''Close Up'' is the second and final studio album by English punk band
the Outsiders, which would later evolve into
the Sound. It was released in 1978 by record label Raw Edge.
Background
In the liner notes of the 2012 reissue of the album, the musical style of ''Close Up'' was described: "Gone were the acoustic guitars and lengthy solos, replaced by urgency, stabbing riffs and a full-on, hard-edged punk/
new wave sound".
[2012 reissue liner notes.]
Track listing
; Side A
# "Vital Hours"
# "Observations"
# "Fixed Up"
# "Touch and Go"
# "White Debt"
# "Count for Something"
; Side B
# "Out of Place"
# "Keep the Pain Inside"
# "Face to Face"
# "Semi-Detached Life"
# "Conspiracy of War"
Critical reception
''Close Up'' received a lukewarm response from critics, who were more enthusiastically about it than the band's previous album, ''
Calling on Youth''. ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' reviewer John Hamblett assessed the album as "patchy, but promising", calling the Outsiders "a band with a future".
, on the other hand, reviewing for the same magazine, described it as "tuneless, gormless, gutless".
Personnel
*
Adrian Borland – vocals, guitar
* Jan (Adrian Janes) – drums, vocals
* Bob Lawrence – bass guitar
* Graham Green – bass guitar
; Technical
* Gary Lucas –
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
* June Oliver – sleeve photography
References
External links
Liner notes for the 2012 reissue of the album*
{{Authority control
1978 albums
The Outsiders (British band) albums