The Lone Ranger (album)
| The Lone Ranger | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 October 1995 | |||
| Recorded | 1994–1995 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 46:29 | |||
| Label | WEA | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Suggs chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Lone Ranger | ||||
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The Lone Ranger is the first solo album by British singer Suggs (of the second wave ska band Madness), released in 1995.[1] The album peaked at No. 14 in the UK charts.[5] "Cecilia", a cover of the Simon and Garfunkel song, reached No. 4 on the UK charts.[4] The song "4 am" was later re-recorded and appeared on the 1999 Madness album Wonderful.
The Lone Ranger was reissued in 2016 by Cherry Red Records as a two-CD deluxe edition.[6]
Background
After the Madness reunion concert in 1992, which yielded the album Madstock!, Suggs became involved in working on his first solo album. He had written a few songs, including "Alcohol" and "Fortune Fish". In 1994, Rob Dickins arranged for Suggs to work with producers Sly and Robbie on some songs. Dickins suggested "I'm Only Sleeping" as a track, while Sly and Robbie proposed "Cecilia" as one of the songs to work on. Other songs produced by Sly and Robbie are "Camden Town", "Haunted" and "Off on Holiday", and they also helped to produce "The Tune", a song written by Mike Barson. After the sessions with Sly and Robbie ended, other songs were recorded with other producers.[7]
Suggs collaborated with Barson to write and produce a number of songs, including "Camden Town", "4 am", which is a tribute to The Kinks, and "She's Gone". The songs, including "Green Eyes", were co-produced with engineer Kevin Petrie, who also helped with "Alcohol" and "Fortune Fish".[7]
After the second Madstock concert, Madstock II, Suggs announced that he would pursue a solo career in August 1994, and made his first appearance as a solo artist in November on Danny Baker After All, performing "I'm Only Sleeping" and Morrissey's "Suedehead". His debut album The Lone Ranger was released in 1995.[8]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| NME | 2/10[9] |
| Record Collector | [10] |
| Select |   [11] |
Upon its release, Victoria Segal of Melody Maker was critical of "Camden Town" and "I'm Only Sleeping", describing them as being "as welcome as hawmorragic fever", but felt "the rest [of the album] is actually OK, in a predictably perky, ska-ed up way".[12] Johnny Cigarettes of NME was negative in his review, believing the album to be merely a money-making endeavor without "a single good excuse for [it] to exist", although he did note a "couple of mildly agreeable contemplative ballads". He believed that the covers of 'I'm Only Sleeping' and 'Cecilia' were recorded merely for "maximum commercial muscle" and also noted that the single "Camden Town" "borrows a hefty chunk of credible trendiness". He added, "Rope in Sly and Robbie to try and prove your authentic credentials, roll out the jaunty feel-good 'reggie' ditties, sit back and watch the cash roll in."[9]
Evan Cater, writing for AllMusic, wrote, "The Lone Ranger has the feel of an amateur demo, populated primarily by drum machines and synthesizers, but despite the weakness of the production, Suggs manages credible covers of the Beatles' 'I'm Only Sleeping' and Simon and Garfunkel's 'Cecilia'." Cater was not impressed with Suggs' songwriting talent on the songs he wrote by himself, but felt that he fared better on the ones he co-wrote with Mike Barson, "who appears to have a stronger sense of melody".[1] Trouser Press described the album as delivering "much the same ska pop mixture and music hall jollity as [Madness], but with more weight to the production."[2] In a review of the 2016 reissue, Record Collector's Mark Elliott commented that the "charming, 60s-influenced, 11-song set hits the sweet spot where an experimental edge packs an impressive commercial punch and everyone emerges with their dignity intact".[10]
Track listing
Adapted from the album's liner notes.[13]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Only Sleeping" | John Lennon, Paul McCartney | 4:20 |
| 2. | "Camden Town" | Graham McPherson, Mike Barson | 3:52 |
| 3. | "Alcohol" | McPherson | 4:27 |
| 4. | "4 am" | McPherson, Barson | 3:32 |
| 5. | "The Tune" | Barson | 4:35 |
| 6. | "Cecilia" | Paul Simon | 3:08 |
| 7. | "Haunted" | McPherson | 3:53 |
| 8. | "Off on Holiday" | McPherson | 4:04 |
| 9. | "Green Eyes" | McPherson, Barson, Cathal Smyth | 3:51 |
| 10. | "Fortune Fish" | McPherson | 5:31 |
| 11. | "She's Gone" | McPherson, Barson | 5:11 |
2016 reissue
- Disc one
- The first disc contains the eleven tracks from the original album plus eight bonus tracks.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Bedazzled" (B-side of "Camden Town") | McPherson | 3:35 |
| 13. | "Animal" (B-side of "I'm Only Sleeping"/"Off on Holiday") | McPherson | 4:33 |
| 14. | "When You Came" (B-side of "I'm Only Sleeping"/"Off on Holiday") | Barson | 3:35 |
| 15. | "Sleigh Ride" (from The Christmas EP, 1995) | Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish | 3:14 |
| 16. | "Alright" (from The Christmas EP) | Gaz Coombes, Danny Goffey, Mick Quinn | 3:45 |
| 17. | "I Feel Good" (B-side of "Cecilia") | James Brown | 3:15 |
| 18. | "Cecilia" (7" mix) | Simon | 3:04 |
| 19. | "No More Alcohol" (7" mix) (new 1996 recording of "Alcohol") | McPherson | 2:44 |
- Disc two
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Camden Town" (Camden Chili Pepper Dub) (B-side of "Camden Town") | McPherson, Barson | 7:06 |
| 2. | "Camden Town" (Ragga in London Dub Instrumental) (B-side of "Camden Town") | McPherson, Barson | 3:42 |
| 3. | "Off on Holiday" (Instrumental) (B-side of "I'm Only Sleeping"/"Off on Holiday") | McPherson | 4:01 |
| 4. | "The Tune" (Instrumental) (B-side of "Cecilia") | Barson | 4:14 |
| 5. | "Cecilia" (Rapino's 7" mix) (B-side of "Cecilia") | Simon | 3:39 |
| 6. | "Cecilia" (Rapino's 12" Disco Instrumental) (B-side of "Cecilia") | Simon | 6:05 |
| 7. | "Cecilia" (Rapino's 12" Disco Mix) (B-side of "Cecilia") | Simon | 6:07 |
| 8. | "Cecilia" (Deep Pan Mix) (B-side of "Cecilia") | Simon | 4:02 |
| 9. | "Cecilia" (Drumapella Mix) (B-side of "Cecilia") | Simon | 4:02 |
| 10. | "Cecilia" (Alternative Mix) (B-side of "Cecilia") | Simon | 3:07 |
| 11. | "No More Alcohol" (Rapino's Dance Mix) (B-side of "No More Alcohol") | McPherson | 5:32 |
| 12. | "No More Alcohol" (Segue Mix) (B-side of "No More Alcohol"/"Cecilia" Segue Mix) | McPherson | 2:56 |
| 13. | "Cecilia" (Segue Mix) (B-side of "No More Alcohol"/"Cecilia" Segue Mix) | Simon | 2:51 |
| 14. | "No More Alcohol" (100% Proof Mix) (B-side of "No More Alcohol"/"Cecilia" Segue Mix) | McPherson | 5:45 |
| 15. | "No More Alcohol" (Karaoke Mix) (B-side of "No More Alcohol"/"Cecilia" Segue Mix) | McPherson | 2:43 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[13]
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Although no musicians are credited on the album, the following are thanked:
|
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Charts
| Year | Singles | Chart position | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK[4] | IRE[14] | ||
| 1995 | "I'm Only Sleeping"/"Off On Holiday! | 7 | — |
| 1995 | "Camden Town" | 14 | 26 |
| 1995 | "The Tune" | 33 | — |
| 1996 | "Cecilia" | 4 | 10 |
| 1996 | "No More Alcohol" (new version of "Alcohol") | 24 | — |
References
- ^ a b c d Cater, Evan. "The Lone Ranger Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- ^ a b Young, Jon; Robbins, Ira; Schinder, Scott; Neugebauer, Delvin. "Madness". Trouser Press. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- ^ "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- ^ a b c "Full Official Chart History - Singles". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- ^ "Full Official Chart History - Albums". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- ^ "Out This Week / on 22 April 2016". superdeluxeedition.com. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- ^ a b Reed, John (2014). "Chapter 19: Maybe in Another Life". House of Fun: The Story of Madness. Omnibus Press. p. 2005. ISBN 9781783233342 – via Google Books.
- ^ Reed, John (2014). "Chapter 19: Maybe in Another Life". House of Fun: The Story of Madness. Omnibus Press. p. 2005. ISBN 9781783233342 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Cigarettes, Johnny (28 October 1995). "Long Play". New Musical Express. p. 53. ISSN 0028-6362.
- ^ a b Elliott, Mark (15 June 2016). "The Lone Ranger Review". Record Collector. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- ^ Harrison, Ian (December 1995). "New Albums". Select. p. 114. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ Segal, Victoria (4 November 1995). "Albums". Melody Maker. p. 36. ISSN 0025-9012.
- ^ a b The Lone Ranger (CD reissue liner notes). Suggs. Cherry Red Records. 2016.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Suggs". The Irish Charts - All there is to know.
