- Joy (album)
Infobox Album |
Name = Joy
Type =Album
Artist =The Skids
Released = 1981
Recorded =Britannia Row Studios , London, England, UK and Highland Studios,Inverness ,Scotland , UK
Genre = Rock/electronic folk
Length = 46:51
Label = Virgin
Producer = Russell Webb
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|2|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:1n841vyjzzza link] |
Last album = "The Absolute Game " (1980)
This album = "Joy" (1981)
Next album = NA"Joy" is the final
album by the Scottish bandThe Skids . It was the fourth studio record and their first after the departure of signature guitaristStuart Adamson , who then foundedBig Country . As such, it represented a change of direction from rock tofolk music , amplifying the traditional Scottish element already hinted at in previous releases.The band line-up featured Richard Jobson and Russell Webb, with
J. J. Johnson (drums / percussion), Paul Wishart (saxophone /flute / keyboards / percussion / vocals) & a collection of musical friends. They all went toBritannia Row Studios inLondon for rehearsals and song development. Sessions in July 1981 led to the release of the first single from the upcoming album.The single "
Fields " (Virgin VS-401) was released in August 1981, withKenny Hyslop on drums. The song also featuredBilly MacKenzie (vocals), andAlan Rankine (guitar ), who were the core members of the band The Associates. Guesting, early in her career, wasVirginia Astley (flute ). The strummedguitar and marching band elements (bagpipe emulation , percussion) signalled a change in direction, though the rabble-rousing melody and football pitch vocal delivery were standard Skids fare.Sessions continued through September 1981 and produced a second single, the harmonically rich "Iona" (named for the Scottish island). It was the only song on the album to be recorded at Highland Studios in Inverness, Scotland. Released in October 1981 (as
Virgin VS-449) this was the last Skids track to feature Adamson, alongsideMike Oldfield . At 3:24 the single edit is significantly shorter than the epic to be found on the album.The eleven track "Joy" was issued November 1981 (as Virgin V-2217). It marks a concerted effort to update traditional Scottish music into the age of modern rock recordings. The sound is fundamentally more pastoral than previous Skids efforts. Gone are the layers of harmonically treated electric
guitar . However, elements of this style were hinted at previously, particularly on the "Strength Through Joy " mini-album. The lyrical concerns of strife, war and brotherhood are Jobson staples.With Paul Wishart on
saxophone , "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda " is a cover of the song byEric Bogle .Though the band recorded a
BBC Radio 1 session and shot a music video for "Iona", promotion problems atVirgin forestalled a tour. With patchy coverage, no live support and a difficult change in musical direction, the record sank without a trace. Critical reception was mixed at best. For exampleTrouser Press wrote "To call it bad is curt but realistic." However The Guardian greeted it happily.The album bore fruit in several working relationships. For example,
Virginia Astley was to record her debut solo releases with Russell Webb and also guests on Jobson's poetry album "The Ballad Of Etiquette".Later, The Skids split up and the remaining members Richard Jobson and Russell Webb formed
The Armoury Show , with Magazine'sJohn McGeoch and John Doyle shortly afterwards.This album is unreleased on
CD .Track listing
# "Blood and Soil"
# "Challenge"
# "Men of Mercy"
# "A Memory"
# "Iona"
# "In Fear of Fire"
# "Brothers"
# "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda"
# "The Men of the Fall"
# "The Sound of Retreat (instrumental)"
# "Fields"Personnel
*Richard Jobson — vocals /
guitar / keyboards
*Russell Webb —bass guitar / vocals /guitar / keyboards / percussionWith:
*J J Johnson — drums / percussion
*Paul Wishart —saxophone /flute / keyboards / percussion / vocals
*Alan Darby —guitar
*Stuart Adamson —guitar
*Mike Oldfield — keyboards
*Dave Duncan —bodhrán
*Tim Cross — keyboards /flute
*Alan Rankine —guitar
*Billy MacKenzie — vocals
*Ken Locke —cello / vocals
*Virginia Astley —flute / vocals
*Kenny Hyslop — drums
*Frances Lynch — vocals
*Nicky Holland — vocals
*Debbie Mitchell — vocals
*Nick Griffiths — vocals
*Carey Taylor — percussion
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