''Steeltown'' is the second studio album by Scottish band

Big Country Big Country are a Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981. The height of the band's popularity was in the early to mid 1980s, although they have retained a cult following for many years since. The band's music inc ...

. The album was recorded at

ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...

Polar Studios Polar Studios was a recording studio in Stockholm, Sweden, which operated from 1978 through 2004. The studio was formed by ABBA musicians Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and the band's manager Stig Anderson, owner of the Polar Music recording l ...

in Stockholm with

Steve Lillywhite Stephen Alan Lillywhite (born 15 March 1955) is an English record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts The Alarm ...

producing. It was released on 19 October 1984, in the UK and 29 October 1984, in the United States. 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 Corby is a town and civil parish in the North Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England, northeast of Northampton. In 2021 it had a population of 68,164. From 1974 to 2021, it was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of ...

, telling how many Scots went to work at the

Stewarts & Lloyds Stewarts & Lloyds was a steel tube manufacturer with its headquarters in Glasgow at 41 Oswald Street. The company was created in 1903 by the amalgamation of two of the largest iron and steel makers in Britain: A. & J. Stewart & Menzies, Coatbridg ...

steelworks when it opened in 1935, at the height of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, but later found themselves unemployed when the steelworks declined in the early 1980s. The 1996 reissue contains all of the B-sides from the album's single releases as well as the extended version of non-album single " 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 ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' gave the album a glowing review, writing: Some critics reacted negatively towards the album, calling it muddled and overly dense. 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. However, many fans today consider Steeltown to be the band's finest work.

James Dean Bradfield James Dean Bradfield (born 21 February 1969) is a Welsh singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. He is known for being the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. His cousin Sean Moore is a ...

from

Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Wales, Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, in 1986. The band consists of Nicky Wire (bass guitar, lyrics) and cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, le ...

has cited the album as being one of his all-time favourites.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by

Stuart Adamson William Stuart Adamson (11 April 1958 – 16 December 2001) was a Scottish rock guitarist and singer. Adamson began his career in the late 1970s as a founding member and performer with the punk rock band Skids. After leaving Skids in 1981, he ...

; all music is composed by Adamson,

Mark Brzezicki Mark Michael Brzezicki ( , ; born 21 June 1957) is an English musician, best known as the former drummer of the Scottish rock band Big Country. He has also played with Procol Harum, Casbah Club, The Cult, and From the Jam. Biography Brzezi ...

, Tony Butler, and Bruce Watson, except where indicated.

Side one

# "Flame of the West" – 5:01 # " East of Eden" – 4:29 # "Steeltown" – 4:39 # " Where the Rose Is Sown" – 4:58 # "Come Back to Me" – 4:35

Side two

"Tall Ships Go" – 4:38 # "Girl with Grey Eyes" – 4:47 # "Rain Dance" – 4:19 # "The Great Divide" – 4:50 # " Just a Shadow" – 5:38

1996 reissue bonus tracks

"Bass Dance" – 1:39 # "Belief in the Small Man" – 5:17 # "Prairie Rose" (

Bryan Ferry Bryan Ferry (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. He became known as the frontman of the band Roxy Music and also launched a solo career. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established ...

Phil Manzanera Phillip Geoffrey Targett-Adams (born 31 January 1951), known professionally as Phil Manzanera, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music, and was the lead guitarist with 801 and Quiet Sun. ...

) – 4:46 # " Wonderland" (12" version) – 7:07 # "Winter Sky" (Adamson, Watson) – 3:16

2014 30th anniversary deluxe edition – disc 2

# "Wonderland” # "Giant” # "All Fall Together" # " East of Eden" (radio edit) # "Prairie Rose" (Ferry, Manzanera) # "Where the Rose Is Sown" (radio edit) # "Belief in the Small Man" # "Bass Dance" # "Just a Shadow" (radio edit) # "Winter Sky" (Adamson, Watson) # "Wonderland" (work in progress #1) # "Wonderland" (work in progress #2) # " East of Eden" (rough mix) # "Tall Ships Go" (rough mix) # "Where the Rose Is Sown" (rough mix) # "Come Back to Me" (rough mix) # "Bass Concerto" (work in progress) *Tracks 11–17 are previously unreleased.

Personnel

;Big Country *

– vocals, guitar,

EBow The EBow is an electronic device used for playing string instruments, most often the electric guitar. It was invented by the American guitarist Greg Heet in 1969 and introduced in 1976. The EBow uses a pickup and a magnetic feedback circuit to ...

– drums, percussion * Tony Butler – bass, vocals * Bruce Watson – guitar, EBow, mandolin ;Technical *

– producer *Will Gosling – engineer *Jeremy Bird – sleeve design *

Brian Aris Brian Aris is a British photographer who began his career as a photojournalist. Initially, he was a front line photographer of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, the plight of Palestinian children in Jordan, the civil war in Lebanon, famine in Afr ...

– photography ;Bonus tracks *"All Fall Together" produced by Big Country; mixed by

Jimmy Iovine James Iovine ( ; born March 11, 1953) is an American entrepreneur, former Music executive, record executive, and media proprietor. He is the co-founder of Interscope Records and became chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscop ...

. *"Winter Sky" recorded at Impulse Studios, Edinburgh, 1–2 December 1984. Produced by Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson; engineered by Lawrence Riva.

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control Big Country albums 1984 albums Albums produced by Steve Lillywhite Mercury Records albums Albums recorded at RAK Studios Albums recorded at Polar Studios