by Jonathan Lewis

Freight Train Heart became a huge hit for Jimmy Barnes, and with good reason. It followed on directly from the blue-collar rock of Bodyswerve and For the Working Class Man, yet managed to create its own identity. While it may have lacked complete originality ("Driving Wheels" is a simple update of "Working Class Man"), Barnes managed to make this set of songs an instant classic, thanks to the strength of singles like "Waitin' for the Heartache." Slightly more polished than For the Working Class Man (but never losing sight of its pub-rock origins), Freight Train Heart nevertheless runs neck and neck with that album for the title of Barnes' best release.