One of Australia's most-loved bands, who have sold more than one million albums and released classic singles such as Chained To The Wheel, Harley & Rose and Hold On To Me returns with their first new studio album in eight years. And Roarin Town sits comfortably alongside the band's best work.
With its intoxicating mix of joyous, uplifting music and heartbreaking songs about love gone wrong, Roarin Town recalls the Sorrows' best work. But it's no nostalgia trip. The album is a bold step forward for an artist who's never been afraid of change.
As he sang 16 years ago, 'You know we all can change direction, ain't nothin' to it, just relax.'
'I think we're changing all the time, there's no stopping it,' Joe says. 'You have to keep going forward because your body's changing, your mind's changing, situations around you are changing. You either resist the change or you go with it. For me, I like the idea, 'Well, I'm going with it.''
Bringing the songs to life is a stellar Black Sorrows lineup, including James Black (also the leader of SBS' RocKwiz Orchestra), Claude Carranza, Steve Hadley and Tony Floyd.
'The essence of playing with really great people is to try to extract the feeling, not their technical brilliance,' Joe says. 'You're trying to find that magical moment that you think the song deserves.'
Roarin Town represents a remarkable victory for a guy who joined his first band 42 years ago.
'I don't want to have to compete against all the things I've done in the past,' Joe says. 'It's impossible, it's like shadow boxing. I see this as the beginning of something else for me.'
Explaining where Roarin Town sits in the Sorrows history, Joe says: 'After Harley & Rose, I started moving in a different direction with the band,' Joe explains. 'It was still going well, but I became disenchanted. We had nine people on stage, and it wasn't about the song any more, it was about the spectacle. And I was writing songs and performing those songs as a spectacle. Now, there's value in that, but it wasn't what I signed up for.'
Eight years after the last Sorrows’ album and 22 years after their debut, Joe Camilleri has got his mojo back. Yep, The Black Sorrows are back. Welcome to their Roarin Town.
