Change (The Alarm album)

Change is the fourth studio album by The Alarm. It was released in September 1989 on IRS Records.

Change
Studio album by The Alarm
Released	September 1989
Recorded	1988–1989
Genre	Rock
Length	58:52 (English CD version)
Label	IRS Records
Producer	Tony Visconti
The Alarm chronology
Electric Folklore Live (1988) Change (1989) Standards (1990)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
Christgau's Record Guide	C^[2]

The album was released initially on vinyl LP, cassette and CD, reaching No. 13 in the UK charts and No. 75 in the US charts.

An extended re-mastered version was released, including extra tracks.

Singles

"Sold Me Down the River" was released before the album, reaching No. 43 in the UK singles chart. This was followed after the album release by "A New South Wales", which reached No. 31 and saw the band on Top of the Pops and Wogan. "Love Don't Come Easy" was the third and final single, just failing to reach the Top 40.

Track listing

All songs written by Eddie Macdonald and Mike Peters, except where noted.

1. "Sold Me Down the River" – 5:25
2. "The Rock" (The Alarm) – 4:39
3. "Devolution Workin' Man Blues" – 4:11
4. "Love Don't Come Easy" – 4:08
5. "Hardland" – 4:09
6. "Change II" (Dave Sharp, Nigel Twist) – 2:52
7. "No Frontiers" – 3:53
8. "Scarlet" – 4:17
9. "Where a Town Once Stood" (The Alarm) – 3:48
10. "Black Sun" (The Alarm) – 4:30 *
11. "Prison Without Prison Bars" – 3:48
12. "How the Mighty Fall" – 4:19 *
13. "Rivers to Cross" (The Alarm) – 3:42
14. "A New South Wales" – 4:46

Note

• Released as limited edition free single with vinyl LP

Personnel

 

LP back cover.

Arranged by The Alarm.

• Mike Peters – vocals
• Dave Sharp – guitar
• Eddie Macdonald – bass
• Mark Taylor – keyboards
• Twist – drums

Technical

• Tony Visconti – producer, engineer

Notes: Lookout management: Elliot Roberts and Barry Dickens

Recorded at the Skylight Suite and Mixed Good Earths Studios

"A New South Wales" Recorded at BBC Wales Cardiff with the Morriston Orpheus Male Voice Choir and members of the Welsh Symphony Orchestra

Welsh release

An edition of the album sung in Welsh called Newid was released in 1989.

Track listing

1. "Gwerthoch Fi I Lawr Yr Afon" – 4:09
2. "Y Graig" – 4:39
3. "Datganoli Y Falen Gweithiwr" – 4:11
4. "Dydi Cariad Byth Yn Hawdd" – 4:08
5. "Hiraeth" – 4:09
6. "Newid II" – 2:52
7. "Dim Ffiniau" – 3:53
8. "Ysgarlad" – 4:18
9. "Ble Sefa Dref" – 3:48
10. "Rhyddid Caeth" – 3:48
11. "Croesi'r Afon" – 3:42
12. "Hwylio Dros Y Môr" – 4:47

Japanese promotional release

A Japanese 15-track promo-only CD was released including a different track list, custom picture sleeve and Japanese biography.

Track listing

 

Japanese front cover.

1. "Declaration"
2. "Marching"
3. "68 Guns"
4. "The Stand (Full Length Version)"
5. "Absolute Reality"
6. "Strength"
7. "Spirit of '76"
8. "Rain in the Summertime"
9. "Rescue Me"
10. "Sold Me Down the River"
11. "Hardland"
12. "Change II"
13. "No Frontiers"
14. "Black Sun"
15. "A New South Wales"

Remastered release

Released in 2000, the remastered edition featured a revised track listings, b-sides and previously unreleased recordings, new and original artwork, unseen photos, lyrics, sleeve notes by Mike Peters and interactive programming information to play the album in its original form.

Change demos

Two-disc release including 16 acoustic tracks from a 1988 L.A. demo session with Mike Peters and Eddie MacDonald and 20+ electric tracks with the full band at the 1988–1989 Kinmell Hall demo sessions in Wales.

References

1. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r243
2. Christgau, Robert (1990). "A". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved 16 August 2020 – via robertchristgau.com.