Standing on the Outside- The Songs of Cold Chisel

This collection of Cold Chisel covers, by 18 well-known Australian bands, was released in 2007.

Rising Sun is an all-time favourite song, and The Living End is my favourite band. Add these together and the result is... woeful. Why?? The song sounds disjointed, rushed and by the end feels like its flogging a dead horse. To top things off, the recording quality is terrible.

Unlike the previous song, Dallas Crane's version of Standing on the Outside is very similar to original. While it's a solid effort, for me the comparison highlights a feeling the tempo is rushed and the vocals lack power.

Pete Murray takes the song Forever Now into completely new territory with good results. While the verses are a bit slow moving for my liking, the chorus and the mood created by the instruments are powerful and intruiging respectively.

In the context of Cold Chisel, No Sense was quite left-field. This Ben Lee version takes it even further into crazy-town, thanks to some great deconstructed synth-pop. For immature reasons, I really dig it. And it's great to hear Ben Lee show some balls in his vocals for a change! Similarly, Alex Llyod's efforts to replace the anger of You Got Nothing I Want with a bluegrass hoedown is whimsical brilliance!

Thirsty Merc's version of My Baby sticks quite close to the original. Therefore both versions are great songs.

Unfortunately, Water Into Wine simply reminds me that Evermore is not my cup of tea. Going a step further, When the War is Over is a reminder that Something For Kate really annoys me for some reason.

Paul Kelly is possibly the only person who could do a cover of the classic song Khe Sanh justice. While it's a solid effort, I prefer the "bigger" composition of the original. Similarly, the Troy Cassar-Daley version of Bow River has stripped the song of its chaotic jump blues elements. Since this was the most appealing aspect of the song for me, listening to this version has me bursting out of my skin, frustrated and wishing it was faster!

Saturday Night by Grinspoon is the opposite situation to Rising Sun: normally, I'm not really into either the band or this song, but putting them together has has created a very special song. Perhaps the smooth lyrics over the tops of the crunchy staccato guitars appeals like a song from The Clash. It isn't really a "big" song, but somehow it manages to be both restrained and catchy.

It is probably sacrilegious to criticise either Sarah Blasko or the song Flame Trees, let alone both in the same breath! On the other hand, The Waifs have taken a beautifully raw song in Four Walls and created an ever more beautifully raw rendition.

But my favourite song in this oddball collection is Janelle by Augie March. This simple blues/hymn is a spine-tingling classic.

Favourite songs

Forever Now, My Baby, Saturday Night, You Got Nothing I Want, Four Walls, Janelle

Worthwhile

It's an often forgotten, yet very enjoyable, oddball part of the collection.