No Sense

"No Sense"
Single by Cold Chisel
from the album Twentieth Century
A-side
ReleasedOctober 1983
Recorded1983
GenreRock
Length2:57
LabelWEA
Songwriter(s)Jimmy Barnes
Cold Chisel singles chronology
"When the War Is Over"
(1982)
"No Sense" / "Hold Me Tight"
(1983)
"Saturday Night"
(1984)

"No Sense" is a 1983 song from Australian rock band Cold Chisel, and appeared on the album Twentieth Century. Released as double A-side single with "Hold Me Tight" it reached number 14 in the Australian charts.[1] Receiving more radio airplay of the two songs on the single, it appeared on Cold Chisel's early greatest hits compilations. It has been described as being reggae or "almost ska."[2]

The lyrics of the song were inspired by a fan from Wollongong who would send Barnes letters declaring her love and occasionally threatening suicide.[3] The video was directed by Chilean artist Eduardo Guelfenbein, who had also done the artwork for the album and the picture sleeves.[4] The video featured a slightly different intro to the song.

Reception

Toby Creswell said it featured Barnes' "customarily direct rock song approach, underneath which a very odd keyboard part was placed and on top, a reggaefied guitar. Like so many songs on Twentieth Century, this track takes chances with the formula."[5]

Andrew McMillan wrote in RAM, "the recent release of "No Sense" simply heightens their ideal of self-justification. It's so goddamned abrasive, the last thing that would - under normal circumstances - warrant high rotation airplay. But since they're calling it quits, airplay is guaranteed."[6]

Footnotes

  1. ^ David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. p. 72. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  2. ^ Stephen Fitzpatrick (3 October 2015). "Cold Chisel: The Perfect Crime, 4.5 stars". The Australian. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  3. ^ Michael Lawrence (2012). Cold Chisel: Wild Colonial Boys. Melbourne, Victoria: Melbourne Books. p. 326. ISBN 9781877096174.
  4. ^ "Eduardo Guelfenbein". MVDBase.com (person). ASG. 1998–2017. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  5. ^ Toby Cresswell. "Petrolheads". coldchisel.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2017.
  6. ^ Andrew McMillan (5 January 1984). "The Final Salute". RAM. No. 226. p. 33.