Bennelong Session is a multi-artist compilation featuring live recordings by various Australian artists, released on the Australian label Heaven in 1974. The album was recorded live at the Sydney Opera House Recording Studio and was engineered by Arthur Cooke.
Top-notch live album featuring six different Australian artists performing before an audience at the Sydney Opera House Recording Studio. The band Kristopher opens the set with a good driving electric classic-rock statement called «The Trip». Acoustic singer/songwriter Peter Campbell follows with «Only The Traces» and the blues-pickin’ «Touching Me, Touching You» (the studio version of the former can also be found on his excellent Of Time And Its Distance LP). The folk-singing duo of Ian and Sue Smith finish out side one with four charming acoustic pieces: «Giving Is The Receiving», «Got Something On My Mind», «Medley» and «Jesus Is The Way». There’s some fun conversation in there as well – all the more endearing because we all know that Australians have the coolest accents on the planet. They have a brilliant studio LP on the same label under the name Smith’s Comfort. Side two belongs solely to the guitar-wielding blues rockers. Ebenezer delivers a raw slow-n-heavy Vatten-like cut called «Sacrifice» that clocks in at 7:42. A group called Maranatha continues with a slow 12-bar blues groove for «Get A Hang On Jesus». Last up is Second Hand Blues, speeding up the tempo and adding some harmonica with «I Feel Something», then closing with a tough hard-rocking nine-minute monster «How Does It Feel» about the invalid healed at the pool of Bethesda. Gate-fold cover with wild splatter design on the front, pics of the bands on the inside. Lyric sheet included as well. Fifty-four minutes of Australia’s finest Jesus music. Some of these artists also appear on the similar Kairos Live! project from the same label. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th edition]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. Kristopher – “The Trip” – 2:46
A2. Peter Campbell – “Only The Traces” – 4:38
A3. Peter Campbell – “Touching Me, Touching You” – 3:22
A4. Ian & Sue Smith – “Giving Is The Receiving” – 3:47
A5. Ian & Sue Smith – “Got Something On My Mind” – 2:39
A6. Ian & Sue Smith – “Medley” – 5:45
A7. Ian & Sue Smith – “Jesus Is The Way” – 4:13
Side Two
B1. Ebenezer – “Sacrifice” – 7:42
B2. Maranatha – “Get A Hang On Jesus” – 4:56
B3. Second Hand Blues – “I Feel Something” – 4:02
B4. Second Hand Blues – “How Does It Feel” – 9:00
Note: LP housed in a gatefold sleeve.
