What Are You Listening To?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

COLD CHISEL "cold chisel" vinyl/cd 1978

career stats:
studio albums.............8
singles......................27

this album.................#31 AU
singles:
"khe sanh"................#41 AU

debut set from Barnesy and the lads....
their best album by far IMO...
full of raunchy blues rock/ rhythm and blues and a ballad or two...
unfortunately, the chart placings don't represent the quality of material on the album...
this album is better than anything AC/DC ever released (the exception being 'back in black')...
the band never wanted to release a single from the album but radio picked up on "khe sanh" and
begged the label to release it...the following week it was banned from the airwaves for its references
to drug use, prostitutes and the fact it was sympathetic to the returning Vietnam soldiers...
no, The Boss' "born in the USA was not the first mainstream hit to highlight the abuse the Vets got when
they returned home!
a brilliant album, one of my favourites in my collection, always a pleasure to give this one a spin!

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: one long day
best track: Khe Sanh

Khe Sanh (lyrics)
I left my heart to the sappers round Khe Sanh
And my soul was sold with my cigarettes to the black market man
I've had the Vietnam cold turkey
From the ocean to the Silver City
And it's only other vets could understand

About the long forgotten dockside guarantees
How there were no V-day heroes in 1973
How we sailed into Sydney Harbor
Saw an old friend but couldn't kiss her
She was lined, and I was home to the lucky land

And she was like so many more from that time on
Their lives were all so empty, till they found their chosen one
And their legs were often open
But their minds were always closed
And their hearts were held in fast suburban chains
And the legal pads were yellow, hours long, pay packet lean
And the telex writers clattered where the gunships once had been
But the car parks made me jumpy
And I never stopped the dreams
Or the growing need for speed and Novocaine

So I worked across the country end to end
Tried to find a place to settle down, where my mixed up life could mend
Held a job on an oil-rig
Flying choppers when I could
But the nightlife nearly drove me round the bend

And I've traveled round the world from year to year
And each one found me aimless, one more year the more for wear
And I've been back to South East Asia
But the answer sure ain't there
But I'm drifting north, to check things out again

You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
Only seven flying hours, and I'll be landing in Hong Kong
There ain't nothing like the kisses
From a jaded Chinese princess
I'm gonna hit some Hong Kong mattress all night long

Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
Yeah the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
And it's really got me worried
I'm goin' nowhere and I'm in a hurry
And the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone

[video=youtube;Ub7CRV8_e2g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub7CRV8_e2g[/video]

tracks:

1...Juliet **
2...Khe Sanh ***
3...home and broken hearted ***
4...one long day **
5...northbound ***
6...Rosalina **
7...das kar zine ***
8...just how many times ***

3s=5
2s=3
1s=0

rating: 2.6