THE publication of Jimmy Barnes' memoir Working Class Boy in 2016 revived interest in the Australian rock legend. It has also revitalised his music. My Criminal Record is Barnes' first album of new solo material since 2010 and his best in decades.
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The book forced Barnes to examine his abusive childhood in Adelaide those memories are again explored in the bluesy title track where he sings, "I keep it locked away somewhere I know/In a cellar that I call my youth."
Shutting Down My Town written by Troy Cassar-Daley is a bruised love letter to the Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth, while I'm In A Bad Mood allows Barnes to exorcise his pent-up rage.
There's an amped up cover of John Lennon's Working Class Hero, but several cliche rockers like Money and Class and If Time Was On My Side weigh down the momentum in the second half. But overall My Criminal Record is a passionate return for Australia's working class hero.
Josh Leeson
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
