Back and Fourth is a 1978 album by English rock band Lindisfarne. Released in nine countries on three record labels, it reached position 22 on the UK album charts and contained the successful single "Run for Home".
| Back and Fourth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1978 | |||
| Recorded | February–April 1978 | |||
| Studio | Moonlight Studio, England; Rockfield Studios, Monmouth | |||
| Genre | Rock[1] | |||
| Length | 38:26 | |||
| Label |  Mercury Atco | |||
| Producer | Gus Dudgeon | |||
| Lindisfarne chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production edit
The album was produced by Gus Dudgeon and recorded between February and April 1978.[2] It was the first album to feature the reformed original Lindisfarne lineup after they had broken up in 1973,[3] hence the pun in the title that, although it was Lindisfarne's sixth studio album, the band was "back" on their fourth album with the original lineup.
The album cover is the band's first to show Lindisfarne, the island off the coast of Northumberland after which the band was named. Lindisfarne Castle can be seen at sunrise.
Music edit
AllMusic stated that the album's sound is "rooted in midtempo rock".[1]
Release, chart performance and reception edit
Back and Fourth was released in June 1978 in the UK by Mercury Records. It spent eleven weeks on the UK album charts, reaching the highest position of No. 22, with a total of three weeks in the top 25.[4] It was also released in eight other countries around the world on three different record labels.[5]
Although it was a chart success, the album has not received entirely positive reviews. Bruce Eder of Allmusic retrospectively gave the album just two stars out of five, stating that it "isn't really that good a record, lacking the imagination and spirit of experimentation that highlighted their early albums". However, he did praise "Run For Home" as "Alan Hull's best song to date".[1]
Singles edit
Three tracks from the album were released as singles. The first, "Run For Home", was released a few weeks before the album. It proved very popular, reaching No. 10 during a 15-week stint in the UK charts.[6] It also became the band's first hit in the USA, reaching #33.[7] The arrangement features a prominent cor anglais. The second, "Juke Box Gypsy", was less successful. It was released in October 1978 and spent four weeks in the charts, peaking at #56.[8] A third track, "Warm Feeling", was released in early 1979 but failed to chart.[9]
Track listing edit
- All tracks credited to Alan Hull except where indicated
- "Juke Box Gypsy" - 2:23
- "Warm Feeling" (Ray Jackson, Charlie Harcourt) - 4:05
- "Woman" - 3:26
- "Only Alone" - 3:44
- "Run For Home" - 4:21
- "Kings Cross Blues" (Ray Jackson, Charlie Harcourt) - 3:45
- "Get Wise" - 3:08
- "You And Me" - 3:05
- "Marshall Riley's Army" - 3:39
- "Angels at Eleven" - 2:55
- "Make Me Want To Stay" - 3:55
The U.S. edition of the album featured the same songs, but in a different running order.[10]
Charts edit
| Chart (1978/79) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK (Official Charts Company) | 22 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] | 85 |
Personnel edit
Lindisfarne
- Alan Hull - vocals, acoustic guitar, piano
- Ray Jackson - vocals, mandolin, percussion, harmonica
- Rod Clements - fretless bass, fiddle
- Simon Cowe - lead, acoustic and 12-string guitars, mandolin, banjo, vocals
- Ray Laidlaw - drums, percussion
- Technical
- Bruce Baxter - string arrangement
- Dave Charles, Pat Moran, Phil Dunne, Stuart Epps - engineer
- Alan Schmidt - design concept, art direction
- Richard Haughton - cover photography
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[12] | Silver | 60,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ a b c d Allmusic - Back and Fourth > Overview
- ^ Back and Fourth Archived 25 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine lindisfarne.co.uk
- ^ "Lindisfarne - The Official Website - History". Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
- ^ Official Charts Company - Lindisfarne - Back and Fourth
- ^ Discography - LPs lindisfarne.de
- ^ Official Charts Company - Lindisfarne - Run For Home
- ^ Run for Home (song by Lindisfarne) - Music VF
- ^ Official Charts Company - Lindisfarne - Juke Box Gypsy
- ^ Wells, David (2006). Meet me on the Corner: Lindisfarne the collection (CD booklet). Lindisfarne. Sanctuary Records Group.
- ^ "Lindisfarne - Back and Fourth". Discogs. 1978.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 178. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "British album certifications – Lindisfarne – Back and Fourth". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 September 2019.