Edge of Insanity

Edge of Insanity
Studio album by Tony MacAlpine
Released	1986[1]
Recorded	1985 at Prairie Sun Recording Studios in Cotati, California
Genre	Instrumental rock, neoclassical metal
Length	41:17[2]
Label	Shrapnel
Producer	Mike Varney
Tony MacAlpine chronology
Edge of Insanity (1986) Project: Driver (1986)
Alternative cover
Japanese edition

Edge of Insanity is the first studio album by guitarist Tony MacAlpine, released in 1986 through Shrapnel Records.In 2014, nearly thirty years after its release, MacAlpine announced that he will be performing the album in full during a series of shows in California and Baja California.^[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Kerrang!	[4]

Andy Hinds at AllMusic gave Edge of Insanity 2.5 stars out of five, describing it as following "the rough blueprint of Yngwie's model" as well as praising MacAlpine's "impressive licks" and "exciting guitar/keyboard interplay". However, he remarked that "his second album, Maximum Security, is much better."^[1]

In a 2009 article by Guitar World magazine, Edge of Insanity was ranked fourth on the all-time top ten list of shred albums.^[5] The staff wrote: "The album that launched Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records, Edge of Insanity shows off Tony MacAlpine's fearsome shred chops not only on the six-string ("Quarter to Midnight") but also on the ivories ("Chopin, Prelude 16, Opus 28")."

Track listing

All music composed by Tony MacAlpine, except where noted.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Wheel of Fortune"	3:43
2.	"The Stranger"	3:59
3.	"Quarter to Midnight (Live Solo)"	2:24
4.	"Agrionia"	4:31
5.	"Empire in the Sky ^†"	5:54
6.	"The Witch and the Priest"	3:33
7.	"The Taker"	3:22
8.	"Chopin, Prelude 16, Opus 28" (Frédéric Chopin)	1:20
9.	"Edge of Insanity"	4:18
10.	"The Raven"	4:13
11.	"No Place in Time"	4:00
Total length:		41:17

Japanese edition bonus track[6]
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Birds of Prey (Billy's Boogie)"	3:45

^† – On some reissues of the album, "Empire in the Sky" is split into two tracks.

Personnel

• Tony MacAlpine – guitar, keyboard, bass (track 8)
• Mike Mani – keyboard programming
• Steve Smith – drums
• Billy Sheehan – bass (except track 8)
• Steve Fontano – engineering
• George Horn – mastering
• Mike Varney – production

References

1. Hinds, Andy. "Edge of Insanity - Tony MacAlpine". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
2. Edge of Insanity (CD release "SH-1021cd").
3. "New Southern California Dates!". tonymacalpine.com. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
4. Henderson, Paul (1986-05-29). "Tony MacAlpine 'Edge of Insanity'". Kerrang!. 121. United Newspapers. p. 18.
5. Guitar World Staff (2009-07-09). "Top 10 Shred Albums of All Time". Guitar World. Future US. Archived from the original on 2011-05-28. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
6. MacAlpine, Tony. "Session notes: Edge of Insanity". tonymacalpine.com. Archived from the original on 2010-01-17. Retrieved 2014-02-13.

External links

• In Review: Tony MacAlpine "Edge Of Insanity" at Guitar Nine Records