Circus Animals

Cold Chisel's 4th studio album released in March 1982 was conceived after the massive success of East and a disastrous tour of the USA. The greater tragedy was the truck accident that killed Billy Rowe and Alan Dallow; two guys who were part of the Chisel crew and part of the family. The crash happened almost to the day that East was released. The result kicks off with "You Got Nothing I Want" - Jim Barnes' angry fuck you to their American record company. Then Ian Moss takes us to "Bow River" in the Northern Territory. The album cover was shot on a salt plain in the centre of Australia and so many of these songs like "Taipan" "Houndog" "Wild Colonial Boy" describe the real Australia away from the frippery of the cities, though the pull of the Cross is a big part of "Numbers Fall" and "Letter To Alan". Circus Animals however had two lighter moments in the classic ballads from drummer Steve Prestwich - "When the War Is Over" and "Forever Now". Great melodic songs that clearly came from the heart. In 2011, Circus Animals was rated #4 in the best-selling book The 100 Best Australian Albums.