SDL Music Album of the Month: “Darling, It’s Hell”, Helen Medlyn and Penny Dodd

In keeping with the state of play in Auckland at the moment, this month’s SDL music album of the month is Helen Medlyn and Penny Dodd’s album, “darling, it’s hell”.

Recorded at Stebbings in 2006, the album was a departure from Helen’s operatic background with a collection of show tunes and jazz standards accompanied by Penny on the piano and me on the double bass.

Helen had been made an Arts Foundation Laureate in 2002 and a portion of the grant from that recognition was used to make the album. The whole album was recorded live, with no fixes.

I spoke to Penny about the album;

“At the time we recorded the “darling, it’s hell” album Helen and I had been working together on our “hell” series of cabaret concerts. Starting with “hell on heels", we engaged in a series of shows, all with “hell” in title, as a pun not just on Helen’s name, but also my middle name.

The shows:  "to hell with love”, "hell, man”, “hell on wheels” explored love and life from a variety of perspectives, including songs written for men, which Helen performed in a man’s suit. The repertoire varied from opera, art song and lieder to musical theatre, and contemporary composers like Joni Mitchell. The wide range of genres were united by a narrative thread, an exploration of the theme, which tended towards autobiographical.

“darling it’s hell” was a deliberate departure from the two woman format, refining the repertoire to standards and musical theatre, with the addition of Neil Hannan on double bass.”