Cold Chisel have today released a new and definitive Best Of album, 50 Years – The Best Of. The album arrives just 7 weeks ahead of their sold-out The Big Five-0 national tour – which starts at Petersons Winery, Armidale on Saturday, 5 October. 50 Years – The Best Of is a 25 song Double-Vinyl and Double-CD set (it’s also available on all streaming and download services) and includes all of their classic songs.
The vinyl album is available in two distinct formats:
- Marbled Gold Vinyl – this is only available at JB Hi Fi
- Standard Black Vinyl – available at all other retail outlets
All formats feature a unique gatefold montage of posters/images from their 50 year history and fantastic new liner notes by Boy Swallows Universe author Trent Dalton (written specifically for this release). Further, the CD release comes in an unusual Gold disc format – denoting their 50th anniversary.
The album features Khe Sanh, Standing On The Outside, Flame Trees, Cheap Wine, Forever Now, When The War Is Over, Bow River, Rising Sun, My Baby, The Things I Love In You, Saturday Night, All For You, Lost, Choirgirl, Breakfast At Sweethearts, Getting The Band Back Together – as well as a brand new song, You’ve Got To Move. The album also includes two incredible live performances – Shipping Steel (from The Live Tapes Vol 2 – Live At Bombay Rock) and Goodbye (Astrid, Goodbye) which appeared on Swingshift – which are arguably the definitive versions of these two Breakfast At Sweethearts classics.
Cold Chisel first formed in Adelaide in late 1973 under the name Orange, before changing their name and beginning to play gigs as Cold Chisel. The band did stints in Armidale, where Don Walker completed his university studies, then Melbourne, before relocating to Sydney.
Their self-titled debut album was released in 1978 and features their first classic song Khe Sanh, which after initially being banned from radio, has grown over the next 45+ years to become our de facto national anthem. Cold Chisel grew slowly across the next two years and their first two albums until they broke wide open on the albums East and Circus Animals. They soon became the biggest Australian band in the country and Australians have never let go of them since – with songs like Flame Trees, Choirgirl, When The War Is Over, Rising Sun, Star Hotel and Khe Sanh resonating more, and deeper, every year.
Trent Dalton’s liner notes speak eloquently about the impact Cold Chisel and their songs have had on him and, more broadly, on this country: “After 50 staggering years of making music, and still burning bright (as their blistering new track, You’ve Got To Move, so powerfully evidences here) Cold Chisel remains the defining rock ‘n’ roll sound of Australia. Modern Australia was raised by this band. Chippies built to their sound; men shipped steel to their sound; teenagers danced to their sound; children played to their sound; brawlers brawled to their sound; students studied to their sound; lovers said goodbye to their sound.”
Happy 50th, Cold Chisel!
Cold Chisel is:
Jimmy Barnes – Vocals
Ian Moss – Guitars & Vocal
Steve Prestwich – Drums (RIP 2011)
Phil Small – Bass
Don Walker – Piano & Organ
Charley Drayton – Drums (since 2011)
Go to coldchisel.com/tour for more information regarding The Big Five-0 Tour.
