The Wild Places (Duncan Browne album)

The Wild Places is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter and musician Duncan Browne. Released in 1978 through Logo and Sire Records,[1] it is Browne's first solo album since his departure from the band Metro that year, and features contributions from session musicians Tony Hymas, John Giblin and Simon Phillips. In contrast to his previous self-titled solo record, the sound of the album is fully electric and ranges from progressive rock to straightforward rock music[2] and synthpop.[3]

The Wild Places
Studio album by
Duncan Browne
Released1978
Genre
Length40:52
Label
ProducerDuncan Browne
Duncan Browne chronology
Duncan Browne
(1973)		 The Wild Places
(1978)		 Streets of Fire
(1979)

The record achieved moderate commercial success.[4] It has been long out of print in the United States and was reissued during late 2000 in Japan.[2]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[3]

In their 1979 review, Billboard magazine described the record as "sophisticated and sensitive," writing that Browne's percussion playing in addition to his guitar work adds a good balance. The review concludes: "Browne sings cosmopolitan songs of sex, love and sensations, not yet jaded but getting there."[5] Nevertheless, The New Rolling Stone Album Guide critic Dave Marsh criticised the record and its successor, Streets of Fire (1979), dismissing them as "synthesizer pop that hardly lives up to the promise of the album titles." Marsh further wrote: "Fire and wild- ness, not to mention human passion, is just what this mechanical marvel [Browne] lacks."[3]

In a retrospective review, AllMusic critic Bruce Eder was positive in his assessment of the album, comparing it to "a lost Roxy Music album, or perhaps a lost Bryan Ferry record." Eder further stated that "the music has a sense of drama as well as beautiful melodies that were even better realized, with lush contributions on the synthesizer and related keyboards" and concluded: "Duncan Browne was at the top of his game, as both a singer and composer, working in an introspective, romantic vein."[2]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Duncan Browne, except where noted.

  1. "The Wild Places" – 5:55
  2. "Roman Vécu" – 4:43
  3. "Camino Real, Part I, Part II, Part III" (Browne, Giblin, Thomas, Hymas) – 8:30
  4. "Samurai" (Peter Godwin) – 4:25
  5. "Kisarazu" – 7:10
  6. "The Crash" – 3:53
  7. "Planet Earth" (Godwin) – 6:15
2000 Japan reissue bonus tracks
  1. "Fauvette" – 3:53
  2. "American Heartbeat" – 3:37
  3. "She's Just a Fallen Angel" – 5:10
  4. "Streets of Fire" – 8:08
  5. "Nina Morena" – 4:57
  6. "Things To Come" – 5:51
  7. "(Restless) Child of Change" (Godwin) – 3:35

Personnel

Album personnel as adapted from album liner notes.[6]

Chart positions
Album
Charts (1979) Peak
position
Australian (Kent Music Report)67[7]
US Billboard Top LPs & Tape[8] 174

References
  1. Kozak, Roman and Cary Darling (10 March 1979). "Talent Signings". Billboard: 48. ISSN 0006-2510.
  2. Eder, Bruce. "Duncan Browne – The Wild Places". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  3. Marsh, Dave and John Swenson (1983). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Rolling Stone Press. pp. 64. ISBN 0394721071.
  4. Eder, Bruce. "Duncan Browne – biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  5. "First Time Around: Duncan Browne – The Wild Places". Billboard. 91 (13): 165. 31 March 1979. ISSN 0006-2510.
  6. Duncan Browne – The Wild Places album liner notes
  7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 48. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. "Billboard Top LPs & Tape". Billboard. 9 June 1979. ISSN 0006-2510.
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