Following the success of their first EP Boodle Boodle Boodle, released in November 1981, the band were keen to keep up their momentum while still being fresh in the minds and ears of the New Zealand public, but were also determined to try something different and not repeat themselves musically.
Recorded in an old house in Christchurch by Doug Hood and Chris Knox in March 1982, Great Sounds Great has a noticeably different feel and vibe to its predecessor. The band intentionally selected the more eclectic and idiosyncratic material from their set to record, and the recording process was more considered in its approach and arrangements than before.
The most similar song to the sound of Boodle is the opening instrumental “Fish.” It’s also the only guitar workout on the EP, and features three separate guitar tracks to thicken up the sound. Reflecting the recent instrumental changes in their live set, there is also a strong presence of organ throughout the record, most notably on “Beatnik.” Accompanied with a video clip made by director Simon Morris, the song proved to be an enduring classic with repeated screenings on New Zealand television which further cemented the band’s success. Some songs used only three or two of the four available tracks on Chris Knox’s TEAC 4-track machine, with “Side On” and “End of My Dream” being respective examples of this minimalist approach to recording. Despite being given mixed reviews upon its release in May 1982, Great Sounds Great ended up being just as successful as Boodle, reaching #4 in the New Zealand charts and remained in the charts for three months.
Reflecting the way they were originally issued in 1982, these reissues are pressed on black vinyl and have been remastered by Tex Houston with fresh transfers of the original master tapes that are held at Alexander Turnbull Library (National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa).
