My Criminal Record | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 31 May 2019 [1] | |||
Label | Bloodlines | |||
Jimmy Barnes chronology | ||||
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Singles from My Criminal Record | ||||
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My Criminal Record is the 18th studio album by Australian musician Jimmy Barnes. The album was released on 31 May 2019. [4] The album is Barnes' first solo album of primarily original material since 2010's Rage and Ruin . [5] It became Barnes's 12th number-one album on the Australian albums chart, making him the artist with the most chart-topping albums in Australian chart history, having previously tied at 11 number ones with Madonna and U2. [6]
At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, the album was nominated for Best Rock Album. [7]
In 2015, Barnes began writing with longtime collaborator Don Walker for Cold Chisel's follow-up to The Perfect Crime released in 2015. In 2016 Barnes released the autobiography Working Class Boy and the sequel Working Class Man in 2017 which led to a documentary film titled Working Class Boy chronicling his life; thus renewing an interest in Barnes' life and career. Barnes told the Newcastle Herald writing and speaking about his life had also energised his songwriting some 40 years into his career. "It's certainly opened up a whole new avenue for songwriting in terms of different emotions, different ways of looking back at my life. Writing those books - as much as they connected with other people - for me, there was a lot of stuff that was blocking me that I tried to not deal with as I grew up. Dealing with them in the book has loosened me up and freed me up so I can write about other things and move on." [5]
Barnes scheduled two in-store album signing days to support the release; one in Melbourne on 1 June and one in Adelaide on 2 June. [8]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
The AU Review | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Herald | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Bernard Zuel from The Guardian said "The singer continues to lay himself bare in a new album which touches on the same raw, frank themes as his memoirs." calling "My Criminal Record, a collection of blues-based rock that carries with it a solid thump at all times". [9] Josh Leason from The Newcastle Herald called the album "a passionate return for Australia's working class hero." [10] Jeff Jenkins from JB Hi-Fi said "This album... shows that what Barnesy does best is sing. His vocal is a booming beast, an instrument that remains, amazingly, in great shape, still able to switch effortlessly from screaming to soulful" calling the album "one of the best records of his remarkable career." [11]
The title track was released on 25 January 2019 as the album's lead single. The Guardian said, "Listening to the familiar downtempo blues bar piano, and the dark chord progression, it's not surprising to see Cold Chisel impresario Don Walker's name alongside Barnes' on the songwriting credits, and this sits alongside their finest collaborations." [12]
On 26 April 2019, "Shutting Down Our Town" was released as the album's second single.
On 6 September 2019, "I Won't Let You Down" was released as the album's third single. [3] [13]
Deluxe edition bonus tracks:
Region | Date | Format | Label | Catalogue |
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Australia | 31 May 2019 | CD [1] | Bloodlines | BLOOD50 |
Vinyl [17] | BLOODLP50 |
Cold Chisel are an Australian pub rock band, which formed in Adelaide in 1973 by mainstay members Ian Moss on guitar and vocals, Steve Prestwich on drums and Don Walker on piano and keyboards. They were soon joined by Jimmy Barnes on lead vocals and, in 1975, Phil Small became their bass guitarist. The group disbanded in late 1983 but subsequently reformed several times. Musicologist Ian McFarlane wrote that they became "one of Australia's best-loved groups" as well as "one of the best live bands", fusing "a combination of rockabilly, hard rock and rough-house soul'n'blues that was defiantly Australian in outlook."
James Dixon Barnes is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best-selling Australian music artists of all time.
Troy Cassar-Daley is an Australian country music songwriter and entertainer.
The Last Wave of Summer is the sixth studio album by Australian pub rock band, Cold Chisel. It was released in October 1998 and reached number-one on The Australian ARIA Charts. It was the band's first studio album in 14 years.
East is the third studio album by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel, released in June 1980. The album peaked at No. 2 and spent 63 weeks on the national chart. It was the biggest-selling Australian album release of the year. It was the only Cold Chisel album to chart in America, reaching 171 on the Billboard 200. It also reached number 32 on the New Zealand charts.
Twentieth Century is the fifth and final studio album by Australian band Cold Chisel until the group reformed in 1998. The album was written and recorded over various sessions during the period of the band's break-up and during breaks in their final tour. It was released in early 1984 and peaked at No. 1 on the Australian albums chart, their third consecutive album to do so. It charted for a total of 46 weeks.
Soul Deep is the fifth studio album by Australian rock singer Jimmy Barnes. It was his sixth consecutive Australian No. 1 album. The album is a collection of soul covers and featured duets with John Farnham and Diesel. A special edition was later released in a black fold-out cover with embossed gold lettering and included five bonus live tracks and a set of collector cards.
Flesh and Wood is the seventh album by Australian rock singer Jimmy Barnes, which was issued in December 1993. It was recorded by Barnes and Don Gehman co-producing and used only acoustic instruments. On eight of its fifteen tracks, Barnes duets with various artists: Diesel, Archie Roach, Joe Cocker, Ross Wilson, Tommy Emmanuel, Don Walker, Deborah Conway, and the Badloves. It reached No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
Donald Hugh Walker is an Australian musician and songwriter who wrote many of the hits for Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel. Walker is considered to be one of Australia's best songwriters. In 2012 he was inducted into the Australian Songwriter's Hall of Fame.
This is a discography of the Scottish-born Australian rock singer Jimmy Barnes. As of 2019, Barnes has been certified with 48 platinum awards for his solo work and a further 20 platinum awards for his work with Cold Chisel.
No Plans is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band Cold Chisel. It was released on 6 April 2012 and was the band's first studio album in 14 years. It features the final recorded performances by drummer Steve Prestwich, who died of a brain tumour in January 2011. The album peaked at number 2 on the Australian charts.
30:30 Hindsight is the fifteenth studio album by Jimmy Barnes. The album celebrates 30 years since his chart-topping debut solo album, Bodyswerve in September 1984. It was released in August 2014 and debuted at number 1 in Australia, giving Barnes his tenth solo number 1 album.
The Perfect Crime is the eighth studio album by Australian rock band Cold Chisel. It was released on 2 October 2015. It was the first album not to feature a contribution from drummer Steve Prestwich, who died of a brain tumour in January 2011. The album peaked at number 2 on the Australian charts and number 7 in New Zealand.
Soul Searchin' is the 16th studio album by Australian singer-songwriter, Jimmy Barnes. The album is Barnes' fourth album of soul and R&B classics following Soul Deep (1991), Soul Deeper... Songs from the Deep South (2000), and The Rhythm and the Blues (2009). The album was announced on 8 May 2016, alongside a one-hour documentary that aired on the Nine Network in June and a national tour that commenced in August. The album was released on 3 June 2016.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Australian country music artist Troy Cassar-Daley. The album is due for release on 19 October 2018.
"Shutting Down Our Town" is a song by Australian rock musician, Jimmy Barnes. It was released on 26 April 2019 as the second single from Barnes' studio album My Criminal Record.
Blood Moon is the ninth studio album by Australian rock band Cold Chisel. It was released on 6 December 2019, and is supported by the lead single "Getting the Band Back Together". It is the band's first studio album since 2015's The Perfect Crime. The band toured in support of the album from 31 December 2019 until February 2020. The album debuted atop the ARIA Albums Chart, becoming the band's fifth album to reach the summit and first since The Last Wave of Summer in 1998.
Modus Operandi is a live album by Australian musician Jimmy Barnes. The album was recorded at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on 5 October 2019, during the Shutting Down Your Town tour, in promotion of Barnes' 17th studio and ARIA number-one album, My Criminal Record. Modus Operandi features 7 songs from My Criminal Record alongside Barnes' live concert staples. The album was recorded with Jimmy Barnes' core touring band of Danny Spencer, Ben Rodgers, Clayton Doley and Jackie Barnes plus Michael Hegerty, Lachlan Doley, and family/band members Jane, Mahalia, EJ, and Elly-May Barnes.
Flesh and Blood is the nineteenth studio album by Scottish Australian musician Jimmy Barnes, released on 2 July 2021 through Bloodlines. The album was announced on 25 March and features production from Barnes' long-time collaborator Kevin Shirley. Barnes wrote most of the record while in the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in 2020.
Blue Christmas is the twentieth studio and first Christmas album by Scottish Australian musician Jimmy Barnes, released on 25 November 2022 through Bloodlines. Speaking on his motivations to release a Christmas album, in a press statement, Barnes said, "One of the greatest surprises I ever got from our children was when they all snuck away into the garage and secretly recorded themselves singing carols for me. On Christmas morning, when I awoke, they proudly gave me the recording and sat eagerly waiting for me to listen to it. That year I received lots of great gifts from various family members, but that recording had me weeping like a baby. It was the most beautiful gift I ever got. This album is my gift back to the kids, the grandkids and everyone out there who just wants to sit and sing with their family on Christmas. These songs take me back and they remind me why I'm here right now. I hope they do the same for you."