Robert Ian McNabb is an English singer-songwriter and musician from Liverpool, England. Although known best for his work as leader and songwriter-in-chief of The Icicle Works in the 1980s, he has also led a critically acclaimed solo career. This article documents his solo releases, followed by a more detailed description of a selection of his releases.

Albums

Side albums

* ''

Waifs and Strays ''Waifs and Strays'' is a short story collection by O. Henry, released posthumously in 1917. It was published by Doubleday, Page & Company Doubleday is an American publishing company. It was founded as the Doubleday & McClure Company in ...

'' (2001) * '' Boots'' (2003) * '' People Don't Stop Believin (2005) * ''

Krugerrands The Krugerrand (; ) is a South African coin, first minted on 3 July 1967 to help market South African gold and produced by Rand Refinery and the South African Mint. The name is a compound of ''Paul Kruger'', the former President of the South Af ...

'' (2015) * '' Respectfully Yours'' (2016)

Compilation albums

* '' My Own Way: The Words & Music of Ian McNabb'' (1997) * '' Potency: The Best of Ian McNabb'' (2004)

Live albums

* '' Live at Life'' (2000) * '' How We Live: At the Philharmonic'' (2007)

Singles

Promotional singles

* ″Still Got the Fever″ from the album ''

Head Like a Rock ''Head Like a Rock'' is a 1994 concept album released on 4 July 1994. by Ian McNabb. The album was nominated for the 1994 Mercury Music Prize and was McNabb's second solo album. The album was recorded in Los Angeles with the backing band Crazy H ...

'' (Autumn 1993) * ″Livin' Proof (Miracles Can Happen)″ from the album '' Ian McNabb'' (April 2001) * ″New Light″ from the album '' Great Things'' (released digitally on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

) (2009) * ″She Don't Let Nobody″, later included on the album '' Eclectic Warrior'' (2011)

Other appearances

Songs

* ″Slough″ from ''Words/Music – Sir John Betjeman and Mike Read'' (2006) * ″Working Class Hero″ (cover of a John Lennon song) from the Dutch CD ''Het beste uit 10 jaar 2 meter sessies'' (1997) * ″Woman″ (cover of a John Lennon song) from ''

Liverpool – The Number Ones Album This compilation album is part of "The Number One Project", a music based charity event in Liverpool, to mark its status as European Capital of Culture for 2008. The city delivered 56 number one singles for the UK charts. On this album 21 of the ...

'' (2008) * ″Music Is Love″ (cover of a David Crosby song) from the free CD with the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of ''Maverick'' magazine * ″All I've Got to Do″ (cover of a

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

song) from the free CD with the August 2013 issue of ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...

'' magazine with Thomas McConnell

Albums

* ''Space Flower'' with

The Wild Swans The Wild Swans (Danish: ''De vilde svaner'') is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a princess who rescues her 11 brothers from a spell cast by an evil queen. The tale was first published on 2 October 1838 in Andersen's '' ...

(Guitar and Backing Vocals) * ''

Cloudcuckooland Cloud cuckoo land is a state of absurdly, over-optimistic fantasy or an unrealistically idealistic state of mind where everything appears to be perfect. Someone who is said to "live in cloud cuckoo land" is a person who thinks that things that ...

'', ''

Sense A sense is a biological system used by an organism for sensation, the process of gathering information about the world through the detection of Stimulus (physiology), stimuli. (For example, in the human body, the brain which is part of the cen ...

'', and '' Jollification'' with The Lightning Seeds (Backing vocals, Co-writer of Sense and Jollification). (1990–1994) * ''The Journey'' (2005) with

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

(Guitar only) * ''Songs for Everyday Use'' (2006) with Gary Cooke. (Guitar only) * Ian was part of the short lived ensemble band ''Sandhill Mob'' (2010) * ''Hold On (Charity single for Alder Hay children's hospital)'' (2012) (Guitar and Backing Vocals) * ''Rude Beggar ''(2014) with Nash Albert. (Producer (with Ciaron Bell), Guitar, Backing Vocals) * ''Our Friend'' (Charity single as part of ensemble, released in support of 'Statue 4 Eppy') (2015)

Featured works

″I'm Game″

"I'm Game" is the fourth single released by McNabb after disbanding the Icicle Works. The song was the first to be released after publication of his first album '' Truth and Beauty'', rather than to promote it. It failed to chart.

Track listing

;7" Vinyl # ″I'm Game″ (4:32) # ″A Pirate Looks At Forty″ (4:09) ;CD # ″I'm Game″ (4:32) # ″What's It All About?″ (4:25) # ″A Pirate Looks At Forty″ (4:09)

″(I Go) My Own Way″

"(I Go) My Own Way" is the fifth single released by McNabb after disbanding the Icicle Works. The song was the last to be released from McNabb's first album '' Truth and Beauty''. It failed to chart.

Track listings

;7" Vinyl and Cassette # ″(I Go) My Own Way″ (5:20) # ″Play The Hand They Deal You″ (5:38) ;CD and 10" Vinyl # ″(I Go) My Own Way″ (5:20) # ″Play The Hand They Deal You″ (5:38) # ″If My Daddy Could See Me Now″ (3:06) # ″For You, Angel″ (7:46)

″Little Princess″

"Little Princess" is the tenth single released by McNabb after disbanding the Icicle Works. The song was the sole single release from the album '' A Party Political Broadcast on Behalf of the Emotional Party''. The single failed to chart on the official UK charts.

Critical reception

Paul Cole of the '' Birmingham Evening Mail'' called ″Little Princess″ "the single the fans asked for", saying, "rarely has McNabb been in better vocal form".

Track listings

# ″Little Princess″ (3:46) # ″Beautiful Old Mystery″ (demo March 95) (4:15) # ″Loveless Age″ (demo October 96) (4:17) # ″Out of Season″ (June 98) (5:22)

''Live at Life''

''Live at Life'' is McNabb's first live album. It was recorded from a pair of Christmas gigs at the Voodoo Room, Life Cafe, Liverpool in 1999, from which the album got its title. McNabb said he "couldn't resist doing a live album at a place called Life as eknew the title was brilliant". The album included one newly written track, "Why Are the Beautiful So Sad".

Critical reception

Rudyard Kennedy, writing for allmusic.com said the album was "a well-thought-out, well-produced niche product" but that "featuring no hits and lacking the raw energy one normally associates with a live release – is probably the least-essential item in McNabb's catalog. Which is not to say that ''Live at Life'' is a bad album – just a curious one to put into general release".

Track listing

# ″Hollow Horse″ :42# ″Sex With Someone You Love″ :18# ″Great Dreams of Heaven″ :54# ″Permanent Damage″ :20# ″Little Girl Lost″ :15# ″I'm a Genius″ :13# ″One True Love″ :44# ″Why Are The Beautiful So Sad?″ :12# ″When It All Comes Down″ :10# ″A Guy Like Me (And A Girl Like You)″ :51# ″Fire Inside My Soul″ :18# ″What She Did to My Mind″ :41# ″Merseybeast″ :02# ″Camaraderie″ :31# ″Reaping The Rich Harvest″ :25

''Potency: The Best of Ian McNabb''

''Potency: The Best of Ian McNabb'' is McNabb's second "Greatest Hits"-style compilation album. It came in a two-CD package along with ''Potency+'', a compilation of "B-sides, remixes and rarities", according to the cover notes.

Critical reception

The magazine '' Uncut'' commented, "As ''Potency'' proves, over more than a decade an McNabb hasbeen making quality pop characterised by lyrical maturity and an old-fashioned respect for melody", but gave the album a low rating of 3/10.

Track listing

; ''Potency'' (Disc 1) # ″Liverpool Girl″ # ″Camaraderie″ # ″Livin' Proof (Miracles Can Happen)″ # ″All Things To Everyone″ # ″Great Dreams Of Heaven″ # ″Potency″ # ″If Love Was Like Guitars″ # ″Man Who Can Make A Woman Laugh″ # ″You Must Be Prepared To Dream″ # ″German Soldier's Helmet Circa 1943″ # ″You Stone My Soul″ # ″I'm A Genius″ # ″Friend Of My Enemy″ # ″Lady By Degrees″ # ″Merseybeast″ ;''Potency+'' (Disc 2) # ″Play The Hand They Deal You″ # ″I Go My Own Way″ # ″If My Daddy Could See Me Now″ # ″For You Angel″ # ″Time You Were In Love″ # ″Don't Patronize Me″ # ″Trams In Amsterdam″ # ″Woo Yer″ # ″Salt Of The Earth″ # ″Great Dreams Of Heaven″ # ″Rock″ # ″Sometimes I Think About You″ # ″What's It All About″ # ″Slider″ # ″Go Into The Light (celestial dub mix)″

''Boots''

''Boots'' is an album of previously unreleased archival material recorded between 1991 and 2000. The title refers to both McNabb's nickname (after his penchant for wearing

-style boots in the mid-80s while with The Icicle Works) and the "official bootleg" nature of the release. The double disc set includes some radio performances, demos and alternative versions. It was available by mail only and limited to 1000, copies each numbered on the spine. According to McNabb, the album is "very rare". The cover was designed by Ged Doyle at Plast-c.

Critical reception

Jerry Ewing reviewed ''Boots'' in the magazine ''

Classic Rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...

'', saying it was "a double CD full of rarities and out-takes from across McNabb's excellent solo career". He concluded by saying it "is sad that ''Boots'' is available only from ..McNabb's website".

Track listing

;Disc 1 # ″Merseybeast″ (demo w/original lyrics-March '95) :59# ″Friend of My Enemy″ (demo-October '96) :07# ″Beautiful Old Mystery″ (demo-March '95) :13# ″You Must Be Prepared To Dream″ (acoustic radio session w/Crazy Horse-June '94) :26# ″Sing″ (demo-March '95) :42# ″You Only Get What You Deserve″ (demo-March '95) :33# ″Liverpool Girl″ (demo w/original lyrics-October '96) :49# ″Love's Young Dream″ (demo-March '95) :28# ″Hollywood Tears″ (alternative vocal version-March '00) :10# ″Rollin' On (The Things We Gave Away)″ (demo-February '99) :41# ″Livin' Proof (Miracles Can Happen)″ (live-December '99) :20# ″Glory Be″ (demo-October '96) :16 ;Disc 2 # ″Heydays″ (demo-March '95) :44# ″Right on Time″ (demo-October '96) :58# ″Growing Younger″ (demo-March '95) :17# ″May You Always″ (home demo-August '93) :01# ″Somebody Tell Rebecca″ (outtake-September '01) :15# ″Something Wonderful″ (demo-January '00) :44# ″These Are The Days″ (acoustic radio session w/Crazy Horse-June '94) :38# ″Love, Where Are You?″ (demo-March '95) :33# ″Sometimes I Think About You″ (live-November '93) :01# ″Don't Patronize Me″ (demo-March '95) :16# ″Available Light″ (demo-March '95) :23# ″Won't Get Fooled Again″ (outtake-April '91) :31

''Krugerrands''

''Krugerrands'' is an album primarily containing re-recordings of previously released tracks that, according to McNabb "were either previously stripped to basics for their original recordings or done using drum machines and other such toys". The album was released on 3 August 2015, after having been made available for pre-order on McNabb's website in June. The album was a limited release of 1000 copies, and also included a cover of the

Sly Fox ''Sly Fox'' is a comedic play by Larry Gelbart, based on Ben Jonson's ''Volpone'' (''The Fox''), updating the setting from Renaissance Venice to 19th century San Francisco, and changing the tone from satire to farce. The play revolves around the ...

song " Let's Go All the Way" and two versions of a new track, "Gravy". The album was a collaboration with Liverpudlian band Cold Shoulder, as was the previous album '' Eclectic Warrior''. According to McNabb's liner notes for the album, it is an attempt to improve on "a bunch of tunes from iscatalogue efelt, although not uhappy with in their previous incarnations, had a lot of room to grow".

Track listing

# ″Gravy (Intro)″ :49 # ″Hurricane Elaine″ :03- Originally released on '' The Gentleman Adventurer'' # ″Rider (The Heartless Mare)″ :53- Originally released on '' Before All of This'' # ″All About A Woman″ :09- Originally released on '' Great Things'' # ″Gulf Coast Rockin'″ :46- Originally released on '' The Gentleman Adventurer'' # ″A Guy Like Me (And A Girl Like You)″ :12- Originally released on '' A Party Political Broadcast on Behalf of the Emotional Party'' # ″Little Princess″ :40- Originally released on '' A Party Political Broadcast on Behalf of the Emotional Party'' # ″High On a Hill″ :32- Originally released on '' Little Episodes'' # ″Let's Go All The Way″ :08- Cover version of the

song '' Let's Go All the Way'' # ″Ain't No Way To Behave″ :42- Originally released on '' The Gentleman Adventurer'' # ″Misty Meadows″ :07- Originally released on ''

'' # ″Believer Of Me″ :16- Originally released as a live track on '' How We Live: At the Philharmonic'' # ″Stood Before St. Peter″ :08- Originally released on The Icicle Works' album '' Blind'' # ″Gravy″ :10

''Respectfully Yours''

''Respectfully Yours'' is an album comprising songs originally recorded by other artists; it was McNabb's first covers album.

Track listing

# ″Changes″ - a

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...

# ″Pocahontas″ - a

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...

# ″Run To Me″ - a

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...

# ″Baltimore″ - a

Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early Americana (music), Americana-influenced songs (often ...

song, from the album ''

Little Criminals ''Little Criminals'' is a 1977 album by Randy Newman. Like most of Newman's work, the album eschews traditional pop-music themes ("I'll Be Home" is the only love song on the album) in favor of musical story-telling, often featuring quirky chara ...

'' # ″Life On Mars?″ - a

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

# ″The Killing Moon″ - an Echo & the Bunnymen

# ″Montague Terrace In Blue″ - a Scott Walker song, from the album ''

Scott Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Saska ...

'' # ″Memory Motel″ - a

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

# ″The Crystal Ship″ - a Doors

# ″Time Ain't Nothin'″ - a

Green on Red Green on Red was an American rock band, formed in the Tucson, Arizona punk scene, but based for most of its career in Los Angeles, California, where it was loosely associated with the Paisley Underground. Earlier records have the wide-screen psy ...

song, from the album ''No Free Lunch''

References

{{Ian McNabb, state=expanded Alternative rock discographies Discographies of British artists