COLIN HAY
FIERCE MERCY
3.3.17
Colin Hay is a rarity in the
world of Rock ‘n’ Roll. He achieved
great success out of the gate 35 years ago while leader of Men At Work (“Who
Can It Be Now?,” “Down Under,” “Overkill”) but had to pursue a career as a solo
artist once the band split in ’86. In 1987, he ventured out as Colin James Hay with
the LOOKING
FOR JACK album but struggled to maintain success. Next came the Colin
Hay Band’s 1990 album WAYFARING SONS, which didn’t fare
any better. In 1992, he released PEAKS & VALLEYS, the first in a
series of solo albums that would slowly rebuild his career from scratch. Now,
three and one-half decades after hitting #1 with Men At Work’s BUSINESS
AS USUAL album, Hay is at his peak as a songwriter and vocalist and he
shows no signs of slowing down. FIERCE MERCY is proof that he is one
of this generation’s finest songwriters. While his hits with Men At Work may
have been more ‘immediate’ on first listen, his songwriting is deeper, more
passionate and better than ever on this 2017 album.
Like his last release, 2015’s NEXT YEAR PEOPLE, this is an album filled with songs that are warm, intimate and emotional. Whether he is singing from experience or as an observer, Hay always connects with the subject matter and it all sounds so personal, which adds to the songs’ power. Lead-in track “Come Tumbling Down” is a sing-a-long that prepares you for the roller-coaster ride of emotions that weave in and out of the rest of the album. “A Thousand Million Reasons,” “The Best In Me,” “The Last To Know” and “Secret Love” are some of the best songs that Hay has ever written or co-written (with Michael Georgiades and others). “Two Friends” (written by Georgiades) features one of Hay’s finest vocal performances to date. Never one to live in his past, Colin Hay has creatively risen above his previous success and recorded what could be his finest musical work to date. Again, Colin Hay has proven that he leaves pretty much all of his contemporaries in the dust. FIERCE MERCY is a lovely, heartfelt album that will stand the test of time. If you stopped listening after the CARGO album, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do!
Like his last release, 2015’s NEXT YEAR PEOPLE, this is an album filled with songs that are warm, intimate and emotional. Whether he is singing from experience or as an observer, Hay always connects with the subject matter and it all sounds so personal, which adds to the songs’ power. Lead-in track “Come Tumbling Down” is a sing-a-long that prepares you for the roller-coaster ride of emotions that weave in and out of the rest of the album. “A Thousand Million Reasons,” “The Best In Me,” “The Last To Know” and “Secret Love” are some of the best songs that Hay has ever written or co-written (with Michael Georgiades and others). “Two Friends” (written by Georgiades) features one of Hay’s finest vocal performances to date. Never one to live in his past, Colin Hay has creatively risen above his previous success and recorded what could be his finest musical work to date. Again, Colin Hay has proven that he leaves pretty much all of his contemporaries in the dust. FIERCE MERCY is a lovely, heartfelt album that will stand the test of time. If you stopped listening after the CARGO album, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do!
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