:: Returned Service

Nick Barker

A raw, practically untouched collection of acoustic tracks recorded at the soon to be closed Continental Café in Melbourne and the Grace Emily in Adelaide. As the title suggests this is Nick, armed only with a trusty Maton, going at it. Featuring a great collection of songs – including a couple from his pop idol days with the Reptiles, all played with energy and passion. The tracks are taken mostly from two of his solo albums, Damn Mermaids and Annie Get Your Guru, with a couple of tracks from Happyman thrown in. Solo Live showcases the under-rated songwriting talents of Barker. Highlights for me included “The Other House”, “Spirit Level” (he’s right – it is much too good to be a b-side). “Thylacine” and “Time Bomb” are also strong highlights. Nick Barker’s past is represented by “Miles To Go” from the Reptiles album, “After the Show”, Nick pays homage to Aussie legend Paul Kelly with “Same Old Walk”. The liner notes are worth a read, each track has a little paragraph on what the songs about it’s a nice little read. A very good release from a fine Melbourne music stalwart.