Mondo Rock Essentials

Following his success as the frontman for '70s boogie-rock kings Daddy Cool and as a go-to producer for other Australian groups, Ross Wilson reinvented himself with Mondo Rock. In the early '80s, he and guitarist/songwriter Eric McCusker tapped into the era's changing sonic landscape and repeatedly hit the bullseye—witness the nervy New Wave of “Cool World”, the sparkling power ballad “State of the Heart” and the lusty coming-of-age tale “Come Said the Boy”. The band were equally at home with slick funk-pop (“Chemistry”) or big-beat rock (“Summer Of '81”), all tied together by Wilson's gymnastic vocals and McCusker's gleaming hooks.