This was the final studio album from the band though there would be tons more material released over the years since. This album was released in both English and Welsh but the two versions of the album were quite different other than the language. The mix between the two versions is different and there are tracks on both versions that are specific to that version. It’s no secret I’m a huge Alarm fan but this album never really grew on me but up until this week I had not heard the Welsh version. After hearing the Welsh version I wish that mix and song selection had been used for the English version. The Welsh version is just a much better version of this album. Alas this was all solved in 2000 when a new version of this album was released that included all the tracks from both albums in English and with mixes that leaned to the Welsh version. We will actually upload that rerelease version in the near future. The favourite and most disliked track is a cover of “Rockin’ In The Free World”. I really don’t like the song but I just loved the way they covered it. Mike Peters vocals are so powerful on this track it really should have been the single but for some reason the record label chose “Raw” which is one of the weakest tracks on the album in my opinion. The best track on the Welsh version is “Nadolig Llawen” (Happy Xmas (War Is Over)) which luckily was also released in English in the 2000 re-release. Apparently MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide called the album “the result of the dreary business of fulfilling contractual obligations.” This is complete nonsense because they were under no contractual obligation to release a Welsh version and they actually recorded 15 tracks for these albums in two languages. There is no way a band does that for a “contractual obligation”. I can guarantee whoever wrote that wasn’t even aware the was a Welch version never mind listened to it.
Tracklist
1 – Raw – 4:28
2 – Rockin’ In The Free World – 3:59
3 – God Save Somebody – 4:09
4 – Moments In Time – 5:42
5 – Hell Or High Water – 3:47
6 – Lead Me Through The Darkness – 4:34
7 – The Wind Blows Away My Words – 4:32
8 – Let The River Run Its Course – 3:53
9 – Save Your Crying – 4:38
10 – Wonderful World – 5:00
Credits
Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Producer – Eddie MacDonald
Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals, Producer – Nigel Twist
Engineer – Mark Phythian
Engineer [Additional] – Danny Griffiths, Dave Buchanan, Keith Andrew, Keith Hartley
Engineer [Assistant] – Ian McFarlane
Engineer, Keyboards [Additional] – Rob Storm
Lead Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals, Producer – Dave Sharp
Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, Producer – Mike Peters
Written-By – Dave Sharp, Eddie MacDonald, Mike Peters, Neil Young, Nigel Twist
Companies, etc.
Licensed From – I.R.S. Records
