U.K. (album)

U.K. is the debut album by the progressive rock supergroup U.K., released in May 1978 through E.G. Records and Polydor Records. It features John Wetton, Eddie Jobson, Bill Bruford, and Allan Holdsworth. "In the Dead of Night" and "Mental Medication" were both edited for single release. The album was well received by FM album rock radio and by the public during the summer of 1978. The LP sold just over 250,000 copies by 1 September 1978, with further sales through the rest of the year. The album was remastered in 2016 and included as part of the box-set "Ultimate Collector's Edition".[5]

U.K.
Studio album by
U.K.
ReleasedMarch 1978 (1978-03)
RecordedDecember 1977 – January 1978
StudioTrident Studios, London, England[1]
GenreProgressive rock, jazz fusion
Length46:30[2]
LabelE.G.
ProducerU.K.
U.K. chronology
U.K.
(1978)		 Danger Money
(1979)
Singles from U.K.
  1. "In The Dead of Night"
    Released: 19 May 1978[3]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[4]

Writing

"Alaska" was written by Eddie Jobson for the Yamaha CS-80.[6] The first three tracks belong to a suite entitled "In the Dead of Night", which began as a chord sequence by Jobson, to which Wetton added the melody and lyrics.[6] "In the Dead of Night" and "Thirty Years" were both written before Bruford and Holdsworth agreed to join the band.[7]

Legacy

In 2015, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it as the 30th best progressive rock album of all time.

In an interview with the TeamRock site in 2016, Ty Tabor of King's X selected the album as his top pick in a "5 Essential Guitar Albums" list, stating, "I had never heard anybody think about playing guitar the way that [Holdsworth] plays on that record."[8]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."In the Dead of Night"Eddie Jobson, John Wetton5:38
2."By the Light of Day"Jobson, Wetton4:32
3."Presto Vivace and Reprise"Jobson, Wetton2:58
4."Thirty Years"Wetton, Jobson, Bill Bruford8:05
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Alaska"Jobson4:45
2."Time to Kill"Jobson, Wetton, Bruford4:55
3."Nevermore"Allan Holdsworth, Jobson, Wetton8:09
4."Mental Medication"Holdsworth, Bruford, Jobson7:26[nb 1]

Personnel
U.K.
Production

Singles
  • "In the Dead of Night" / "Mental Medication"

References
Notes
  1. Duration incorrectly listed as 6:12 on original LP pressings of the album.
References
  1. "allmusic ((( U.K. > Overview )))". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
  2. https://www.amazon.com/U-K/dp/B000TEPE5S/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1529835270&sr=1-1-mp3-albums-bar-strip-0&keywords=uk
  3. http://www.45cat.com/record/2001783
  4. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: U". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 17, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  5. Kelman, John (25 September 2016). "U.K.: Ultimate Collectors' Edition". All About Jazz. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  6. Curtiss, Ron; Weiner, Aaron (June 3, 2016). "John Wetton (King Crimson, U.K., Asia): The Complete Boffomundo Interview". YouTube. Retrieved 3 March 2019. Event occurs at 7:30-8:30.
  7. Curtiss, Ron; Weiner, Aaron (June 3, 2016). "John Wetton (King Crimson, U.K., Asia): The Complete Boffomundo Interview". YouTube. Retrieved 3 March 2019. Event occurs at 15:15-16:15.
  8. Prato, Greg (November 22, 2016). "Kings X's Ty Tabor: 5 Essential Guitar Albums". Louder. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
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