Jimmy Barnes: Hindsight

Old cuts, reimagined, on rocker’s 15th studio album.

By Polly Glass
( Classic Rock )
published

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A huge deal Down Under (as former Cold Chisel frontman), less so in the UK (again, as former Cold Chisel frontman), Jimmy Barnes has maintained a prolific chart-topping solo career in Oz for more than 30 years.

Now he reanimates choice hits, teamed with different guests including Steven Van Zandt and Joe Bonamassa. Barnes’s songs are pleasant, roll-along affairs. Not bad at all. They’re just not that… well, good, either. Tellingly, one of the classiest elements is Bonamassa’s lush soloing in slowie Stone Cold.

Good Times and co provide sound AOR rock’n’roll fun, but we can’t shake off the itch that Jimmy’s pipes – though backed by a good band – are very past-it. God knows he gives it some welly, but those shrieks on Working Class Man? It’s present-day Rob Halford doing Painkiller and being strategically electrocuted at the same time – not ideal. Perfectly fine, with lovely moments, but a must-have for fans only./o:p

Polly Glass
Polly Glass
Deputy Editor, Classic Rock

Polly is deputy editor at Classic Rock magazine, where she writes and commissions regular pieces and longer reads (including new band coverage), and has interviewed rock's biggest and newest names. She also contributes to Louder, Prog and Metal Hammer and talks about songs on the 20 Minute Club podcast. Elsewhere she's had work published in The Musician, delicious. magazine and others, and written biographies for various album campaigns. In a previous life as a women's magazine junior she interviewed Tracey Emin and Lily James – and wangled Rival Sons into the arts pages. In her spare time she writes fiction and cooks.