Wilder is the second album by neo-psychedelic Liverpool band the Teardrop Explodes, and the final completed album released by the group.[9]
| Wilder | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 23 November 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1981 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:52 | |||
| Label | Mercury, Fontana | |||
| Producer | Clive Langer (with Alan Winstanley on "Passionate Friend") | |||
| The Teardrop Explodes chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Wilder | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| God Is in the TV | [1] |
| NME | 9/10[3] |
| Q | [4] |
| Record Collector | [5] |
| Record Mirror | [6] |
| Smash Hits | 8½/10[7] |
| Uncut | 8/10[8] |
In 2000 former Teardrop Explodes leader Julian Cope gave his blessings to re-release Wilder with a selection of bonus tracks, mainly single b-sides, plus original artwork, a remastered sound, and full lyrics and essays.
Background
editWilder was recorded following a turbulent period in the band's career involving the success of their debut album Kilimanjaro, several line-up changes and a fraught, drug-fuelled American tour. For Wilder, the group's leader and principal songwriter Julian Cope developed his songwriting by using many experimental approaches.
Wilder featured a far greater use of synthesizer arrangements and loop experiments than Kilimanjaro, predominantly at the instigation of keyboard player David Balfe (who acted as Cope's principal creative collaborator in the studio). By now Cope had mostly abandoned his role as the group's bass player (with many tracks on the record featuring session bassist James Eller) and shared some of the guitarist role with Troy Tate, as well as dabbling in piano and organ. Some tracks featured a full group sound as featured on Kilimanjaro (most notably "Passionate Friend", the only single release and album track to feature the band's ill-fated US touring members Alfie Agius and Jeff Hammer) but in general the album broke away from the West Coast/beat group sound of the debut as well as having a noticeably more downbeat and troubled atmosphere. Some Wilder tracks featured little or no guitar, avoided the standard drumkit or set Cope's voice against solo synthesizer only.[10]
While these approaches resulted in an album of diverse styles and revealed that the Teardrop Explodes was a far more flexible band than previous releases had suggested, it also lost the group many of the fans of the more straightforward Kilimanjaro. Although the single "Passionate Friend" charted reasonably, the album failed commercially. The band released one further EP, "You Disappear From View", which was added to the 2000 reissue of Wilder (following a previous release on Everybody Wants To Shag ... The Teardrop Explodes, the band's posthumous release of post-Wilder demos and late tracks).
Track listing
editOriginal track listing (1981)
editAll tracks are written by Julian Cope
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bent Out of Shape" | 3:27 |
| 2. | "Colours Fly Away" | 2:54 |
| 3. | "Seven Views of Jerusalem" | 3:47 |
| 4. | "Pure Joy" | 1:42 |
| 5. | "Falling Down Around Me" | 3:08 |
| 6. | "The Culture Bunker" | 5:29 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Passionate Friend" | 3:29 |
| 8. | "Tiny Children" | 3:50 |
| 9. | "Like Leila Khaled Said" | 3:48 |
| 10. | "...And the Fighting Takes Over" | 3:53 |
| 11. | "The Great Dominions" | 4:26 |
CD Re-issue bonus tracks (2000)
editAll tracks are written by Julian Cope; except where indicated
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Window Shopping for a New Crown of Thorns" | 3:48 | |
| 13. | "East of the Equator" | 6:16 | |
| 14. | "Rachael Built a Steamboat" | Cope (Lyric), David Balfe (Music) | 4:15 |
| 15. | "You Disappear from View" | 2:59 | |
| 16. | "Suffocate" | Cope, Balfe | 3:43 |
| 17. | "Ouch Monkeys" | Cope, Balfe | 5:15 |
| 18. | "Soft Enough for You" | Cope, Balfe | 3:55 |
| 19. | "The In-Psychlopedia" | Cope, Balfe, Gary Dwyer | 4:04 |
CD Re-issue bonus disc (2013)
editAll tracks are written by Julian Cope; except where indicated
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Christ Vs Warhol" | 3:53 | |
| 2. | "Rachael Built a Steamboat" | Cope (Lyric), David Balfe (Music) | 4:15 |
| 3. | "Suffocate" | Cope, Balfe | 3:43 |
| 4. | "Window Shopping for a New Crown of Thorns" | 3:48 | |
| 5. | "Ouch Monkeys" | Cope, Balfe | 5:15 |
| 6. | "East of the Equator" | 6:16 | |
| 7. | "Sleeping Gas" (Live at Club Zoo) | Cope, Gary Dwyer, Michael Finkler, Paul Simpson | 9:24 |
| 8. | "The In-Psychlopedia" | Cope, Balfe, Dwyer | 4:04 |
| 9. | "You Disappear from View" | 2:59 | |
| 10. | "Soft Enough for You" | Cope, Balfe | 3:55 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Pure Joy" (BBC Session, Peel Plus, 1981) | 1:50 | |
| 12. | "Like Leila Khaled Said" (BBC Session, Peel Plus, 1981) | 2:59 | |
| 13. | "I'm Not the Loving Kind" (BBC Session, Richard Skinner, 16 May 1981) | John Cale | 2:49 |
| 14. | "The Culture Bunker" (BBC Session, Peel Plus, 1981) | 3:21 | |
| 15. | "And the Fighting Takes Over" (BBC Session, Richard Skinner, 17 August 1981) | 4:29 | |
| 16. | "Better Scream" / "Make That Move" (BBC Session, Richard Skinner, 17 August 1981) | Wylie, Spencer, Smith, Shelby | 3:49 |
| 17. | "Bent Out of Shape" (BBC Session, Richard Skinner, 17 August 1981) | 2:56 | |
| 18. | "Screaming Secrets" (BBC Session, Richard Skinner, 17 August 1981) | 4:18 |
Personnel
edit- The Teardrop Explodes
- Julian Cope - vocals, guitars, bass guitar, piano, organ
- Troy Tate - guitars
- David Balfe - keyboards, synthesizers, loops (except on "Passionate Friend")
- Gary Dwyer - drums
with:
- Alfie Agius - bass guitar on "Passionate Friend"
- Jeff Hammer - keyboards on "Passionate Friend"
- James Eller - bass guitar
- Luke Tunney, Ted Emmett - trumpets
- Clive Langer - additional guitar
- Garrish Mashindi - backing vocals on "Like Leila Khaled Said"
- Technical
- Colin Fairley - engineer
- Martin Atkins - artwork
- Chalkie Davies - photography
Charts
edit| Chart (1981–82) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[11] | 98 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[12] | 19 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[13] | 29 |
| US Billboard 200[14] | 176 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | Silver | 60,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ a b c "The Teardrop Explodes – Wilder (reissue)". God Is in the TV Zine. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- ^ Raggett, Ned. "Wilder – The Teardrop Explodes". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ Wirth, Jim. "Teardrop Explodes: Kilimanjaro/Wilder". NME. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ "The Teardrop Explodes: Wilder". Q. No. 172. January 2001. p. 134.
- ^ Staunton, Terry (July 2013). "The Teardrop Explodes – Wilder". Record Collector. No. 416. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ Nicholls, Mike (21 November 1981). "Walk on the wilder side". Record Mirror. p. 17.
- ^ Cranna, Ian (26 November – 9 December 1981). "The Teardrop Explodes: Wilder". Smash Hits. Vol. 3, no. 24. p. 25.
- ^ Mulholland, Garry (16 August 2013). "The Teardrop Explodes – Wilder". Uncut. Archived from the original on 18 July 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ "The Teardrop Explodes". Trouser Press. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ Julian Cope, Head On
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 306. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Charts.nz – The Teardrop Explodes – Wilder". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ "Billboard 200". Billboard. 13 February 1982. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ "British album certifications – Teardrop Explodes – Wilder". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 December 2020.