The Barking Spiders Live 1983 (Remastered)

iTunes Review

Before fans were treated to the welcome release of Last Stand in 1992, the only officially heard songs from Cold Chisel’s historic final concerts at the Sydney Entertainment Centre (December 1983) were issued on this unassuming album — the original front cover didn’t even mention the band’s name. The only visible clue was a paper Obi strip that announced “Cold Chisel Last Stand Live Recordings.” And make no mistake — this is Chisel in all their monumental glory. The farewell Last Stand national tour had been the culmination of ten years on the road, during which time Chisel had risen to the top of the local rock hierarchy. Now with its sparkling remastered sound, this album can take pride of place among the group’s canon of highly revered live recordings. The versions of “Twentieth Century,” “Standing on the Outside,” “Georgia,” and “Taipan” are taken from the last show, 15 December, and display all the hallmarks of a great band. Not to be overlooked, “Merry-Go-Round,” “Hold Me Tight,” and “Bow River” bowl the listener over with their desperate energy, while the melodic “Forever Now” shows just how versatile Chisel could be.