Badlands (Badlands album)

Badlands is the debut studio album by the band of the same name. This album features Ray Gillen and Eric Singer, who previously played together in Black Sabbath. This album also features guitarist Jake E. Lee and bassist Greg Chaisson. Singer later played on Chaisson's solo album It's About Time. The album had sold 400,000 copies by 1990, according to Chaisson, in a Hit Parader interview from that year. It was also ranked No. 35 in Rolling Stone's list of 50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time.[4]

Badlands
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 11, 1989
RecordedOctober 1988 – January 1989
StudioOne On One Studios, Los Angeles, and The Record Plant, New York City
Genre
Length49:33
LabelTitanium/Atlantic
ProducerPaul O'Neill & Badlands
Badlands chronology
Badlands
(1989)
Voodoo Highway
(1991)
Singles from Badlands
  1. "Dreams in the Dark" / "Hard Driver"
    Released: 1989
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal10/10[2]
Rock Hard9.0/10[3]

Critical reception

Kirk Blows, reviewer of British music newspaper Music Week, named LP as "accomplished and worthy debut" and praised its diversity.[5] Billboard called this record "a collection of well-crafted tunes that should jump out of the radio and sound great live."[6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jake E. Lee, Ray Gillen and Paul O´Neill, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."High Wire"Lee, Gillen3:45
2."Dreams in the Dark" 3:29
3."Jade's Song"Lee1:23
4."Winter's Call"Lee, Gillen, Alex González5:35
5."Dancing on the Edge" 3:27
6."Streets Cry Freedom" 6:10
7."Hard Driver" 4:50
8."Rumblin' Train" 5:46
9."Devil's Stomp" 4:54
10."Seasons" 6:20
CD & Cassette Bonus Track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Ball & Chain"Lee, Gillen4:13

Personnel

Badlands
Additional musicians
  • Taso Karras – tambourine, maracas
  • Bob Kinkel – keyboards programming
Production
  • Paul O'Neill – producer
  • James A. Ball – engineer, mixing
  • Chuck Cavanaugh, Glen Marchese, Joe Henehan, John Mathias, Teddy Trewhella – additional engineering
  • Dave Parla, Deek Venarchick – assistant engineers
  • David Thoener – mixing
  • Jack Skinner – mastering at Europadisk, New York

Charts

Singles

YearSingleChartPosition
1989"Dreams in the Dark"Mainstream Rock Tracks (US)[10]38

Accolades

PublicationCountryAccoladeRank
Rolling StoneUS50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time[11]35
LoudwireUSTop 30 Hair Metal Albums[12]27
Metal RulesUSTop 50 Glam Metal Albums[13]43

References