Condition Critical
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2010) |
| Condition Critical | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 27, 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Studio | The Pasha Music House, Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal, glam metal | |||
| Length | 44:02 | |||
| Label | Pasha | |||
| Producer | Spencer Proffer | |||
| Quiet Riot chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Condition Critical is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Quiet Riot. Released in 1984, it was not nearly as successful as its predecessor (1983's Metal Health) in either fan reaction or sales. It was also given an infamous two-word review in Musician magazine: "Prognosis: Terminal."[2] However, it did sell over one million copies, peaking at No. 15 on the US Billboard album chart. Like the band's previous album, Condition Critical features a Slade cover song as the second track.
Tracks "Party All Night" (also known as "Party All Nite") and "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" had music videos made for them, both receiving some airplay on TV. The same man with a metal face from the last album cover is on this cover as well as many of the band's subsequent album covers, establishing him as the band's mascot. The character also has cameos in both aforementioned music videos.
The track "Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet" shares its title with the original American title to Slade's 1974 album Old New Borrowed and Blue.
Track listing
All songs written by Kevin DuBrow, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sign of the Times" |
| 5:03 |
| 2. | "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" (Slade cover) | 3:38 | |
| 3. | "Party All Night" | 3:32 | |
| 4. | "Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet" | 4:38 | |
| 5. | "Winners Take All" | 5:32 | |
| 6. | "Condition Critical" |
| 5:02 |
| 7. | "Scream and Shout" |
| 4:01 |
| 8. | "Red Alert" | 4:28 | |
| 9. | "Bad Boy" | 4:21 | |
| 10. | "(We Were) Born to Rock" | 3:34 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Mamma Weer All Crazee Now" ((Live version '84)) |
| |
| 12. | "Cum On Feel the Noize" (Live version '84) |
| |
| 13. | "Party All Night" (Live version '84) | ||
| 14. | "Condition Critical" (Live version '84) |
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[3] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[4] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Chart performance
| Chart (1984) | Peak position | Total weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart[5] | 14 | 18 |
| German Albums Chart[6] | 42 | ? |
| New Zealand Albums Chart[7] | 35 | 3 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart[8] | 13 | 6 |
| Swedish Albums Chart[9] | 18 | 4 |
| UK Albums Chart[10] | 71 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard 200[11] | 15 | 15 |
Personnel
Quiet Riot
Production
Reviews and responses
As stated in the program Behind the Music, frontman DuBrow's nasty, combative attitude towards many music journalists as well as fellow heavy metal musicians – such as DuBrow labeling the magazine Hit Parader as akin to toilet paper – was felt by other band members and their producer to have hurt the album's reviews. DuBrow in later interviews has agreed and expressed regrets.[12]
Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave Condition Critical a mixed-to-positive review, stating that he found the band's Slade cover to be the best track on the album given the "solid hook" of its guitar riffs.[1]
The album was not meeting the same level of sales as its predecessor, Metal Health, and the album received poor commercial success, 1/6th of sales. It reached the No. 15 slot on the Billboard 200.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Allmusic review
- ^ Glam Racket: Quiet Riot-Live At Memorial Auditorium, Burlington Iowa, 1983
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Quiet Riot – Metal Heath". Music Canada.
- ^ "American album certifications – Quiet Riot – Metal Health". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca
- ^ "Charts-Surfer". Charts-surfer.de. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "New Zealand charts portal". charts.org.nz. Archived from the original on 2008-05-08. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Steffen Hung (2006-06-15). "Norwegian charts portal". norwegiancharts.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Steffen Hung (2012-02-03). "Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "UK Singles & Albums Chart Archive". Chart Stats. Archived from the original on 2012-08-25. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Music News, Reviews, Articles, Information, News Online & Free Music". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
- ^ Behind the Music: Quiet Riot