The Reels - Quasimodo's Dream (upbeat version, 1981)

[MickBellTV]

hi, this video was made in 1981 by The Rich Kids; Evan English & Paul Goldman. It was shot in Melbourne and was influenced by Werner Herzog's 'The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser'.

[Kieran494]

LOVE this version even more :)

[witchgreeneyes]

wonderful song :)

[luddienut]

the best band Australia produced in that Era.I sing this song in my sad little cover band .always gets a huge reaction.Bloody hard to play as well.

[hadleyl1]

*Literary minds*...do you have the answer?

This song was played on a Rage Australian music special, more than ten years ago. As a prelude to it, Kate Cebrano speaks of unrequited love.

"...and this man would go to his grave, wishing,"

she says,

That this woman could see the qualities in him that are worth loving."

What is she talking about. Does anyone know more about Quasimodo?

[SnivWhettuce]

Yes, but what does it all mean, Horatio?

[genericgeorge]

I like 'Shout and deliver' from this album but could never understand the hoopla over this song. It just sends me to sleep

[gonzalezgisela]

Saw them live last night at Lizotte's for the very first time. What a wonderful experience. Loved it.

[webuzzyoung]

wot a wonderful song !!

I loved it then...and still do...

[its8ace]

Saw em at UTS in mid 80's? Plain looking keyboardist using the obligatory ironing board as keyboard stand and Dave Mason (son of NSW pollie?) doing his fantabulous best; Band of Gold etc...this is the song I most remember though; great band...like so many others, destined for ignominy.

[CockyLocky100]

I saw the Reels when they supported INXS @ my first concert when I was 17 in 1985. Being a country boy it was almost confronting hearing something so "alternative" for its time. Great memories; thanks for posting..

[tomadami]

Why don't they post their other great songs like the 'Band of Gold' cover? This is such a great song and brings back so many memories. Anyone know if the band of gold song is available on the net? I searched everywhere...

[JayFletcher88]

ennui.

a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom: The endless lecture produced an unbearable ennui.

[2009European]

And song from my birth, so great and a lovely song and video

[enviro6400]

In the early 80s, I saw the reels in a Brisbane dinner club. Not soon after they came on, a table full stood to protest. Complaint was (as I understood it) was the music had pre-recorded parts and, therefore, wasn't music. Protestors booed and yelled till reels left. Whatever reels were about, I never knew; it was the last I heard of them b4 returning to the states in 84...never forgot the riff, though...quasimodos dream...first time I heard it again was tonite. dmd/enviro6400

[enviro6400]

wow...wish this song is awesome...wish the concert hadn't ended.

[2009European]

Very funny information from the past, you told me !

[ClandestineBoogue]

Same here enviro -> I never forgot the riff either....yet is was rarely played on radio in the 80's or Countdown...lol!!! It's amazing how it stuck....AND not only that...the video too :)

[hollowmenrule]

this is a great song.

[shnoob9]

i first heard this song on qantas

[ClandestineBoogue]

Just thought of the word for this -> 'Melanchony'. Absolutely love it!!!

[ClandestineBoogue]

I never forgot this film clip -> It was so surreal when it came out and I couldn't understand why this song didn't go to at least Top 10....lol!! So glad to hear and see this again...thankyou!!!

[Muckymuckmuck]

Thank you nzoz, these videos are classic.. I can't seem to see the difference between this one and the slow version! What am I missing?

[wordscore3]

Nothing good about these guys...

[CrniPivac]

Fkn horrible band

[1AussieAvenger1]

my fav Reels song. i just love to hear it. at the time of release it wasnt accepted but has stood the test of time. the sound is so dreamy and mystical. full of sadness but yet hope. songwriting skill rarely matched. good one nzoz! double thumbs up

[bluejeckett]

Why the hell is the heading "Upbeat version?" This would have to be one of the best melancholy songs I've ever heard, there's nothing upbeat about it. Unless you're meaning there's an even sadder sounding version.

[boogiefever1985]

That is the heading bluejeckett because this IS the upbeat version. There is another video of the song on youtube called slow version. When you compare the two versions you will see the difference.

[rankirov]

I remember seeing this song on countdown when I was a kid and being totally mesmerised by it.

[ianscreamlikevulcan]

I used to think this song was about dave mason's heroin addiction.

[ianscreamlikevulcan]

or was that the stranglers' golden brown, apologies dave.

[nzoz1981]

Strangers' 'Golden Brown' was about the band's addiction to herion.

Dave admitted that the lyrics to this song is nonsense.

[ianscreamlikevulcan]

I also don't know if he was ever into drugs, sorry.

[yindyamarra]

i always though it was about his addiction,,till he was on TV a while back and said the song really meant nothing,,the words just fit together and it had no meaning,best song ever wrote with no meaning then

[Stevieraylittlewing]

I gather Under The Milky Way isn' t about anything either - another great song about .. nothing! ( "..it's not really about anything at all. I just wanted to create an atmosphere .." Steve Kilbey (co-writer with Karin Jansson))

[yindyamarra]

well you created the perfect atmosphere Steve,it has a timeless beat and words that will fit into any era of music,it should be re released to the modern day kids as they wont have heard this song and i am surw it will have a new cult following ,its the best song ever wrote on Aussie soil and the group was the best thing to come out of Dubbo,other than the road to Parkes,,lol

[Muckymuckmuck]

A long time a go a friend told me it was about Steve being smacked out in a club in Amsterdam, with a Milky Way painted on the ceiling. Too fucked to ask the person what they were thinking, just sat there and wished he knew!!

[Westyrulz]

Never was overly fussed on this song.

[headphone355]

"Quasimodo's Dream" was a chart flop when it first came out in mid-1981, but today it's considered as an Aussie classic. Around this time, Stephan Fidock replaced John Bliss, and Colin Newham left the band altogether.

[deadvolvo1]

Absolutely wonderful song. This embodies so much of what I love about the 80's. For 1981, I would say this is a true gem. I don't agree however about the mix. I think it's fine the way it is. Thank you very much nzoz!!

[wuuudo]

One of mt all time favourites. The memories of 1981 come flooding back. I wish I was there now, knowing what I know now. Sigh!

[RonaldsonTippet]

The character's in this clip remind me of some of the locals in our village, no dought you've heard about tasmania.

[bluejeckett]

Yeah I've heard that people from Tasmania cant even spell "doubt" properly

[RonaldsonTippet]

Come now Mr Jeckett, to err is human, to forgive is divine........

[RonaldsonTippet]

What a wonderful wonderful tune, thanks nzoz.

[m4t0u3np3luch3]

I went to a garage sale in Potts Point when I was in my early 20s and it was Dave Mason's garage sale - sigh! The highlight of my 20s! It's all been down hill since then!

[cytuber]

lol

[Buttons61]

I agree!!

Fabulous song.

[Tarlam]

Wow. I forgot totally about this song. I'm sure it only needs the right mix and its true colours would shine. The mix broke this song.

I could fix it, if only I had the master and half the band.

What a great song!

[fasterbludger]

someone posted a couple of snippets from the comeback gig "return" and "this guys in love", yea Dave's voice sounded rough but it was exciting to hear them, even if it was only on youtube (for me)...so what other songs did they sing? can you remember the set list by any chance?

[ps10005]

I was at the Factory in Sydney last night. The line-up was Dave, Polly and John. Polly was doing a lot of work on keyboard, but a great deal of it was sequenced. Dave Mason's voice was getting tired too.

Still, there is great potential for them to come back as a full line-up.

[fasterbludger]

can anyone please tell a reels fan living in america, who will be in the line up for their comeback gigs, I wish I could fly home to see them again!!

[nzoz1981]

I didn't even know they were reforming...!

[fasterbludger]

well I surfed the net and read that it will be Dave, Polly the keyboard man, and John Bliss the drummer..Craig's name wasn't mentioned but they really need him on guitar to make it complete, as well as Paul on bass, but I guess that Polly can do bass on his keyboard...wonder how it will all turn out?

[spongedmilk]

@fasterbludger it's very doubtful fidock would return

[andypoddy]

My dad was a huge reels fan when i was growing up so this song will be tattoo'd in my memory forever, aswell as all of their other great tracks! Kudos for putting this up buddy!

[douglaswpj]

incredible song, beautiful arrangement...reels place in Oz music history assured by this recording alone

[avuser01]

another great track!

[juebizi]

What does he mean by "Quasimodo's dream"? Can someone post the lyrics?

[olliebrooks2008]

i listened to this video at work while the research pigs were being slaughtered next door to my office - screaming at the top of their lungs - very weird, very disturbing - such a gentle song during such a horrible event - don't know what to say - maybe love won't annihilate hatred like dave mason says - olliebrooks.

[hankrango]

sorry ollie, but i gotta ask...where the fuck do you work?

[olliebrooks2008]

Universzity of New Englanf NSW Australia.

[missjeanbrody]

This song is great!

[wingrove]

nah that was bad moon rising, good clip too

[wingrove]

seem to remember another clip for this song too?

one take shot at la perouse?

[Toyboy789]

Yes! I have to agree Australian music didn't get much better than this. The Reels rule!

[zomloa]

The Reels were the best band I ever saw for a lot of reasons and yes this song makes me incredibly sentimental, but Kitchen Man really makes me cry...I really miss them.

[johnwally]

Makes me cry tears of joy, men live in the past and what a fun time it was.

[555Filters]

Do you want be a part of it too?

What a brilliant reflection.

[BittersweetDiva]

Dave Mason sang this song at the Countdown Spectacular 2 concert in August 07. He sang it with real passion, it was beautiful.

[letstalkaboutmusic]

I lov Kate Ceberanos version of this

[myweekbeatsyouryear]

very cool video, it reminds me of werner herzog's "aguirre"

[nzoz1981]

wow, you're right!

[OzziePete1]

@myweekbeatsyouryear Video looks like a Russell Mulcahy effort from that period to me.

[kendokunti]

yeah they were underated, great aussie 80's, keep flyin the flag.

[trebor2515]

Classic arrangement, genious song. Mason was a freak. His version of 'this guy's in love' makes me wanna cry

[fasterbludger]

Dave Mason went down hill after the band broke up, according to the story that was in the papers..I guess he was a fragile person without an outlet for his musical talents....he has a new solo cd of his oldies out now, and being Dave Mason, well the songs are all done in a style that the listener may not expect..I hope he brings out some new songs sometime, and I hope that the back catalog of Reels stuff comes out on cd with extra tracks!

[fasterbludger]

A very atmospheric video clip, almost dare I say it; unwatchable..A classic song indeed..their best video is the one for "Happiness" even though it looks like it was made on a shoestring budget.

[onceawitkin]

hahaha yes the clip for happiness is awsome. I have always wondered what dave mason has been doing the last 20 years or so???

[claireday]

great. who made the clip? little murray white in a little cage. cx

[woodleman]

The clip was made by Paul Goldman, who also did the movie Ghosts of the Civil Dead with Dave Mason and Nick Cave. This is actually a remix done by Bruce Brown and Russell Dunlop, I actually prefer the original.

[claireday]

i thought it was Paul's. thank you!

cx

[pkelly141]

Dave Mason at his best. A classic Aussie song!