| Gun-Shy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 41:57 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer | Howard Gray, Vic Maile | |||
| The Screaming Blue Messiahs chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
Gun-Shy is the second release by The Screaming Blue Messiahs and their first full-length recording. The album, which was jointly produced by Apollo 440's Howard Gray,[2] was notable for being one of the last recordings by Vic Maile,[2] well known for his work with Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton. Gun-Shy was also one of two albums by The Screaming Blue Messiahs that brought them to the attention of David Bowie and that led to him promoting the band:[3] "Well! The band this week – I've only just discovered them, so they're my pet project – is The Screaming Blue Messiahs. They're the best band I've heard out of England in a long time" [4][5] and "There’s an English band I like very much. Nobody seems to have heard of them. They’re called The Screaming Blue Messiahs and I’m pushing them like mad."[6]
Reception
The release of Gun-Shy in early 1986 was met by a generally positive reception by select music press: Spin Magazine said,"Gun-Shy is a damn fine record, consisting of a quasi-neo-rockabilly power trio... the Screaming Blue Messiahs squeeze a lot of great music out of guitar, bass, drums and vocal.";[7] The Melody Maker stated, "[t]hey have a gut instinct for the roots of blues and R 'n' B and from that sure base they can confidently blast their way through Bill Carter's extraordinarily powerful selection of songs."[8] The NME wrote that, "[o]n the strength of this album, I'd say the Messiahs are going to be very, very big indeed."[8] To promote the album, the band embarked on another extensive tour of Germany, Finland, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the USA — including a series of concerts supporting The Cramps and another series supporting Echo and the Bunnymen.[9]
Singles
"Smash the Market Place" and "Wild Blue Yonder" were released as singles in 1986. "Wild Blue Yonder" resurfaced in 2006 as the closing music of season 03/episode 04 of FX's Rescue Me.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wild Blue Yonder" | Bill Carter | 4:44 |
| 2. | "Holiday Head" | Bill Carter | 3:58 |
| 3. | "Smash The Market Place" | Bill Carter | 3:10 |
| 4. | "You're Gonna Change" | Hank Williams | 2:41 |
| 5. | "Just For Fun" | Bill Carter | 2:49 |
| 6. | "Let's Go Down To The Woods" | Bill Carter | 4:34 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Talking Doll" | Bill Carter | 2:38 |
| 2. | "Twin Cadillac Valentine" | Bill Carter | 3:57 |
| 3. | "President Kennedy's Mile" | Bill Carter | 2:56 |
| 4. | "Someone To Talk To" | Bill Carter/Christopher Thompson | 3:36 |
| 5. | "Clear View" | Bill Carter | 4:00 |
| 6. | "Killer Born Man" | Bill Carter | 3:32 |
Personnel
The band
- Bill Carter - Lead vocals and lead guitar
- Chris Thompson - Bass guitar and backing vocal
- Kenny Harris - Drums
Studio
- Creative Director – Hale Milgrim
- Design – Carol Bobolts
- Engineer (Additional) – Ernie Wilkens
- Management – John Dummer
- Mastered by Howie Weinberg
- Mixed by Chris Lord-Alge (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 9, 11, 12)
- Photography by Mel Yates
- Producer – Howard Gray (tracks: 1, 6 to 8, 12), Vic Maile (tracks: 2 to 5, 9 to 11)
- Written by Bill Carter (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 9, 11, 12)
References
- ↑ Dougan, John. "Gun-Shy – The Screaming Blue Messias". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- 1 2 AllMusic: credits: Gun-Shy
- ↑ Google Books: Bowie on Bowie: Screaming Blue Messiahs
- ↑ Musician magazine, August 1987.
- ↑ "#1393: I Wanna Be a Flintstone by the Screaming Blue Messiahs". Vancouver Pop Music Signature Sounds. 24 July 2017.
- ↑ Words and Music magazine, January 1988.
- ↑ Google Books: Spin Magazine: reviews
- 1 2 Porter, Dick. "The Legend of the Lost Blue Messiahs".
- ↑ "setlist fm: The Screaming Blue Messiahs". setlist.fm.