Jan Hellriegel – Sportsman Of The Year
(Blind Date Records / Seahorse Swim)
Reviewed by Tim Gruar.
Jan Hellriegel is somewhat of an NZ musical icon. Songwriter, performer, producer, music publisher, copyright expert, mother and now author. Her latest body of work Sportsman Of The Year dials up defining moments not only in her musical life, but personal journey, as well. This is a glorious twelve track album with ‘mini stories’ attached by way of autobiographical style book of twelve chapters. In her own words, it’s a “musical in a book”, and, I think one of her most significant works to so far.
It’s the late 1980’s and I’m standing in a sweaty, swirling throng up at the Hunter Lounge, Victoria University, respectfully pogoing along to tunes by Cassandra’s Ears, an all-female rock outfit who’ve just busted out of the Flying Nun stable. Normally, I wouldn’t have ventured in this environment. The audience were almost entirely ‘Wimin’ (yes, spelt that way) – strong, feisty, independent, idyllic, riot grrrl proto-types. They usually wouldn’t tolerate men, especially weedy, white middle class grunge boys like myself. And I totally respected that. But lucky for me, I was going out with the Student Union Vice President, who insisted I come along and promised me immunity from scorn and patriarchy bashing (Even though I probably deserved it). That night was the first time I met Jan. Well, my ears and eyes did, anyway.
Admittedly, the band had a pretty small cache of songs, pumping out a snarling mix of jangling guitars and grunge, with Jan’s husky, slightly sexy, slightly desperate vocals. Tunes like Silver Sheen and My Command are still most likely on student radio high rotate. They became firm faves on the mosh pit floor. To bulk out the set they threw in a Patty Smith song or two, showing their feminist teeth and proving their rock’n’roll chops. Patty returns over and over in Jan’s work, whether consciously or unintentionally.
That was only the start of it. Jan stayed with the ‘Ears until 1991, when the magic of big recording contracts lured her over to Warners. Most listeners will remember 1992’s big album It’s My Sin, which held the single The Way I Feel. She also made Tremble (1995), which spawned the catchy, independent Geraldine. That song, listening to it now, reminds me of some of the experiments Neil Finn tried during his first two solo albums and undoubtedly created a bit of a template for her later music. It’s noticeable of this, her latest album, returning like friendly old ghost to inhabit songs like Love And Conviction and For The Love Of Glory. We’ll get to that shortly.
Jan Hellriegel became our first female proper rock star – a singer artist with awesome songs and a unique voice. She paved the way for artists like Boh Runga and Julia Deans, who’d break through only a few years after. Yet despite big albums and touring opportunities the elusive big break. Leaving Warner’s in 1997 she went completely independent, writing, recording and publishing on her own terms. That was a pretty ballsy thing to do, then (and now). Especially, so for a female artist trying to get ahead in a male dominated industry. She did lots of ‘un-musical’ things. She worked a day job delivering fish to the very same restaurant where she’d once enjoyed lavish expense dinners on the record company expense accounts, with American producer and sometimes Eagles songwriter, J.D. Souther.
Over the years she’s made TV ads, supported author Alan Duff’s Books in Homes, acted on Shortland St (as the character ‘Jackie’), collaborated with Tom Blaxand (Project Runway). In 2009 she released her most ‘mature work’ to date, appropriately titled All Grown Up and followed up with another independent release Lost Songs in 2013. Both were critically acclaimed but slipped under the radar of heavy hitting radio programmers.
Now days, Ms Hellriegel leads a busy music publishing company. So success and disappointment. All roads eventually led here, to this album, this book, these words. There’s no denying that these songs Jan’s own personal narrative and clearly the soundtrack of her life so far.
Making music again in her 40’s required a gear change and a new of mind set. We saw early hints of that on All Grown Up (2009) but taking the road to Sportsman Of The Year was a dark path. Recently divorced and feeling down about her life, she says that it took a real effort to come out of that self impose gloom and start looking for answers, to find out how to regain control over her future. Live the life she really wanted. You can hear that self affirmation in the title track, which essentially has one message – This is your time, it’s the best time. It’s right now!
Each track is lays bare her soul, and, understandably, is an honest comment with more than just a hint of philosophy and sighing inevitability. “The stories get old and the stories get told, ’til they make no sound… ” she sings on Ode To The Promise Of Youth, “The reasons ‘are’ and ‘because’ and the reasons go round and round and round.” These songs, by her own admittance arrive at a place where she can look back her failures, rejections and disappointments with a sense of accomplishment and wear them like medals from long lost battles.
This is the premise to her book, also called Sportsman Of The Year, that supports the album that. “I realised the songs were taking a more philosophical, personal direction”, she says “I wanted to share some stories in parallel with the music… a musical in a book.” Both book and music are rich beautiful, offerings. Well written and well produced music. 12 poignant, philosophical chapters of illuminating storytelling that highlights her resilience, strength and persistence.
From the first notes of Hound Dog I’m taken right back in time. Her vocals are timeless. This song is wrapped around a great bassline and expands out into a gospel like chorus, even borrowing a few bars from Broadway in the closing refrains. “I feel sorry for my self, in truth I have everything…It’s a great life if you choose it…a hound dog if you let it.” The self-help philosophy is strong here.
Jan can be heard playing the piano on many of the tracks, especially the cool introduction to Neptune and Me, which has the kind of smouldering, spiralling solo keyboard arrangement. It’s a lingering jazzy interpretation that opens like a blooming flower into the greater body of the song.
I mentioned For The Love Of Glory earlier. A Dr John styled blues based manifesto for achievement and giving your all in pursuit of the goal, no matter what comes. It’s about chasing the elusive star, fame. “I’ve cleaned a lot of hotel rooms and been in a lot of bars… had records in cold warehouses…” It’s also an instantly catchy tune with a gentle Middle Eastern back taste. Her attack reminds me of Michelle Shocked from the Captain Swing era. I love it.
To make all this wonderful music, she’s brought in all her favourite people: Wayne Bell (producer); Daniel Denholm (mix): Oliver Harmer (mastering); Mark Hughes (bass): and Brett Adams (guitar).
It’s an ambitious and soul baring project: Music and words which Jan has delivered with grace and flair. She’s tapped in to the digital platforms, too. And there’s a podcast (of the book) out on the RNZ channel as well.
Making the album and book was a feat in itself, turning to crowd sourcing to raise the funds and bucking the industry’s usual response and perception that no one wants to hear from a middle-aged woman from the suburbs. She even wrote this in her book: “pert breasts, a nice face or a tight arse don’t maketh the song writer… These are my power years and quite frankly I am going to take them”.
About that book, she shares stories of survival from anxiety, pushing past naysayers and negative obstacles. Some of her book is really funny – like her tale of meeting Michael Stipe and explaining to him why she was wearing Blundstone boots with “Wanker” written on them. And there’s a real tearjerker moment, when she tells her ailing mother, close to death in a care home, that she’s written a song about her (Home Not Home). This comes after a fractious relationship with her mother during her youth. Only later in life has Jan come to appreciate her mother. That part of her song, and her book is the most moving: “She was always the best mother for me and without her I wouldn’t have the amazing life I had.”
There’s a great moment in the book that looks wryly backwards at her former drunken younger self drunkenly meeting up with Michael Gudinski (Mushroom Records) at a Straitjacket Fits gig and shouting “You should publish me because I am awesome and I write great songs.” He eventually did but the toll on her mental health, to fit the industry stereotype took it’s toll.
At the height of her success, she had to weather the storms of bad press. She didn’t leave the house for days after an unflattering article in The Listener. Sometimes, when it all got too much, she isolated herself, “endlessly flicking through the channels, not really seeing anything… These were long and torturous days and I am glad they don’t happen anymore.” She also writes of an Auckland musician boyfriend — “no, I’m not going to tell you who it was” – who wouldn’t go to her concerts because he didn’t like her songs (that relationship didn’t work out, obviously) and she also tells of the time Slash sidled up to her at a function and asked “if she was keen”.
The album/song and book title reference her own 12 year old self, winning the ‘Sportsman of the Year’ cup at Rangeview Intermediate (there was no ‘Sportswoman of the Year’ cup). Interestingly, it wasn’t the title of the award that irked her. She felt, at the time, that she didn’t deserve it. But now, she says she’s “calling that 12-year-old back to claim her prizes with pride and without reservation”.
As a package this is a brilliant concept – the book, the album, the podcast, the download – what ever your platform and attention span, it’s a positive, uplifting collection. And with strong lyrics, catchy music, a mature sound and good writing it’s pretty clear that Jan Hellriegel has earned her trophy, even if she had to make and engrave it herself.
This content is a part of our NZ Music Month coverage, celebrating old, new and upcoming Kiwi artists. For more information on NZ Music Month you can visit their website.
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