“It means The Great Silence,” Suze DeMarchi clarifies, for those who don’t speak spaghetti western. “It seemed appropriate. It’s a soft, quiet, dreamy kind of record. And it’s been a long time.”

 

13 years, in fact, since the last Baby Animals album, and 8 since Suze’s exquisite solo record, Telelove. It’s apt that this highly anticipated return combines the tenderness and maturity of the latter with so many of the classic songs that made Baby Animals THE rock’n’roll success story of the early ‘90s.

 

Early Warning, Rush You, Painless and One Word were the first shots in a rock radio revolution in the year that followed. Here they’re transformed beyond belief. The years have leached unheard variations and subtleties from their bones, a vindication of the kind of songcraft that defies fashion.

 

“Liberation have been asking me to do this for a couple of years,” Suze says. “I wasn’t interested ‘cause I had this rock album in my head – as usual – and besides I was busy being mum. Finally I thought if Justin was into it that could be different. So I called the guys to see if they were up for it.”

 

Producer Justin Stanley had recently been impressed by Suze’s new demos. Stitch and U Still Need Me, a co-write with INXS’s Andrew Farriss, would become her first new recordings with Dave Leslie (guitar), Eddie Parise (bass) and Frank Celenza (drums) since 1994.

 

“We did it all in Justin’s backyard in LA,” says Suze. “He has a little studio full of quirky instruments he’s collected over the years, odd stuff lying around. It came together pretty easily, I can tell you: no stress, have fun, laid back. When you pull those songs apart, you find all kinds of stuff.”

 

Stuff like the ethereal melodic counterpoints in Early Warning, the southern- rock roots of Rush You, the hypnotic Indian drone in Painless (with Satnam Ramgotra on tablas) and a gorgeous, blues piano lilt in Make It End, with Eric Clapton sideman Doyle Bramhall on slide guitar.

 

From there to Submarine and Satellite – a pair of especially memorable songs from Suze’s Telelove album – the golden thread remains unchanged and unmistakable: a voice with a unique combination of ball-breaking power and sensuous intimacy that never fails to stop you in your tracks.

 

With that rock record in her head still determined to be heard, and Baby Animals tour dates imminent at last, Il Grande Silenzio represents not just an inspirational new work in its own right, but a clear road ahead.

 

“This is great way to reaffirm what we’ve done and what we have,” says Suze. “It has been difficult, especially when I did the solo record, but I’ve always been a rock’n’roll girl at heart. There was never any other band for me.”

 

1982   Suze DeMarchi begins singing with Perth bands Photoplay, The Kind.

 

1985   Moves to London, records as EMI solo artist

 

1989   Back in Perth, forms DD & the Rockmen with Frank Celenza

            Baby Animals formed with Dave Leslie and Eddie Parise

 

1991   Self-titled debut album is a multi-platinum #1 smash

            Band tours globe with Bryan Adams, Black Crowes

 

1992   Five hit singles later, band wins 3 ARIAs including Best Album

            Tours internationally with Van Halen

 

1993   Shaved and Dangerous album hits #2

            Band tours with Robert Plant

 

1994   Suze resettles in LA

 

1996   Baby Animals split

 

1999   Solo album, Telelove

 

2000   Suze writes with Andrew Farriss, performs with INXS

 

2004   Suze inducted into West Australian Music Industry Hall of Fame

 

2007   Baby Animals reform to record Il Grande Silenzio for Liberation Blue

 

2008   Tour Australia for first time in 13 years

 

2008   Baby Animals/ Shaved And Dangerous re-mastered and released as a double pack

 

2008   Release of new material that ROCKS!

 

CD in stores 19/1/2008

1 One Word 2 Early Warning 3 Stitch 4 Rush you 5 Make It End  6 Painless 7 Submarine 8 U Still Need Me 9 Satellite 10 Don't Tell Me What To Do 11 Working For The Enemy