Barnsey: Lucky To Have Made It This Far Post by: Dave-O 13 August, 2010 - 11:16 AM

(Photo: Liberation Music)

Even Jimmy Barnes admits he's lucky to have made it this far. But here he is at the Triple M studios talking about his 16th solo album, Rage & Ruin. A bloody amazing effort considering Barnsey thought he'd never get away with two records.

Of course, it's a different Jimmy Barnes these days. The Aussie legend says he's "mostly" off the vodka and the wildest thing the health conscious singer does at the moment is hit the pool while most of us our still in bed.

But those days of drink and drugs keep popping up. And talking to Triple M's Becko, he says a lot of those dark times influenced his new album.

"There was a time around 2000 that was a heavy period. I was hitting it hard, but I used to write everything down," he recalls. "And about a year ago I was looking through the book and there was a lot of dark lyrics in there, but there was a lot of hope as well.

"The thing is no matter how dark things tend to get there's always light at the end of the tunnel. So I took those ideas for lyrics and rewrote them for this record."

It's a very honest album and he's definitely confirmed his place as one of the best Aussie artists of all time.

"The thing you try to do as a singer and a lyricist is be as honest as possible then people can connect with [the songs]. We all have the same hopes, the same dreams and the same fears."

While we don't want to bring up Cold Chisel too much is there another album coming?

"I think next year. We've started writing a few songs and we're gonna get back together next year and write a whole bunch more hopefully and if that happens we'll get back out on tour.

"We're doing the Deniliquin Ute Muster which will be a lot of fun. We can't wait to play in front of 25,000 people and a bunch of utes!"

If you're lucky enough to have scored a ticket, Jimmy Barnes is doing a a very special album launch on August 16 at the Paddington Town Hall in Sydney.

Jimmy Barnes Rage & Ruin is out August 27.

Leave your comment

• Natalie Capaldi says

  GO THE MIGHTY BULLDOGS

  Posted Sunday 15 August, 2010 1:47 AM