Share

Anton Goosen - 33 b-sides (Getye van verandering)

Disc one is a chilled out chardonnay that likes pretty sunsets and romance for company, while disc two ups the tempo with whiskey bar blues. While they do borrow from each other now and then, each has a distinct feel and can stand alone as a coherent album.
Goosen fans are treated to a number of collaborations and crossover projects, not least his arrangement of Ingrid Jonker’s “’n Hemel vol blou akkers”. Another treat sees Breyten Breytenbach meeting Deep Purple in “Ek sal vir jou ‘n leeu gee”, which ropes in the talent of Stimela’s Isaac Mtsali on drums and Black Moses of Soul Brothers on organ. Goosen has his Johnny Clegg moment in “Songololo”, an infectious colab with Mahlatini Nkabinde that both draws from and adds to the African storytelling tradition.

As competent as Oom Anton is in his more introspective moods, it’s the brazen protest rock on Getye that most demands to be heard. The cheeky “Huistoe met ‘n waitress”, for instance, recalls the best of Bob Dylan in a ballad about the meeting of a government official and his differently pigmented lover. That, and a diatribe about “Wit kaffers van Afrika” definitely curdled some blood in the late 80s, and may still arouse distaste today. Well done Anton.

B-sides have a way of getting caught in the gears of human memory, and unfortunately your brand new Getye van verandering may suffer a similar fate. But the payoff comes later. Ten years from now, sipping coffee on the porch of your strandhuis, you’ll go “Aha!”, dust off your old Anton Goosen collection and be spared the boredom of local radio.

- Niel Bekker
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE