Rock Candy
Rock 'n' Roll Doctor
Genre: Melodic hard rock, AOR
Time: 42:56
Label: Mushroom, Geffen
Producer: Jonathan Cain & Mike Stone (1, 3-4, 6-9), Mark Optiz (2), Desmond Child (5, 10)
The third solo album by former Cold Chisel frontman Jimmy Barnes, 1987's Freight Train Heart saw the fiery Scottish-Australian belter very much repeating the formula of 1985’s For the Working Class Man, only this time, with significantly more polish. Like his previous effort, Barnes was backed by some of the very best musicians of the US' AOR scene, Freight Train Heart contains contributions by various members of Journey, Rainbow, REO Speedwagon & Giuffria.
Personnel
Lead & backing vocals – Jimmy Barnes
Lead & rhythm guitars - Neal Schon (1, 3-4, 6-9), Rick Brewster (1-2, 7), Johnny Diesel (3, 7), John McCurry (5, 10)
Bass - Randy Jackson (1, 3-4, 6-7, 9), Chris Bailey (2), Seth Glassman (5, 10), Jim Hilburn (8),
Keyboards - Jonathan Cain (1, 3-4, 6-9), Peter Kekell (2), Chuck Kentis (5, 10), Gregg Mangiafico (5, 10)
Drums - Tony Brock (1, 3-4, 6-9), Jon Farris (2), Jerry Marotta (5, 10)
Backing Vocals - David Glen Eisley (1, 9), Dave Amato (1-9), Vanetta Fields (2-3), Wendy Matthews (3-4), Lynette Stephens (4, 8-9), Shawn Murphy (4, 8-9), Walter Hankins (4, 8-9), Jonathan Cain (7), Huey Lewis (7), Jim Hilburn (7-9)
Steel guitar – David Lindley (1)
Harmonica - Huey Lewis (7)
Track by Track
1. Driving Wheels (Barnes, Cain, Roberts) - Very much an attempt to clone the blue collar-oriented formula of "Working Class Man" from the For the Working Class Man album. Barnes’ soaring vocals delivers the songs solid hook nicely, with some nice steel guitar playing from David Lindley adding to the song’s strong atmosphere.
2. Seven Days (Dylan) – The lone track recorded in Sydney, “Seven Days” is a cover of the Bob Dylan classic, which was originally submitted to Ronnie Wood and later covered by Joe Cocker. The distinctly 80s production here doesn’t detract from what is a fine, aggressive performance, showcasing Barnes’ ferocious snarl to fine effect.
3. Too Much Ain't Enough (Barnes, Cain, Schon, Jackson, Brock) – Quite possibly the pick of the bunch, a mid-paced bluesy melodic rock number with some fantastic playing by one Neal Schon, whose presence is felt all over this one. Barnes is certainly not to be outshone however, his smooth bluesy crooning showing the best of his Paul Rodgers influence. An absolute classic, pure and simple.
4. Do or Die (Barnes, Cain) – The second out–and-out rocker of the album sees Cain essentially rewriting Journey’s Dead or Alive; not discrediting a fine number, however. The band really get going with this one; Barnes' powerful vocals & Schon's flashy guitar work are complimented by some fine barroom piano playing by Cain, with the rhythm section powering along this strong rocker.
5. Waiting for the Heartache (Barnes, Child) – A pure AOR power ballad primed for US radio, this is the first of two tracks co-written and produced by the legendary Desmond Child. Sappy and extremely melodic, but not without a distinct edge (no doubt provided by Barnes’ gritty vocals), the song no doubt would have been a hit had it been recorded several years earlier by Foreigner or Journey.
6. Last Frontier (Barnes, Cain) - Cain's atmospheric synth intro leads into another blue-collar anthem. A decent song, but its inclusion ultimately seems a bit unnecessary, given the presence of the far superior “Driving Wheels”.
7. I Wanna Get Started with You (Barnes, Cain, Schon) – An up-tempo bubbly number, featuring harmonica and backing vocals from Huey Lewis. A extremely catchy number, it's one of the albums better rockers.
8. I'm Still on Your Side (Barnes, Cain, Vallance) – A nice mellow piece, which benefits from a more raw, less synth-y sound, allowing Barnes' smooth vocals to man the reins largely unchallenged.
9. Lessons in Love (Barnes, Neall, Vallance, Cain) – A solid, aggressive riff, but some of the most cringe-worthy lyrics this side of David Coverdale make this one a rather tepid. Ultimately one of the albums weaker moments,
10. Walk On (Child, Turner) – The second Child written/produced track, which was co-penned by Joe Lynn Turner (Presumably one of the tracks originally meant for the former Rainbow front man’s infamous unreleased second solo album). Like "Waiting for the Heartache", "Walk On" is a power ballad very much tailored for maximum radio airplay. Admitedly, Barnes' tough vocal delivery sounds a tad awkward on a song like this, but the songs strong sense of melody overpowers any real sense of doubt. Turner later recorded his own version on Sunstorm’s 2009 album, House of Dreams.
Overall
As one would expect, Freight Train Heart was a massive success in Australia, where Barnes remains a legend to this day. His attempts to crack the US however, were not so successful, despite the best efforts by the executives at Geffen and the star-studded backing; the album largely receiving a lukewarm reception upon its release in early 1988, and ultimately sinking without a trace.
Despite some slightly weaker tracks, Freight Train Heart remains an excellent, largely consistent slice of 80s commercial hard rock and is without a doubt (in my mind, anyway), the strongest album Barnes has ever put his name to. Essential for anyone with even the slightest interest in 80s rock.
9/10
All of the music videos that were filmed for the albums singles.