User:Bretonbanquet/FSandbox
| Twin Barrels Burning | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 8 October 1982 | |||
| Recorded | June – August 1982 | |||
| Studio | The Sol, Cookham, Berkshire Surrey Sound, Leatherhead, England (track 4) | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 38:57 | |||
| Label | AVM Records | |||
| Producer | Wishbone Ash, Ashley Howe, Stuart Epps (track 4 produced by Nigel Gray and Stuart Epps) | |||
| Wishbone Ash chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
Twin Barrels Burning is the twelfth studio album by British rock band Wishbone Ash, released in 1982. It was mostly recorded at Sol Studios in Berkshire, England. It was the highest charting Wishbone Ash album since New England in 1976, matching that album's peak position of No. 22 in the UK Albums Chart.[2] Conversely, it was their final album to appear in that listing to date.[3]
It is the only Wishbone Ash album to feature Uriah Heep bassist Trevor Bolder, who was a member of the band for two years (April 1981 – April 1983)[4]: 109–117
Background[edit]
The band's previous album, Number the Brave, had achieved Wishbone Ash's lowest chart placing in the UK to date, reaching number 61, and the band's record label MCA decided not to renew their contract, leaving the band without a record label.[4]: 109 After the departure of bass guitarist John Wetton from Wishbone Ash after the recording of Number the Brave in late 1980, the band hired ex-Uriah Heep bassist Trevor Bolder as his replacement in April 1981. Claire Hamill, who had performed backing vocals on the previous two albums, was added to the touring lineup of the band, but she had left by August 1981.[4]: 109–111
The band then consisted of guitarists and vocalists Andy Powell and Laurie Wisefield, Bolder, and drummer Steve Upton. After a tour of the US, an appearance at the Reading Festival and a tour of India, the band began writing material for what would become Twin Barrels Burning in early 1982. During a ten-date UK tour in May, four new songs were performed: "Streets of Shame", "No More Lonely Nights", "Engine Overheat" and "Cat and Dog Fight".[4]: 113
Recording[edit]
The recording sessions began in June 1982 at Sol Studios in Cookham, Berkshire, owned by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. Ashley Howe was the producer at the beginning of the sessions, but due to commitments elsewhere, he passed control to his assistant Stuart Epps halfway through the recording.[4]: 113–114 One track, "Me and My Guitar", was recorded at Surrey Sound Studios with producer Nigel Gray.[5]
In the early stages of recording, Bolder and Powell experienced problems getting the sound they wanted. Bolder claimed that the studio monitors were not functioning correctly, and eventually Page came to the studio to try and resolve the issue. He and an engineer examined all the equipment and found that the monitors were out of phase. With the problems fixed, the recording sessions continued.[6]: 117–118
Release and artwork[edit]
After the band was dropped by record label MCA the previous year, Twin Barrels Burning was released through AVM Records, a label set up by the band's manager, John Sherry. The album artwork, a depiction of a car with twin exhausts accelerating away, was provided by Ian Harris, a friend of Powell's.[4]: 114 A different cover, an image of an early 1970s Chevrolet Camaro, was used for certain North American releases. Some US releases also featured a remixed version of the album with a different running order, and the track "Me and My Guitar" was renamed "My Guitar".[7]
Songs[edit]
The first two songs, "Engine Overheat" (the first single from the album) and "Can't Fight Love", were sung by Wisefield, while "Genevieve" featured Powell's vocals alongside Wisefield's. The next track, "Me and My Guitar", was inspired by Wisefield's difficult experience performing in a TV talent contest when he was 14.[4]: 115 "Hold On" was written entirely by Bolder, despite all the album's songs being credited to Wisefield, Powell and Upton. The reason Bolder was not given credit for this song, or the others to which he contributed, was contractual. He was still signed to the publishing company he used while with Uriah Heep, and he did not want them earning royalties from his songwriting because they still owed him money.[4]: 115 Bolder also sang lead vocals on "Hold On", which he later said he wrote "one night in a drunken stupor", about feeling frustrated after a gig while out on tour and trying to call home to his wife, only to find she's not there. "You keep calling but you can't get through."[4]: 115
Side two of the album opened with "Streets of Shame", which featured lyrics written by Upton, about the band's experiences on their recent tour to India. The album's second single, "No More Lonely Nights", featured a guitar riff and vocals by Wisefield, who also provided the title, although the lyrics were composed by Upton.[4]: 115–116 The final two tracks were "Angels Have Mercy", sung by Powell, and "Wind Up", with vocals by Wisefield.
Three other songs were recorded during the sessions but remained unreleased at the time: "Cat and Dog Fight", sung by Wisefield, which had been performed live earlier in the year, and two other songs titled "Go for the Gold" and "Night Hawker", both sung by Powell.[4]: 116 [7] The latter largely featured the same Upton lyrics that appeared on "Streets of Shame".
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Laurie Wisefield, Steve Upton and Andy Powell
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Engine Overheat" | 4:03 |
| 2. | "Can't Fight Love" | 3:59 |
| 3. | "Genevieve" | 3:34 |
| 4. | "Me and My Guitar" | 3:58 |
| 5. | "Hold On" | 4:48 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Streets of Shame" | 4:34 |
| 2. | "No More Lonely Nights" | 5:12 |
| 3. | "Angels Have Mercy" | 3:50 |
| 4. | "Wind Up" | 4.59 |
2018 Reissue bonus tracks[edit]
- The expanded and reissued album featured three previously unreleased tracks from the Twin Barrels Burning sessions, and the full US remix version of the original album. This was included on the second disc of the 2CD set, and featured the alternative running order used on the original remixed release.
All tracks are written by Wisefield, Upton, Powell
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Cat and Dog Fight" | 3:41 |
| 11. | "Go for the Gold" | 4:05 |
| 12. | "Night Hawker" | 6:11 |
Personnel[edit]
Wishbone Ash[edit]
- Andy Powell – guitar, lead vocals (tracks 3, 6, 8, 11–12) and backing vocals
- Laurie Wisefield – guitar, lead vocals (tracks 1–4, 7, 9–10) and backing vocals
- Trevor Bolder – bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (track 5)
- Steve Upton – drums
Additional personnel[edit]
- Allan Townsend – synthesizer on "Hold On"
Production[edit]
- Ashley Howe, Stuart Epps – producers, engineers
- Nigel Gray – producer and engineer on track 4
- Phil Kaffel – remixing (US alternative mix)
- John Sherry – executive producer
- Ian Harris – sleeve design and art
- Phil Carroll – art direction (US alternative cover)
- Martin Turner – mixing (2018 reissue, tracks 1–12)
- Nigel Palmer – mixing (2018 reissue, tracks 1–11)
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC)[8] | 22 |
References[edit]
{{Reflist
{{Wishbone Ash
{{Authority control
[[Category:Wishbone Ash albums [[Category:1982 albums [[Category:albums produced by Nigel Gray
- ^ "Wishbone Ash - Twin Barrels Burning review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ "Wishbone Ash Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 607. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Carter, Gary; Chatterton, Mark (2000). Blowin' Free: Thirty Years of Wishbone Ash. Firefly. ISBN 0-946719-33-0.
- ^ Wishbone Ash, Twin Barrels Burning sleeve notes. AVM Records ASH 1, 1982
- ^ Powell, Andy; Harper, Colin (2015). Eyes Wide Open: True Tales of a Wishbone Ash Warrior. Jawbone Press. ISBN 978-1-908279-81-1.
- ^ a b "Wishbone Ash: Twin Barrels Burning, 2CD Remastered & Expanded Edition". Cherry red Records. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.