say the least. And yet the result will be largely up to par !
1988...it's Chuck Berry's turn to benefit from their favors with this revisited version of his title dating from 1957. Excellent work once again...
1989 ... already 10 years of career and a flattering prize list even if the successes of planetary class will have been limited to say the least ...
1989... now it remains to be seen what the next decade has in store for them. Maintained at the high level or slow but irreversible disappearance, good question...
1990...for the moment there's not much to worry about what happens next. Let's hope they last like this for a long time...
1995...we will suddenly lose sight of them for almost 5 years which is not very reassuring. The begining of the end...?
1995...a title which will go somewhat under the radar and which confirms the fact that the group is going through a bad patch...
1995...they decide to revisit here the title of Wreckless Eric dating from 1977 and it's good for them because they will get a new major hit here...
1996...that was the good news. Because the bad news is that this hit will indeed be the group's last...
1998...which will not prevent them from continuing the adventure. A desire to believe in it until the end which undoubtedly commands respect...
1998...the end of the 90s which will be freewheeling and far from the rhinestones and sequins. It's part of the game unfortunately...
2015...after a decade in the 2000s where not much interesting happened, here they are back in this year 2015 in a form that we would describe as certain...
2016...certainly this won't allow them to come to the surface any more than that but above all it shows that they still exist and that's the main thing...
2017 ... so we imagine that this title will not be the last. It remains to be seen when they will decide to return - or not - ...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :