I couldn't imagine growing up in Australia without Cold Chisel as a soundtrack

[Che_Guitarra]

I know i'm not alone. I'm listening to the 'best of' Cold Chisel album with the gold coins cover right now and i'm not sure there has ever been a better band to come out of this land. How they didn't rise to conquer the world astounds me. Every song is a national anthem, and every song touches me with a livid memory to the past.

People say that AC/DC is the best band to ever come out of Aus, but I disagree. Although both bands had a firm foot in the blues-hard rock camp, Cold Chisel wrote much more satisfying and sophisticated songs, the lyrics are much more poignant and intelligent, and there's no comparison in terms of skillful musicianship. AC/DC can play rock, Cold Chisel can play anything. There are very few I-IV-V progressions in their catalog. And no band defines synergy better than Cold Chisel - every member was a king of their domain, but together they were even better.


Let's point out their culture-defining five-star classics:

- Khe Sanh
- Flame Trees
- My Baby
- Choir Girl
- Bow River
- Forever Now
- Cheap Wine
- Breakfast At Sweethearts
- Standing On The Outside
- When The War Is Over
- Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)
- No Sense
- You Got Nothing I Want
- Rising Sun
- Ita
- Shipping Steel
- Misfits
- Saturday Night

... and the rest I forget off the top of my head.


Most bands have one or two classics. I can't even list the entirety of Chisel songs that every Australian knows like the back of their hand.


Aussies, fly your flag. Keep this thread going and let the world know how good this band is.

 

[Gretsch6136]

Cold Chisel are awesome, and over time they only get better. Back in the day I was much more of an Angels fan, but I was early teens!

I never understood why Chisel didn't get any recognition outside this country.

 

[S.W.Erdnase]

I know i'm not alone. I'm listening to the 'best of' Cold Chisel album with the gold coins cover right now and i'm not sure there has ever been a better band to come out of this land. How they didn't rise to conquer the world astounds me. Every song is a national anthem, and every song touches me with a livid memory to the past.

People say that AC/DC is the best band to ever come out of Aus, but I disagree. Although both bands had a firm foot in the blues-hard rock camp, Cold Chisel wrote much more satisfying and sophisticated songs, the lyrics are much more poignant and intelligent, and there's no comparison in terms of skillful musicianship. AC/DC can play rock, Cold Chisel can play anything. There are very few I-IV-V progressions in their catalog. And no band defines synergy better than Cold Chisel - every member was a king of their domain, but together they were even better.


Let's point out their culture-defining five-star classics:

- Khe Sanh
- Flame Trees
- My Baby
- Choir Girl
- Bow River
- Forever Now
- Cheap Wine
- Breakfast At Sweethearts
- Standing On The Outside
- When The War Is Over
- Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)
- No Sense
- You Got Nothing I Want
- Rising Sun
- Ita
- Shipping Steel
- Misfits
- Saturday Night

... and the rest I forget off the top of my head.


Most bands have one or two classics. I can't even list the entirety of Chisel songs that every Australian knows like the back of their hand.


Aussies, fly your flag. Keep this thread going and let the world know how good this band is.

I love Cold Chisel and AC/DC. I don't think some of your criticisms of acker dacker are valid unless you rate music on some subjective technical scale. I-IV-V? So what? No one captured the Australian larrakin spirit in music better than Bon Scott.

Anyway, I get the love for Chisel, because I share it. They were a huge part of my school days in the 70s and 80s.

 

[Che_Guitarra]

I just think Cold Chisel have a far superior range. AC/DC only know how to play one song - and they've played it fast, medium and slow for countless albums. Cold Chisel on the other hand never played the same song twice.

 

[colonoscopotamus]

Man, never heard of them before (excusable, I hope, since I'm an American). Just looked up some songs. Kinda surprises me as well that they never made it big outside of Australia. Really good stuff - now I've got a whole bunch of new music to get to know.
Being a big fan of albums (as opposed to singles / collections thereof), did they have an album that you'd consider their "masterwork" - y'know, brilliant start to finish, feels like a full work with a cohesive theme (or themes) running throughout, sort of a pinnacle work - where I could start?

 

[BluesForDan]

I think I've heard of the band name in passing, but that's it. For what it is worth, I wasn't a huge fan of AC/DC early on because of the people here who were their fans were not people I associated with. Least anybody feels bad, I also felt negatively towards the Grateful Dead once upon a time. In both cases, it was through ignorance and I lost out on their early careers until I got wise and saw the light.

 

[S.W.Erdnase]

I just think Cold Chisel have a far superior range. AC/DC only know how to play one song - and they've played it fast, medium and slow for countless albums. Cold Chisel on the other hand never played the same song twice.

You and I will never agree on anything, except that Chisel were a great band.

 

[S.W.Erdnase]

Man, never heard of them before (excusable, I hope, since I'm an American). Just looked up some songs. Kinda surprises me as well that they never made it big outside of Australia. Really good stuff - now I've got a whole bunch of new music to get to know.
Being a big fan of albums (as opposed to singles / collections thereof), did they have an album that you'd consider their "masterwork" - y'know, brilliant start to finish, feels like a full work with a cohesive theme (or themes) running throughout, sort of a pinnacle work - where I could start?

Circus Animals, Swing Shift and Twentieth Century.

 

[Rockyrollercat]

Whatever was hot when you were 21 sticks with you forever.

RRC

 

[Che_Guitarra]

You and I will never agree on anything, except that Chisel were a great band.

Lol! Hats off for your honesty!

Truth is i'm a gas/oil project worker, and on every project for the past 15 years i've not gone a day without hearing at least 10 AC/DC songs. Without fail. On every single oil rig, on every single pipelay, on every single vessel, on every single mine site.

When you work 12-hour days, 28 days in a row, the last thing you want to hear is the same song 10 times a day, 28 days in a row. But inevitably there's the middle-aged guy who wants to assume the DJ role and he only has 50 songs on his iPod... most of which will be AC/DC.

Don't get me wrong - there was a time I liked AC/DC. But having heard each of their albums at least 500 times i'll be happy if I never hear them or their I-IV-V progression ever again!

 

[S.W.Erdnase]

Well, aversion therapy would kill anyone's enjoyment of anything. But if you think that I-IV-V is the same song played at different tempos, then (as a lifelong blues lover) you and I must part ways!



There is a lot of wit, great rhythm and great tone in the Bon Scott AC/DC. It's awesome. As awesome as Chisel, for me.

 

[Gretsch6136]

Man, never heard of them before (excusable, I hope, since I'm an American). Just looked up some songs. Kinda surprises me as well that they never made it big outside of Australia. Really good stuff - now I've got a whole bunch of new music to get to know.
Being a big fan of albums (as opposed to singles / collections thereof), did they have an album that you'd consider their "masterwork" - y'know, brilliant start to finish, feels like a full work with a cohesive theme (or themes) running throughout, sort of a pinnacle work - where I could start?

"East" and "Circus Animals" are probably their most defining albums, but they are all good. Swingshift is a killer double live album.

 

[Phletch]

I had never heard of Cold Chisel until I moved from the US to NZ a decade ago. Cheap Wine is pretty much a staple of classic rock radio here, and I instantly dug the song. I also discovered some NZ bands like Th' Dudes, Hello Sailor, and Dragon.

As a kid in America growing up in the 70s and 80s we got fed a steady diet of AC/DC and LRB; the only NZ band to hit it big was Split Enz. I would say Crowded House, too, but, although Neil Finn is a Kiwi, I know the band formed in Australia, and Aussies claim them for themselves...like Phar Lap and pavlova.

Russel Crowe, too, but most Kiwis I know say you can have him.

 

[gkinsingapore]

Forever Now is my favourite song of all time....love Chisel.

 

[shane8]

mmmmmm lets see

best Australian song = khe sanh

best Australian band = cold chisel

best gig I have ever seen = cold chisel, cloudland, Brisbane circa 1980

anyhoo the reason they didn't make it overseas is the songs are very oz centric

ac/dc are a (very good) big dumb rock band & as far as I'm concerned should have chucked it in when bon croaked

 

[S.W.Erdnase]

Careful on this last one. It was an official video but some of the imagery is risqué...

 

[Che_Guitarra]

Sucks to live in AU - half those vids can't be viewed from your location.

I'll add a few more anyway:






Pretty sure Jimmy is singing this live to a backing track. Doesn't quite sound like the studio version.




And when they put their foot to the floor they're pretty hard to out rock:





Gosh, i'm having a renewed love affair with this band.

 

[S.W.Erdnase]

They were: Saturday Night, Flame Trees, Forever Now, Cheap Wine and Hold Me Tight...

 

[Iceman77]

Rose Tattoo!

 

[A-Frame]

Never heard of them.
1st song I listened to sounds like it could have been recorded by Tesla, haha: