Essential as Anything

Essential as Anything
Essential as Anything
Compilation album by Mental As Anything
Released	May 2009
Recorded	1979–1995
Genre	Rock; pop;
Length	1:17:20
Label	Warner Australia, Syray Music
Producer	Mental As Anything; Cameron Allan; Bruce Brown; Russell Dunlop; Elvis Costello; Mark Moffatt,; Ricky Fataar; Mark Opitz; Richard Gottehrer; Jeffrey Lesser; Steve James; Charles Fisher;
Mental As Anything chronology

Essential As Anything or Essential As Anything – 30th Anniversary Edition is the fourth compilation album by Australian rock band Mental As Anything, which was released in May 2009 via Warner Music Australia.^[1]^[2]^[3] It celebrates the band's 30th anniversary. Essential As Anything includes tracks from their eight studio albums.^[4] It also included a DVD featuring Monumental and Monumental II; two compilations of the band's music videos plus bonus footage and interviews. The album reached number 54 on the ARIA Albums Chart.^[5] It was later re-released by Universal Music Australia through Syray Music.^[6]

Track listing

*Essential As Anything – 30th Anniversary Edition* The Hits
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Album	Length
1.	"The Nips Are Getting Bigger"	Martin Plaza	Get Wet, 1979	3:20
2.	"Egypt"	Reg Mombassa	Get Wet, 1979	3:27
3.	"Come Around"	Martin Plaza	Espresso Bongo, 1980	3:03
4.	"(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet"	Bob Hamilton, Freddie Gorman	Non-album single, 1980	2:13
5.	"If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too?"	Martin Plaza	Cats & Dogs, 1981	2:54
6.	"Too Many Times"	Greedy Smith	Cats & Dogs, 1981	2:38
7.	"Berserk Warriors"	Peter O'Doherty	Cats & Dogs, 1981	3:26
8.	"Let's Cook"	Martin Plaza	Cats & Dogs, 1981	3:30
9.	"I Didn't Mean to Be Mean"	Martin Plaza	Non-album single, 1982	3:13
10.	"Close Again"	Peter O'Doherty	Creatures of Leisure, 1983	2:54
11.	"Spirit Got Lost"	Reg Mombassa, Andrew 'Greedy' Smith	Creatures of Leisure, 1983	2:57
12.	"Brain Brain"	Peter O'Doherty	Creatures of Leisure, 1983	4:26
13.	"Working for the Man"	Roy Orbison	Non-album single, 1983	3:22
14.	"Apocalypso"	Martin Plaza, Reg Mombassa	Non-album single, 1984	3:38
15.	"You're So Strong"	Andrew "Greedy" Smith	Fundamental, 1985	3:26
16.	"Live It Up"	Andrew "Greedy" Smith	Fundamental, 1985	3:47
17.	"Date with Destiny"	Andrew "Greedy" Smith	Fundamental, 1985	2:59
18.	"Concrete and Clay" (Martin Plaza solo)	Tommy Moeller, Brian Parker	Single, 1986	2:44
19.	"Let's Go to Paradise"	Andrew 'Greedy' Smith	Mouth to Mouth, 1987	3:10
20.	"He's Just No Good for You"	Andrew 'Greedy' Smith	Mouth to Mouth, 1987	3:25
21.	"Rock and Roll Music"	Chuck Berry	Cyclone Raymond, 1989	3:00
22.	"The World Seems Difficult"	Andrew 'Greedy' Smith	Cyclone Raymond, 1989	3:51
23.	"Mr. Natural"	Martin Plaza	Liar Liar Pants on Fire, 1995	3:58
24.	"Nigel"	Reg Mombassa	Liar Liar Pants on Fire, 1995	2:47
Total length:				1:17:22

*Essential As Anything – 30th Anniversary Edition* The Videos
No.	Title	Length
1.	"You're so Strong"	3:21
2.	"Romeo and Juliet"	2:11
3.	"If You Leave Me Can I Come Too?"	3:08
4.	"Too Many Times"	2:44
5.	"The Nips Are Getting Bigger"	3:20
6.	"Close Again"	2:48
7.	"Live It Up"	3:22
8.	"Working for the Man"	3:32
9.	"I Didn't Mean to Be Mean"	3:10
10.	"Holiday in Auckland"	1:58
11.	"Egypt"	3:19
12.	"Berserk Warriors"	3:29
13.	"Spirit Got Lost"	2:54
14.	"Ready for You Now"	1:16
15.	"Let's Cook"	2:34
16.	"Got Hit"	3:14
17.	"Wouldn't Try to Explain"	3:28
18.	"Brain Brain"	4:39
19.	"Apocalypso"	3:52
20.	"Come Around"	3:01
21.	"Date with Destiny"	2:58
22.	"Big Wheel"	4:00
23.	"Hold On"	2:59
24.	"Let's Go to Paradise"	3:08
25.	"He's Just no Good for You"	3:32
26.	"Don't Tell Me Now"	3:53
27.	"Love Me Tender"	3:36
28.	"Rock 'n' Roll Music"	3:24
29.	"The World Seems Difficult"	4:04
30.	"Baby You're Wild"	3:17
31.	"Overwhelmed"	3:55
32.	"Mr Natural"	3:56
33.	"Nigel"	2:46
34.	"Whole Wide World"	2:49
35.	"Calling Colin"	3:44
36.	"Just My Luck"	3:08
37.	"The Nips Are Getting Bigger" (live)	3:20
Total length:		2:39:49

Personnel

Martin Plaza – lead vocals, guitar
Wayne de Lisle – drums
Reg Mombassa – guitar, vocals
Greedy Smith – lead vocals, keyboards, harmonica
Peter O'Doherty – bass guitar, vocals

Charts

Chart performance for *Essential as Anything*
Chart (2009)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[5]	54

References

^ "Mental As Anything – Essential As Anything – 30th Anniversary Edition" on iTunes.
^ "Mental As Anything – Essential As Anything – 30th Anniversary Edition" at Sanity.
^ "Mental As Anything – Essential As Anything: 30th Anniversary Edition" at Spotify.
^ Mental As Anything - Essential As Anything: 30th Anniversary Edition at JB Hi Fi
^ ^a ^b Wallace, Ian (22 June 2009). "Week Commencing ~ 22nd June 2009 ~ Issue #1008" (PDF). The ARIA Report (1008). Australian Recording Industry Association(ARIA): 6, 10, 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
^ "Mental As Anything - Essential As Anything - 30th Anniversary Edition". Discogs. Retrieved 13 October 2019.

[1] "Mental As Anything – Essential As Anything – 30th Anniversary Edition" on iTunes.

[2] "Mental As Anything – Essential As Anything – 30th Anniversary Edition" at Sanity.

[3] "Mental As Anything – Essential As Anything: 30th Anniversary Edition" at Spotify.

[4] Mental As Anything - Essential As Anything: 30th Anniversary Edition at JB Hi Fi

[ARIA_Report_1008-5] Wallace, Ian (22 June 2009). "Week Commencing ~ 22nd June 2009 ~ Issue #1008" (PDF). The ARIA Report (1008). Australian Recording Industry Association(ARIA): 6, 10, 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2018.

[6] "Mental As Anything - Essential As Anything - 30th Anniversary Edition". Discogs. Retrieved 13 October 2019.

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