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Steeltown

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This article is about the 1984 album by Big Country. For the city nicknamed "Steeltown", see Hamilton, Ontario. For other uses, see Steel Town.
Not to be confused with Steel City, Steelville, or Steelton.

Steeltown
Studio album by
Big Country
Released19 October 1984
RecordedPolar Studios, Stockholm, Sweden and RAK Studios, London, England
GenreAlternative rock, new wave, Celtic rock
Length47:54
LabelMercury
ProducerSteve Lillywhite
Big Country chronology
The Crossing
(1983) 		Steeltown
(1984) 		The Seer
(1986)
Singles from Steeltown
  1. "East of Eden"
    Released: 21 September 1984
  2. "Where the Rose Is Sown"
    Released: 23 November 1984
  3. "Just a Shadow"
    Released: 19 January 1985
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Martin C. Strong(7/10)[2]
Rolling Stone[3]

Steeltown is the second studio album by Scottish band Big Country. The album was recorded at ABBA's Polar Studios in Stockholm with Steve Lillywhite producing. It was released on 19 October 1984, in the UK and 29 October 1984, in the United States.[4] It was released on CD only in Germany, as well as remastered and reissued there.

Steeltown is the band's only UK number 1 album, topping the chart for 1 week in October 1984. The title track Steeltown was written about the town of Corby, telling how many Scots went to work at the Stewarts & Lloyds steelworks when it opened in 1935, at the height of the Great Depression, but later found themselves unemployed when the steelworks declined in the early 1980s. (Source: Melody Maker, 1984)

The 1996 reissue contains all of the B-sides from the album's single releases as well as the extended version of "Wonderland"

"East of Eden" was the only Top 20 single from the album, reaching number 17 in the UK Singles Chart.

Reception

Critic Fred Schruers of Rolling Stone gave the album a glowing review, writing:

Clanging and crackling with energy, this second album from Big Country rings natural evolutionary changes on the band's stirring twin-guitar sound even as it frames still better news: bandleader Stuart Adamson has rapidly matured into a songwriter capable of bringing meticulous craft to his obvious passion.[3]

Some critics reacted negatively towards the album, calling it muddled and overly dense.[citation needed] The album's relative failure has been attributed to the fact that many American and international fans couldn't relate to its themes and lyrics, which dealt with the misfortunes of Scottish workers and contained references to British politics.[citation needed] However, many fans today consider Steeltown to be the band's finest work.[citation needed]

Track listing

All songs written by Stuart Adamson, Mark Brzezicki, Tony Butler, and Bruce Watson except where indicated.

  1. "Flame of the West" – 5:01
  2. "East of Eden" – 4:29
  3. "Steeltown" – 4:39
  4. "Where the Rose Is Sown" – 4:58
  5. "Come Back to Me" – 4:35
  6. "Tall Ships Go" – 4:38
  7. "Girl with Grey Eyes" – 4:47
  8. "Rain Dance" – 4:19
  9. "The Great Divide" – 4:50
  10. "Just a Shadow" – 5:38
  11. "Bass Dance" - 1:39 (Tony Butler) (Re-Issue Bonus)
  12. "Belief In The Small Man" - 5:17 (Re-Issue Bonus)
  13. "Prairie Rose" - 4:46 (Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera) (Re-Issue Bonus)
  14. "Wonderland (Extended)" - 7:07 (Re-Issue Bonus)
  15. "Winter Sky" - 3:16 (Re-Issue Bonus)

Personnel

Chart performance

Album

Chart (1984) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[5] 68
Canadian Albums Chart[6] 53
Dutch Albums Chart[7] 33
German Albums Chart[8] 53
New Zealand Albums Chart[9] 15
Norwegian Albums Chart[10] 12
Swedish Albums Chart[11] 28
UK Albums Chart[12] 1
U.S. Billboard 200[13] 70

Certifications

Organization Level Date
BPI – UK Gold 17 October 1984

References

  1. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Big Country: Steeltown" at AllMusic. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  2. ^ "Big Country : Steeltown". The Essential Rock Discography - Volume 1: 87. 2006.
  3. ^ a b Schruers, Fred (17 January 1985). "Big Country: Steeltown". Rolling Stone (RS 439). Wenner Media. ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008.
  4. ^ "October Hot Album Releases". Billboard. 96 (40). 6 October 1984. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. ^ "RPM 100 Albums". RPM. 41 (15). archived at Library and Archives Canada. 15 December 1984. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  7. ^ "Big Country - Steeltown" (in Dutch). Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  8. ^ "Big Country, Steeltown" (in German). Charts.de. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  9. ^ "Big Country - Steeltown". charts.nz. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  10. ^ "Big Country - Steeltown". Norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  11. ^ "Big Country - Steeltown". Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  12. ^ "BIG COUNTRY - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  13. ^ Big Country. "Big Country - Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
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