''Life Was Better'' is the second

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

release by Australian rock band

Magic Dirt Magic Dirt are an Australian rock band, which formed in 1991 in Geelong, Victoria, with Daniel Herring on guitar, Adam Robertson on drums, Adalita Srsen on vocals and guitar, and Dean Turner on bass guitar. Initially forming an alternative u ...

. It was released in November 1994 on the

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

label Au Go Go Records. The EP originally peaked at number 71 on the Australian singles chart, selling over 20,000 copies. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 1995 The Ninth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 20 October 1995 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. There had been a 18-month gap since the ...

, the EP was nominated for four awards; Best New Talent, Best Independent Release, Breakthrough Artist – Single and Best Alternative Release. In 2020, the EP was re-released on CD and vinyl and it entered the

Australian albums chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian 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 became the offici ...

at number 26.

Background and release

After the release of their debut ''

Signs of Satanic Youth ''Signs of Satanic Youth'' is the debut extended play by Australian rock band Magic Dirt. It was released in November 1993 on the Melbourne-based, independent label Au Go Go Records. The EP was re-released in January 2019 on CD and 12" vinyl. Up ...

'' in 1993, and a heady succession of touring with the likes of Sonic Youth,

Smashing Pumpkins Smash may refer to: People * Smash (wrestler) (born 1959), professional wrestler * Moondog Rex, another professional wrestler who briefly wrestled as the original Smash, before being replaced by the above. * DJ Smash, DJ and music producer Ar ...

, Beck and

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion was an American three-piece rock band from New York City, formed in 1991. The group consisted of Judah Bauer on guitar, backing vocals, harmonica and occasional lead vocals, Russell Simins on drums and Jon Spenc ...

, Magic Dirt weathered the hysteria of 'the next big thing' tag and a storm of major label interest by breaking up and getting back together four times. After regrouping for good and hiring help in the way of management and an agent, Magic Dirt reconvened in the middle of 1994 to record ''Life Was Better''. The cover art for ''Life Was Better'' was heavily influenced by Aussie cult movie ''

Puberty Blues ''Puberty Blues'' is a 1981 Australian coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Bruce Beresford, based on the 1979 novel of the same name (essentially a protofeminist teen novel) by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey. Plot The story focuses ...

'', with which the band were obsessed. Follow its release, the band featured heavily on alternative press and garnered the band a national spot on the

Big Day Out The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typically in January of eac ...

, supported

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Silverchair Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Newcastle, New South Wales, with Ben Gillies on drums, Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars, and Chris Joannou on bass guitar. The group got their big bre ...

and

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throughout 1995. Late in 1995, they signed a record deal in the USA.

Reception

In November 1994, OTS said "Geelong's favourite sons (and daughter) do it again, with five tracks of pure alterno magic... this is a guaranteed indie hit and one of the archetypal Australian releases of the year." In December 1994, D.D. Forte called the EP "the kind of feedback-laced gutter pop to knock the loneliness out of your head". In January 1995, Tracey Grimson from OTS said "It's clear that Magic Dirt take their lessons from a combination of the punk of new indie mixed with the roots of older alternative rock... What rises up is hard, heavy, contagious rock 'n' roll – a new breed." In December 1995, Nazz from Rip It Up said "It sounds like something sweet, like

The Bangles The Bangles are an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1981. The band recorded several singles that reached the U.S. top 10 during the 1980s, including " Manic Monday" (1986), " Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986), "Hazy Shad ...

... as covered by an air conditioner and a cement mixer". In 2020, Jeff Jenkins from Stack Magazine said ''Life Was Better'' "...shows a band that should have conquered the world.

Adalita Srsen Adalita Srsen (, born 25 February 1971) is an Australian rock musician who is a founding member of the rock band Magic Dirt and a solo artist. She released her first solo album, ''Adalita'' in 2011 and her second solo album, ''All Day Venus'', ...

sits comfortably alongside

Chrissy Amphlett Christine Joy Amphlett (; 25 October 1959 – 21 April 2013) was an Australian singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the frontwoman of the rock band Divinyls. She was notable for her brash, overtly sexual persona and subversive hu ...

as a rock goddess.".

CD track listing

Personnel

– vocals, guitar * Dean Turner – bass *Adam Robertson – drums *Daniel Herring – guitar

Charts

Release history

References

{{Authority control 1994 EPs Magic Dirt albums Au Go Go Records EPs Indie pop EPs EPs by Australian artists