''Behind the Lines'' is the second album by John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew. Released in 2008, it was re-released in 2011. It consists almost entirely of cover songs and musical renditions of poems. The album includes covers of artists and groups such as

Eric Bogle Eric Bogle (born 23 September 1944) is a Scottish-born Australian folk singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Scotland, he emigrated to Australia at the age of 25, to settle near Adelaide, South Australia. Bogle's songs have covered a variety of ...

Judy Small Judith Margaret Small is a retired judge of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia and former folk singer. Small was known for her feminist, often patriotic, and political songs, usually following a traditional theme. She produced twelve albu ...

Cold Chisel Cold Chisel are an Australian pub rock band, which formed in Adelaide in 1973 by mainstay members Ian Moss on guitar and vocals, Steve Prestwich on drums and Don Walker on piano and keyboards. They were soon joined by Jimmy Barnes (at the ...

, as well as a number of songs previously released by

Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

, either as a solo artist or during his time with

Redgum Redgum were an Australian folk and political music group formed in Adelaide in 1975 by singer-songwriter John Schumann, Michael Atkinson on guitars/vocals, Verity Truman on flute/vocals; they were later joined by Hugh McDonald on fiddle and Ch ...

. The central theme of the album is Australians at war,The Independent Weekl
Behind the Lines review
/ref> although it also includes the iconic Australian song

Waltzing Matilda "Waltzing Matilda" is a song developed in the Australian style of poetry and folk music called a bush ballad. It has been described as the country's "unofficial national anthem". The title was Australian slang for travelling on foot (waltzing) ...

, and "To An Old Mate", a Henry Lawson poem not specifically about war, which was also included on the Lawson album.

Album artwork

The cover art shows a picture of an Australian

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

era soldier in a barracks, reading a book or a letter.

Track listing

(original artists in parentheses) #"Boy on the Run" (

The Dingoes The Dingoes are an Australian country rock band. They were initially active from 1973 to 1979, and reformed in 2009. Initially based in Melbourne, the band relocated to the United States from 1976. The most stable line-up comprised John Bois on ...

) – 3:47 #"

And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" is a song written by Scottish-born Australian singer-songwriter Eric Bogle in 1971. The song describes war as futile and gruesome, while criticising those who seek to glorify it. This is exemplified in the s ...

" (

) – 4:41 #" Scots of the Riverina" (

Henry Lawson Henry Archibald Hertzberg Lawson (17 June 1867 – 2 September 1922) was an Australian writer and bush poet. Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial perio ...

) – 4:07 #" No Man's Land (The Green Fields of France)" (

) – 5:08 #"To An Old Mate" (

) – 3:10 #"Ted" (

) – 4:13 #"Mothers, Daughters, Wives" (

) – 4:59 #"

Khe Sanh Khe Sanh is the district capital of Hướng Hoá District, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam, located 63 km west of Đông Hà. During the Vietnam War, the Khe Sanh Combat Base was located to the north of the city. The Battle of Khe San ...

" (

) – 4:25 #"My Country" ( Midnight Oil) – 4:28 #"

I Was Only Nineteen "Only 19", "I Was Only 19" or "A Walk in the Light Green" is the most widely recognised song by Australian folk group Redgum. The song was released in March 1983 as a single, which hit number one on the national Kent Music Report Singles Chart f ...

" (

) – 4:46 #"Rachel" (

Raymond Froggatt Raymond William Froggatt (born 13 November 1941) is an English songwriter and singer.Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Country Music'', Virgin Books, , p. 159-160 Biography Froggatt (otherwise known as "Froggy") was born in Bordes ...

)– 5:02 #"Wings Of An Eagle" (

Russell Morris Russell Norman Morris (born 31 July 1948) is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s. On 1 July 2008, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) recog ...

) – 4:10 #"Safe Behind The Wire" (

John Schumann John Lewis Schumann (born 18 May 1953) is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist from Adelaide. He is best known as the lead singer for the folk group Redgum, with their chart-topping hit " I Was Only 19 (A Walk in the Light Green)", a s ...

) - 3:36 #"

When the War Is Over "When the War Is Over" is a power ballad of Australian band Cold Chisel from their 1982 album ''Circus Animals''. The song was written by drummer Steve Prestwich and issued as the third single from the album, peaking at number 25 on the national ...

" (

) - 4:01 #" I'll Be Gone" (

Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors ...

) - 4.36 #"

" (

Banjo Paterson Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, (17 February 18645 February 1941) was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the ...

) - 5.11

Personnel

;The Vagabond Crew *

– lead & backing vocals, acoustic guitars, percussion * Hugh McDonald - lead & backing vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, mandolin, violin, mandocello, dobro, keyboards, percussion *Dave Folley - Drums, percussion *Kat Kraus - lead and backing vocals *Mark Kraus - audio ;Special guests *

Rob Hirst Robert George Hirst (born 3 September 1955) is an Australian musician from Camden, New South Wales. He is a founding member of rock band Midnight Oil on drums, percussion and backing vocals (sometimes lead vocals) from the 1970s until the band ...

- backing vocals *

- lead and backing vocals *

Mike Rudd Michael David Rudd (born 15 June 1945) is a New Zealand-born musician and composer who has been based in Australia since the late 1960s, and who was the leader of Australian progressive rock bands Spectrum and Ariel in the 1970s. Biography Mi ...

- vocals, harmonica *

Broderick Smith Broderick Smith (born 17 February 1948) is an English-born Australian multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and sometime actor. He was a member of 1970s bands Sundown, Carson and the Dingoes, 1980s Broderick Smith's Big Combo and he has rec ...

- harmonica ;Contributing Musicians *Peter Anderson - accordion *Shannon Bourne - acoustic and electric guitars *Charlotte Dennis - cello *Tom Kinnet - uilleann pipes, tin whistle *Kecil Saudara - backing vocals *Sam Willoughby - bass, backing vocals

References

External links

Redgum Lyrics Archive - Behind the Lines
{{DEFAULTSORT:Behind The Lines (John Schumann Album) 2008 albums Covers albums John Schumann albums