Last Stand (Remastered)

iTunes Review

After years on the road, Cold Chisel had risen to become one of Australia’s greatest bands, yet on the eve of their tenth anniversary, the band announced their breakup. The stage was set for the Last Stand national tour, which culminated in a series of sold-out, epic concerts at the Sydney Entertainment Centre during December 1983. The group held their heads high and audiences were ecstatic. The shows were filmed for the documentary Last Stand, and this is the soundtrack. It remains a fine testament to the pure passion and exhilaration of Chisel at their best, a slice of Aussie rock music history with the band powering through 16 of their classic songs. There’s a rollicking party atmosphere evident, but the intensity of the Chisel working-class magic is never in question. Jimmy Barnes is the archetypal rock showman, boisterous, confident and in fine voice. Guitarist Ian Moss could command the stage like few others, while keyboardist/songwriter Don Walker held it all together like a five-star general. Highlights are numerous, including frenetic renditions of “Twentieth Century” and “Goodbye” and the timeless emotion of “Khe Sanh” and “Choirgirl.”