Strength (The Alarm album)

Strength
Studio album by The Alarm
Released 1985
Recorded Marcus Studios, London, June and July 1985
Genre Rock, new wave
Length 48:08
Label IRS Records
Producer Mike Howlett
The Alarm chronology
Declaration
(1984)		 Strength
(1985)		 Eye of the Hurricane
(1987)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]
Kerrang![2]

Strength is the second studio album from The Alarm. It was released in 1985 on IRS Records. The single "Strength" was released before the album, reaching No.40 in the UK singles chart. This was followed after the album release by "Spirit of '76", which reached No.22 and saw the band on Top of the Pops and various other TV stations. Finally, "Knife Edge" was released, just failing to reach the Top 40.

The album was released initially on vinyl LP, vinyl picture disc and cassette. As technology improved, a CD version was released.

An extended re-mastered version was also released, including extra tracks. Released in 2000, the remastered edition featured a revised track listings, b-sides and previously unreleased recordings, new and original artwork, unseen photos, lyrics, sleeve notes by Mike Peters and interactive programming information to play the album in its original form.

Alt-Strength is the full demos set, released on a double-cd set on 12 November 2001.

Track listing

All songs written by Eddie Macdonald & Mike Peters, except "Strength", which was written by The Alarm

  1. "Knife Edge" - 5:06
  2. "Strength" - 5:34
  3. "Dawn Chorus" - 5:24
  4. "Spirit of '76" - 7:05
  5. "Deeside" - 3:08
  6. "Father to Son" - 4:04
  7. "Only the Thunder" - 4:06
  8. "The Day the Ravens Left the Tower" - 4:45
  9. "Absolute Reality" - 3:24
  10. "Walk Forever by My Side" - 3:32

Remastered release track listing

  1. "Strength" - 5:34
  2. "Knife Edge" - 5:09
  3. "Spirit of '76" - 7:04
  4. "Walk Forever by My Side" - 3:34
  5. "Father to Son" - 4:05
  6. "Deeside" - 3:10
  7. "Majority" - 3:22
  8. "One Step Closer to Home" (Electric version) - 4:28
  9. "Caroline Isenberg" - 2:41
  10. "Dawn Chorus" - 5:25
  11. "Only the Thunder" - 4:42
  12. "The Day the Ravens Left the Tower" - 4:46
  13. "Absolute Reality" - 3:31
  14. "Where Were You When the Storm Broke?" (live) - 3:30
  15. "Deeside" (live) - 3:11
  16. "Sixty Eight Guns" (live) - 6:59
  17. "Knocking on Heaven's Door" (live) - 4:26

Credits

Recorded at Marcus Studios, London, June–July 1985.

Band members

Additional musician

Production

Alt-Strength

Alt. Strength is a double CD, including demos and warm-up covers from The Strength recording sessions.

Alt-Strength cover.

Track listing

Disc 1

Nov. 29th-30th 1984 E-Zee Hire Demos

  1. "Knife Edge"
  2. "Absolute Reality"
  3. "Sons of Divorce"
  4. "One Step Closer to Home"
  5. "Rose Beyond the Wall"
  6. "Steeltown (Deeside)"
  7. "We Are Majority"
  8. "Black Side of Fortune"
  9. "The Day the Ravens Left the Tower"

April 4, 1985 Roundhouse, London Jam Session

  1. "Get It On" (T. Rex cover)
  2. "Summertime Blues" (Eddie Cochran cover)
  3. "Gimme All Your Lovin'" (ZZ Top cover)
  4. "Alarm Alarm" (Toilets/17 cover)
  5. "Radar Love" (Golden Earring cover)
  6. "Burn" (Deep Purple cover)
  7. "Black Night" (Deep Purple cover)
  8. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (The Rolling Stones cover)
  9. "Walk on the Wild Side" (Lou Reed cover)
  10. "Vicious" (Lou Reed cover)
  11. "All Right Now" (Free cover)
  12. "Communication Breakdown" (Led Zeppelin cover)
  13. "It's in the Charts"
  14. "Maggie May/Maggies Farm/Stand Down Margret"

April 4–10, 1985 Roundhouse Demos/Mixes

  1. "Dawn Chorus"
  2. "Knife Edge"

Disc 2

May 10, 1985: Birmingham Odeon Sound Check

  1. "Give Me Love (Strength)"

May 17, 1985 Pluto Studios Recording Sessions

  1. "In the Cold Light of Day"

June/July 1985: Main Recording Sessions, Marcus Studios

  1. "River Still to Cross"

June 27, 1985 Rough Mixes

  1. "Strength"
  2. "Spirit of '76"
  3. "Deeside"
  4. "For Tomorrow (Father to Son)"
  5. "Majority"
  6. "Absolute Reality"
  7. "One Step Closer to Home"
  8. "Only the Thunder"
  9. "Day the Ravens Left the Tower"
  10. "Walk Forever by My Side"

July 15, 1985 Marcus Studios Rough Mixes

  1. "Strength"
  2. "Spirit of '76"

References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Alarm Strength review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  2. ↑ Johnson, Howard (1 November 1985). "The Alarm 'Strength'". Kerrang! 106. London, UK: Morgan Grampian. p. 22.
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