Slave to the Grind
| Slave to the Grind | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Skid Row | ||||
| Released | June 11, 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1990–1991 at New River Studios in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Scream Studios in Studio City, California | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal, hard rock | |||
| Length | 48:41 (Explicit) 50:01 (Clean) |
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| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Michael Wagener, Dave Sabo | |||
| Skid Row chronology | ||||
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Slave to the Grind is Skid Row's second album, released on June 11, 1991. Slave to the Grind is notable for being the first heavy metal album to debut at #1[1] on the Billboard 200 during the SoundScan era.
Two different versions were released: the original version, and the "clean" (censored) version. The clean version replaced the song "Get the Fuck Out" with the less-offensive "Beggar's Day".
Slave to the Grind marked the band's move towards a heavier sound. The lyrics were more complex, criticizing modern ways of life, authority, politics, drugs, and organized religion, among other topics.
Sebastian Bach's father painted the cover art, which is actually a long mural, continued inside the album's booklet. It is set in the medieval era (inspired by Caravaggio's Burial of St. Lucy(1608)), yet has people using modern technological gadgets. John F. Kennedy is in the crowd.
Contents |
[edit] Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
Allmusic gave 'Slave to the Grind a rating of four and a half out of five stars, and said the album was "one of the best—and heaviest—examples of mainstream hard rock/heavy metal".[2]
[edit] Track listing
[edit] Original version
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Monkey Business" | Rachel Bolan, Dave Sabo | 4:20 |
| 2. | "Slave to the Grind" | Sebastian Bach, Bolan, Sabo | 3:31 |
| 3. | "The Threat" | Bolan, Sabo | 3:52 |
| 4. | "Quicksand Jesus" | Bolan, Sabo | 5:26 |
| 5. | "Psycho Love" | Bolan | 3:58 |
| 6. | "Get the Fuck Out" | Bolan, Sabo | 2:42 |
| 7. | "Livin' on a Chain Gang" | Bolan, Sabo | 4:00 |
| 8. | "Creepshow" | Bolan, Rob Affuso, Scotti Hill | 3:59 |
| 9. | "In a Darkened Room" | Bach, Bolan, Sabo | 3:57 |
| 10. | "Riot Act" | Bolan, Sabo | 2:42 |
| 11. | "Mudkicker" | Bach, Bolan, Sabo | 3:56 |
| 12. | "Wasted Time" | Bach, Bolan, Sabo | 5:50 |
[edit] Personnel
- Sebastian Bach – lead vocals
- Scotti Hill – guitars
- Dave "The Snake" Sabo – guitars, backing vocals, production
- Rachel Bolan – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Rob Affuso – drums and percussion
[edit] Other credits
- Riley J. Connell – assistant engineer
- George Marino – mastering
- Michael Wagener – producer, mixing
- Bob Defrin – art direction
- Craig Doubet – assistant engineer
[edit] Certifications
| Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[3] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[4] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
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^shipments figures based on certification alone |
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[edit] Chart performance
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 3 |
| Austria Albums Chart | 16 |
| Canada Albums Chart | 8 |
| Japan Albums Chart | 3 |
| Norway Albums Chart | 12 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 9 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 15 |
| UK Albums Chart[5] | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard 200[6] | 1 |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Monkey Business" | Mainstream Rock Tracks[7] | 13 |
| UK Singles Chart[8] | 19 | ||
| "Slave to the Grind" | UK Singles Chart | 43 | |
| "Wasted Time" | Billboard Hot 100[9] | 88 | |
| Mainstream Rock Tracks | 30 | ||
| UK Singles Chart | 20 | ||
| "In a Darkened Room" | Switzerland | 27 |
[edit] Outtakes
The following songs were written and demoed for the album, not included.
- "Fire in the Hole" (released on 40 Seasons: The Best of Skid Row)
- "Burned" ~ (better you than me)
[edit] References
- ^ Slave to the Grind at Allmusic
- ^ a b Huey, Steve. Slave to the Grind at Allmusic. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
- ^ "British album certifications – Skid Row – Slave to the Grind". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx. Enter Slave to the Grind in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Go
- ^ "American album certifications – Skid Row – Slave to the Grind". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Slave+to+the+Grind%22. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
- ^ "Chart Stats - Skid Row - Slave To The Grind". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=44993. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
- ^ Slave to the Grind at Allmusic
- ^ Slave to the Grind at Allmusic
- ^ "Chart Stats - Skid Row - singles". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=5641. Retrieved 2012.
- ^ Billboard-singles Slave to the Grind at Allmusic
| Preceded by Niggaz4Life by N.W.A. |
Billboard 200 number-one album June 29 - July 5, 1991 |
Succeeded by For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge by Van Halen |
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