Colin Hay Man @ Work Volume 2

Colin Hay became a household name as the front-man for 80s pop sensation Men at Work, and his musical legacy has extended for over 40 years. Man @ Work Volume 2 is the sequel to his 2002 best seller Man @ Work and offers fans an impeccable set of favorites from across Hay’s rich catalog, including Men at Work classics, solo album highlights, and new material.

The album opens with “Into My Life,” featuring Gregg Bissonette (Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band) and Cecilia Noël. The song originally appeared on Hay’s 1990 debut solo album Wayfaring Sons and exploded in Brazil in the 90s as the theme song of a popular soap opera, growing to rival the anthemic “Down Under” as Hay’s most popular song in South America.
Hay reaches back to Men At Work’s 1983 release Cargo for the reggae-inflected “Blue for You” which segues into a stripped down version of the infectious “Come Tumblin’ Down” from his 2017 release Fierce Mercy. Other stand out tracks on the album “We the People” featuring rapper Derrick “Solpowa” Rice which Hay was inspired to write in the midst of the polarizing US presidential election in 2024. Man @ Work Volume 2 ends with a haunting performance of “Next Year People,” featuring Hay on acoustic guitar and vocals accompanied soley by a string quartet, offering a poignant an anthem to the power of hope.

As the front man and principal songwriter for ‘80s Australian hitmakers Men At Work, Hay became one of the recognizable vocalists in pop music with his soaring vocals, infectious melodies and quizzical lyrics. Classic songs like “Down Under,” “Overkill,” and “Who Can It Be Now?” unscroll like miniature movies, with timeless twists and a bittersweet sense of humor. That wry humor has stuck with Hay though his solo albums and projects, from his most recent solo release to international tours as a member of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. A Hay-penned song (“What’s My Name”) not only made its way onto Starr’s 2019 album but also became the title track.