''Wilder'' is the second album by neo-psychedelic

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

band

The Teardrop Explodes The Teardrop Explodes were an English post-punk/neo-psychedelic band formed in Liverpool in 1978. Best known for their Top Ten UK single "Reward", the group originated as a key band in the emerging Liverpool post-punk scene of the late 1970s. T ...

, and the final completed album released by the group. In 2000 former Teardrop Explodes leader

Julian Cope Julian David Cope (born 21 October 1957) is an English musician and author. He was the singer and songwriter in Liverpool post-punk band the Teardrop Explodes and has followed a solo career since 1983 in addition to working on musical side proj ...

gave his blessings to re-release ''Wilder'' with a selection of bonus tracks, mainly single

b-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

s, plus original artwork, a remastered sound, and full lyrics and essays.

Background

''Wilder'' was recorded following a turbulent period in the band's career involving the success of their debut album ''

Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: above sea level and ab ...

'', several line-up changes and a fraught, drug-fuelled American tour. For ''Wilder'', the group's leader and principal songwriter

developed his songwriting by using many experimental approaches. ''Wilder'' featured a far greater use of synthesizer arrangements and loop experiments than ''Kilimanjaro'', predominantly at the instigation of keyboard player

David Balfe David Balfe (born 1958 in Carlisle, Cumberland) is a musician and record company executive, most notable for playing keyboards with the Teardrop Explodes, founding the Zoo and Food independent record labels, signing Blur and for being the subj ...

(who acted as Cope's principal creative collaborator in the studio). By now Cope had mostly abandoned his role as the group's bass player (with many tracks on the record featuring session bassist James Eller) and shared some of the guitarist role with Troy Tate, as well as dabbling in piano and organ. Some tracks featured a full group sound as featured on ''Kilimanjaro'' (most notably "Passionate Friend", the only single release and album track to feature the band's ill-fated US touring members Alfie Agius and Jeff Hammer) but in general the album broke away from the West Coast/beat group sound of the debut as well as having a noticeably more downbeat and troubled atmosphere. Some ''Wilder'' tracks featured little or no guitar, avoided the standard drumkit or set Cope's voice against solo synthesizer only.Julian Cope, ''Head On'' While these approaches resulted in an album of diverse styles and revealed that

was a far more flexible band than previous releases had suggested, it also lost the group many of the fans of the more straightforward ''

''. Although the single "Passionate Friend" charted reasonably, the album failed commercially. The band released one further EP, "You Disappear From View", which was added to the 2000 reissue of ''Wilder'' (following a previous release on '' Everybody Wants To Shag ... The Teardrop Explodes'', the band's posthumous release of post-''Wilder'' demos and late tracks).

Track listing

Original track listing (1981)

CD Re-issue bonus tracks (2000)

CD Re-issue bonus disc (2013)

Personnel

;The Teardrop Explodes *

- vocals, guitars, bass guitar, piano, organ *

Troy Tate Troy Tate is an English musician and record producer who was a member of several bands including The Teardrop Explodes and Fashion as well as working as a solo artist, for which he is best known for the single "Love Is ..." Biography Born in Liv ...

- guitars *

- keyboards, synthesizers, loops (except on "Passionate Friend") *

Gary Dwyer The Teardrop Explodes were an English post-punk/neo-psychedelic band formed in Liverpool in 1978. Best known for their Top Ten UK single " Reward", the group originated as a key band in the emerging Liverpool post-punk scene of the late 1970s. ...

- drums with: *Alfie Agius - bass guitar on "Passionate Friend" *Jeff Hammer - keyboards on "Passionate Friend" *James Eller - bass guitar *Luke Tunney, Ted Emmett - trumpets *

Clive Langer Clive Langer (born 19 June 1954 in Hampstead, London, England) is an English record producer and songwriter, active from the mid-1970s onwards. He usually works with Alan Winstanley. He composed the music for the films ''Still Crazy'' and ''Br ...

- additional guitar *Garrish Mashindi - backing vocals on "Like Leila Khaled Said" ;Technical *Colin Fairley - engineer *

Martin Atkins Martin Clive Atkins (born 3 August 1959) is an English drummer and session musician, best known for his work in post-punk and industrial groups including Public Image Ltd, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface, and Killing Joke. He also works as ...

- artwork *Chalkie Davies - photography

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1981 albums The Teardrop Explodes albums Albums produced by Clive Langer Fontana Records albums