Condition Critical
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2010}}
{{Infobox album|
| name = Condition Critical
| type = studio
| artist = Quiet Riot
| cover = QuietRiotConditionCritical.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|1984|07|16}}{{Cite magazine|date=June 30, 1984|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1984/BB-1984-06-30.pdf|last=Grein|first=Paul|title=Quiet Riot Leads July Barrage|magazine=Billboard|page=4|access-date=May 21, 2025}}
| recorded = 1984
| venue =
| studio = Pasha Music House, North Hollywood, California
| genre = *Heavy metal
| length = 44:02
| label = Pasha
| producer = Spencer Proffer
| prev_title = Metal Health
| prev_year = 1983
| next_title = QR III
| next_year = 1986
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Condition Critical
| type = studio
| single1 = Bad Boy
| single1date = 1984
| single2 = Mama Weer All Crazee Now
| single2date = 1984
| single3 = Sign of the Times
| single3date = 1984
| single4 = Winner Takes All
| single4date = 1984
| single5 = Party All Night
| single5date = 1984
}}
}}
Condition Critical is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Quiet Riot. Released in 1984, it was not nearly as successful as its predecessor (1983's Metal Health) in either fan reaction or sales. However, it did sell over one million copies, peaking at {{abbr|No.|number}} 15 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. Like the band's previous album, Condition Critical features a Slade cover song as the second track. While the previous album included a cover of "Cum On Feel the Noize", this album contains "Mama Weer All Crazee Now".
Tracks "Party All Night" (also known as "Party All Nite") and "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" had music videos made for them, both receiving some airplay on TV. The same man with a metal mask from the last album cover is on this cover as well as many of the band's subsequent album covers, establishing him as the band's mascot. The character also has cameos in both aforementioned music videos.
The track "Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet" shares its title with the original American title to Slade's 1974 album Old New Borrowed and Blue.
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r16007|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]
}}
As stated in the program Behind the Music, frontman Kevin DuBrow's combative attitude towards music journalists and fellow metal musicians – for example, he likened the magazine Hit Parader to toilet paper – was felt by other band members and their producer to have hurt the album's reviews. DuBrow later agreed and expressed regret.Behind the Music: Quiet Riot
In a 2019 interview with BraveWords, drummer Frankie Banali explained a possible reason for the album not being as strong musically as its successful predecessor. "As soon as we got back to Los Angeles after the tour, the label wanted us to go straight back into the studio to record another record – with the old 'strike while the iron is hot' type of mentality. So, we were not well-rested, and we would have been better served had we had time to really take in the previous year and then go in fresh and do another record. But we just didn't have a choice in the matter."{{cite magazine|first=Greg|last=Prato|title=QUIET RIOT'S FRANKIE BANALI TALKS CANCER BATTLE – "IF ANYTHING THAT I CAN SAY CAN HELP EVEN ONE PERSON, THEN IT'S WORTH ME SAYING IT"|magazine=BraveWords|date=December 12, 2019}}
AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave Condition Critical a mixed-to-positive review, stating that he found the band's Slade cover "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" to be the best track on the album given the "solid hook" of its guitar riffs.
Musician reviewer J. D. Considine wrote simply: "Prognosis: Terminal."{{cite magazine|first=J.D.|last=Considine|title=Home by Dawn|magazine=Musician|date=October 1984}}
Commercial performance
The album did not garner the same amount of sales as its predecessor, Metal Health. It reached the No. 15 slot on the Billboard 200.
Track listing
All songs written by Kevin DuBrow, except where noted.
{{tracklist
| title1 = Sign of the Times
| writer1 = {{hlist|DuBrow|Carlos Cavazo}}
| length1 = 5:03
| title2 = Mama Weer All Crazee Now
| note2 = Slade cover
| writer2 = {{hlist|Noddy Holder|Jim Lea}}
| length2 = 3:38
| title3 = Party All Night
| length3 = 3:32
| title4 = Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet
| length4 = 4:38
| title5 = Winners Take All
| length5 = 5:32
| title6 = Condition Critical
| writer6 = {{hlist|DuBrow|Cavazo|Frankie Banali}}
| length6 = 5:02
| title7 = Scream and Shout
| writer7 = {{hlist|DuBrow|Cavazo|Rudy Sarzo}}
| length7 = 4:01
| title8 = Red Alert
| length8 = 4:28
| title9 = Bad Boy
| length9 = 4:21
| title10 = (We Were) Born to Rock
| length10 = 3:34
}}
Personnel
;Quiet Riot
- Kevin DuBrow – lead vocals
- Carlos Cavazo – guitars
- Rudy Sarzo – bass
- Frankie Banali – drums
;Additional personnel
- Chuck Wright – backing vocals
- Randy Bishop – backing vocals
;Production
- Spencer Proffer – producer
- Duane Baron – engineer
- Jay Vigon – art direction, design
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col"| Chart (1984–1985) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}
| align="center"| 47 |
|---|
| {{album chart|Canada|14|chartid=8532|artist= Quiet Riot|album=Condition Critical|rowheader=true|access-date=February 21, 2021}} |
| scope="row"| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts){{cite book|last=Pennanen|first=Timo|title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972|edition=1st|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava|location=Helsinki|year=2006|isbn=978-951-1-21053-5 | language= fi}}
| align="center"| 11 |
| {{album chart|Germany4|42|id=33228|artist= Quiet Riot|album=Condition Critical|rowheader=true|access-date=February 21, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|New Zealand|35|artist= Quiet Riot|album=Condition Critical|rowheader=true|access-date=February 21, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Norway|13|artist= Quiet Riot|album=Condition Critical|rowheader=true|access-date=February 21, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Sweden|18|artist= Quiet Riot|album=Condition Critical|rowheader=true|access-date=February 21, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|71|date=19840729|rowheader=true|access-date=February 21, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|15|artist= Quiet Riot|rowheader=true|access-date=February 21, 2021}} |
Certifications
{{certification Table Top}}
{{certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|artist=Quiet Riot|title= Condition Critical|award=Platinum|relyear=1983|certyear=1986}}
{{certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Quiet Riot|title= Condition Critical |award=Platinum}}
{{certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Quiet Riot}}
{{Authority control}}