Cold Chisel- Chisel

In Australia, the "pub rock" band Cold Chisel need no introduction. This 2001 release is actually the remastering of the 1998 compilation, with a few added songs thrown in.

Unfortunately for this review, I am more familiar with the original compilation than this 2001 version. While I try to judge the tracks on this release on their merits, it is very difficult to be fixated on whether the remastered or different versions on this CD are better than the original compilation (more on this later).

In addition to their success and the quality of the songwriting, the band are known for being very polarising. Firstly, the intense wailing of singer Jimmy Barnes isn't to everyone's taste. Which is fair enough. The other reason is that they attracted a stigma as a "bogan" rock band. Case in point is Khe Sanh, which should be celebrated as a rare gem which achieved incredible popularity and happens to be a wonderful piece of songwriting. But instead, class-based elitism has taken over and the song is commonly dismissed as a "bogan anthem". Ok, I'd better get off my soapbox and get on with the review now!

Despite the "pub rock" label, the piano/keyboard is the driving instrument in many of the songs, and cover territory including  rhythm'n'blues, ballads, blues, headbanging rock and occasionally reggae. Many of the songs are wonderfully structured and layered; in particular, amazing bridges are a Cold Chisel trademark.

Standing on the Outside, Star Hotel and You Got Nothing I Want have wonderfully biting lyrics, from back when pop songs were allowed to slip in some social commentary. At the other end of the lyric spectrum, there's also a decent serving of soppy ballads, including Breakfast at Sweetheart's, Choir Girl, When the War is Over and My Baby, which are well executed. My Baby is a personal favourite of mine, especially for drunken late night kareoke!

Sorry to harp on about recording quality yet again, but the re-mastering needs to be mentioned, along with the choice of live vs studio recordings. On the 1998 CD, quite a few songs were live recordings which were a bit rough around the edges but brimming with energy. Interestingly, these songs were played live at a much faster tempo than the album versions. In particular, the studio versions of Merry-Go-Round, Bow Water and Astrid Goodbye sound disappointingly clinical (ahem...lacking balls) compared to the live versions on the 1998 CD. Which is a shame, since these rollicking rhythm'n'blues songs are my favourite aspect of the band.

Star Hotel tells the tale of a protest riot surrounding the closure of a pub, which was unheard of in a usually non-violent Australia. The original version conveys this passion with screeching and distorted vocals and hammond organ. In comparison, the remastered version has been shamefully castrated, due to these "faults" being "fixed". Just as an aside, for a long time I thought the line in the lyrics: "an uncontrolled euthanasia" was actually "all the drunk youth of asia". Given the following line is "is gonna make these fools understand", I actually prefer my misheard interpretation!

In my book, Saturday Night is spoiled by overproduction, and the stripped-back cover by Grinspoon appeals to me a lot more. The Things I Love In You strikes a better balance. At the other end of the spectrum, I question whether Yakuza Girls is actually remastered, given how muddy it sounds. But I'm not complaining, the sound suits the gritty style of the song well.

Forever Now and Flame Trees are classic examples of the band's softer side, with both having wonderfully illustrative and poetic lyrics. The remastered vocals in Forever Now are a bit neutered, but the composition features some elements that are quite daring, considering that the songs was a huge pop hit.

The bridge in Flame Trees is simple yet brilliant.

Finally, this version of Khe Sanh suffers compared with the 1998 compilation for having less superfluous instruments muddying the waters. However, it remains a fantastic song, and deserving of being described as Australia's unofficial national anthem.

Favourite songs

Standing on the Outside, Rising Sun, The Things I Love in You, When the War is Over, Breakfast at Sweetheart's, My Baby, You Got Nothing I Want, Yakuza Girls, Forever Now, Flame Trees, Astrid Goodbye, Khe Sanh

Would I buy it again?

Apologies for all the waffle about recording quality, and the comparisons with the 1998 CD. As it stands, it isn't a bad CD, there are still at least 12 of my all-time favourite songs on it. I just think that the original compilation has more passionate versions of some songs. However, I wonder what I would have thought of it if I hadn't heard the 1998 CD first.

Regardless, it remains a collection of fantastic songwriting from a band that is paradoxically both hugely popular and very underrated.