LOOKING FORWARD LOOKING BACK

The ‘Looking Forward Looking Back’ album originally released in 2000 was a landmark album in so many ways for Slim. Not only was it a historic album for Slim being his 100th album release, but it was also such a huge success album for the 73 year old Aussie ‘King of Country.’ The album achieved Top 5 success in the ARIA mainstream /pop chart (and #1 in the ARIA Country Chart), triple Platinum album sales and led to Slim winning his first ARIA Album Award (2001 ‘Best Country Album’ Award). Slim had previously been presented with ARIA’s prestigious Hall of Fame Award and the Special Achievement Award.

Back in 2000, ‘Looking Forward Looking Back’ was celebrated with a special Channel 9 This Is Your Life event presentation by Mike Munro. Remarkably this was the second time the show’s producers had honoured Slim with a This Is Your Life tribute (the first was back in 1974). ‘Looking Forward Looking Back’ celebrated a freshness and new diversity for Australia’s Country Music scene both in its writing style and musicality.

The album featured a powerful duet with another country music star, Kasey Chambers (on the track Matilda No More). As well as featuring Slim’s own songs the album include an eclectic selection of songs written for Slim by Don Walker (Cold Chisel), Norma O’Hara Murphy, Eric Bogle, Peter Denahy, Kevin ‘Bloody’ Wilson and of course Slim’s wife Joy McKean.

This special vinyl release commemorates 13 years since Slim’s passing and reflects on the strong legacy Slim left behind for Australia, one which endures through his music and through the recently opened Slim Dusty Centre (in Kempsey, NSW). This year would have been Slim’s 89th birthday on June 13 (a date many now affectionately refer to as ‘Slim Dusty Day’). Coincidently, many years ago Slim had adopted “13” as his lucky number and it seems appropriate that this special Limited Edition vinyl release captures and celebrates these milestones and events.