''Strength'' is the second studio album by

The Alarm The Alarm are a Welsh rock band that formed in Rhyl, Wales, in 1981. Initially formed as a punk band, the Toilets, in 1977, under lead vocalist Mike Peters, the band soon embraced arena rock and included marked influences from Welsh languag ...

, released in 1985 on

IRS Records I.R.S. Records was an American record label founded by Miles Copeland III, Jay Boberg, and Carl Grasso in 1979. I.R.S. produced some of the most popular bands of the 1980s, and was particularly known for issuing records by college rock, new wave ...

. The single "Strength" was released before the album, reaching #40 on the UK singles chart. This was followed after the album release by "Spirit of '76", which reached #22 and saw the band on

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...

and in various other TV appearances. "Knife Edge" was the final single from the album to be released, just failing to reach the top 40. The album was initially released on vinyl LP, vinyl picture disc and cassette. As technology improved, a CD version was released. An extended remastered version was released in 2000, with a revised track listing, B-sides and previously unreleased recordings, plus new and original artwork, photos, lyrics, sleeve notes by Mike Peters and interactive programming information to play the album in its original form. ''Alt-Strength'' is a full set of demos that was released as a double-CD set on 12 November 2001. ''Strength 1985-1986'' is a remastered double-CD set featuring the original album, unreleased studio sessions, and 12" mixes issued in 2019.

Track listing

All songs written by Eddie Macdonald and Mike Peters, except "Strength", which was written by

. #"Knife-Edge" - 5:06 #"Strength" - 5:34 #"Dawn Chorus" - 5:24 #"Spirit of '76" - 7:05 #"Deeside" - 3:08 #"Father to Son" - 4:04 #"Only the Thunder" - 4:06 #"The Day the Ravens Left the Tower" - 4:45 #"Absolute Reality" - 3:24 (Not included on UK version of the album) #"Walk Forever by My Side" - 3:32

Remastered release track listing

#"Strength" - 5:34 #"Knife Edge" - 5:09 #"Spirit of '76" - 7:04 #"Walk Forever by My Side" - 3:34 #"Father to Son" - 4:05 #"Deeside" - 3:10 #"Majority" - 3:22 #"One Step Closer to Home" (Electric Version) - 4:28 #"Caroline Isenberg" - 2:41 #"Dawn Chorus" - 5:25 #"Only the Thunder" - 4:42 #"The Day the Ravens Left the Tower" - 4:46 #"Absolute Reality" - 3:31 #"Where Were You When the Storm Broke?" (Live) - 3:30 #"Deeside" (Live) - 3:11 #"

Sixty Eight Guns "Sixty Eight Guns" is a song by Welsh rock band the Alarm that was released as a single in August 1983 and later appeared on the group's debut album '' Declaration'' in February 1984. It was written by Alarm members Mike Peters and Eddie MacDonal ...

" (Live) - 6:59 #"

Knocking on Heaven's Door "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, written for the soundtrack of the 1973 film '' Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid''. Released as a single two months after the film's premiere, it became a worldwide hit, ...

" (Live) - 4:26

Credits

Recorded at Marcus Studios, London, June–July 1985.

Band members

* Mike Peters - vocals * David Sharp - guitars *Eddie MacDonald - bass *Nigel Twist - drums

Additional musician

*Rupert Black - keyboards

Production

Mike Howlett Michael John Gilmour Howlett (born 27 April 1950) is a record producer and teacher based in the United Kingdom and Australia. Career In the late 1960s, Howlett was the bassist in Sydney pop band the Affair, which included vocalist Kerrie Bidde ...

- producer, mixing *Nigel Luby - engineer, mixing

Alt-Strength

''Alt-Strength'' is a double CD that includes demos and warm-up covers from the ''Strength'' recording sessions.

Track listing

Disc 1

Nov. 29th-30th 1984 E-Zee Hire Demos #"Knife Edge" #"Absolute Reality" #"Sons of Divorce" #"One Step Closer to Home" #"Rose Beyond the Wall" #"Steeltown (Deeside)" #"We Are Majority" #"Black Side of Fortune" #"The Day the Ravens Left the Tower" April 4, 1985 Roundhouse, London Jam Session #" Get It On" ( T. Rex cover) #"

Summertime Blues "Summertime Blues" is a song co-written and recorded by American rock artist Eddie Cochran. It was written by Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart. Originally a single B-side, it was released in August 1958 and peaked at number 8 on the ''B ...

" (

Eddie Cochran Ray Edward Cochran (; October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American rock and roll musician. Cochran's songs, such as "Twenty Flight Rock", "Summertime Blues", " C'mon Everybody" and " Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desire ...

cover) #"

Gimme All Your Lovin' "Gimme All Your Lovin'" is a song by ZZ Top from their 1983 album '' Eliminator''. It was released as the album's first single in 1983. Initially unsuccessful in the UK upon its August 1983 release, in the wake of the band's American success (t ...

" (

ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, they comprised vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and vocalist-bassist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sound ...

cover) #"Alarm Alarm" (Toilets/17 cover) #"

Radar Love "Radar Love" is a song by the Dutch rock band Golden Earring. The single version of "Radar Love" reached #10 on the ''Cash Box'' Top 100 and #13 in ''Billboard'' in the United States. It also hit the Top 10 in many countries, including the United ...

" (

Golden Earring Golden Earring (originally known as The Tornados) was a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as The Golden Earrings. They achieved worldwide fame with their international hit songs "Radar Love" in 1973, which went to number one on th ...

cover) #"

Burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur mainl ...

" (

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...

cover) #"

Black Night "Black Night" is a song by British hard rock band Deep Purple, first released as a single in June 1970 and later included on the 25th Anniversary version of their 1970 album, ''Deep Purple in Rock''. It became a hit following its release, pe ...

" (Deep Purple cover) #"

You Can't Always Get What You Want "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones on their 1969 album ''Let It Bleed''. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by ''Rolling Stone'' ...

" (

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 ...

cover) #" Walk on the Wild Side" (

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...

cover) #"Vicious" (Lou Reed cover) #"

All Right Now "All Right Now" is a song by English rock band Free. It originally appeared on the band's third album '' Fire and Water'' (1970), which Free recorded on the Island Records label, formed by Chris Blackwell. Released as the album's second sin ...

" ( Free cover) #"

Communication Breakdown "Communication Breakdown" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, from their 1969 self-titled debut album. It was also used as the B-side of the group's first single in the US, " Good Times Bad Times". A promotional video was released ...

" (

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

cover) #"It's in the Charts" #"Maggie May/Maggie's Farm/Stand Down Margaret" (

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

/ The Beat cover) April 4–10, 1985 Roundhouse Demos/Mixes #"Dawn Chorus" #"Knife Edge"

Disc 2

May 10, 1985: Birmingham Odeon Sound Check #"Give Me Love (Strength)" May 17, 1985 Pluto Studios Recording Sessions #"In the Cold Light of Day" June/July 1985: Main Recording Sessions, Marcus Studios #"River Still to Cross" June 27, 1985 Rough Mixes #"Strength" #"Spirit of '76" #"Deeside" #"For Tomorrow (Father to Son)" #"Majority" #"Absolute Reality" #"One Step Closer to Home" #"Only the Thunder" #"Day the Ravens Left the Tower" #"Walk Forever by My Side" July 15, 1985 Marcus Studios Rough Mixes #"Strength" #"Spirit of '76"

References

{{Authority control 1985 albums The Alarm albums Albums produced by Mike Howlett I.R.S. Records albums