Wild Frontier
{{for|the Prodigy song|Wild Frontier (song)}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Wild Frontier
| type = studio
| artist = Gary Moore
| cover = WildFrontier.jpg
| border = yes
| alt =
| caption =
| released = {{start date|1987|3|2|df=y}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = Pop metal
| length = 37:20
| producer = Peter Collins, Pete Smith, James "Jimbo" Barton, Gary Moore
| prev_title = Run for Cover
| prev_year = 1985
| next_title = After the War
| next_year = 1989
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Wild Frontier
| type = studio
| single1 = Over the Hills and Far Away
| single1date = 8 December 1986{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1986/Music-Week-1986-12-06.pdf|title=Music Week|page=40}}
| single2 = Wild Frontier
| single2date = 16 February 1987{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1987/Music-Week-1987-02-14.pdf|title=Music Week|page=13}}
| single3 = Friday on My Mind
| single3date = 27 April 1987{{cite magazine |title=New Singles |magazine=Music Week |date=25 April 1987 |page=13}}
| single4 = The Loner
| single4date = 17 August 1987{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1987/Music-Week-1987-08-15.pdf|title=Music Week|page=39}}
| single5 = Take a Little Time
| single5date = 23 November 1987{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1987/Music-Week-1987-11-21.pdf|title=Music Week|page=49}}
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r13409|first=Eduardo|last=Rivadavia}}
| rev2 =Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal
| rev2Score = 4/10{{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | author-link1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties | publisher = Collector's Guide Publishing | date = 1 November 2005 | location = Burlington, Ontario, Canada | isbn = 978-1-894959-31-5 | page=230}}
| noprose = yes
}}
Wild Frontier is the sixth solo studio album by Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore, released on 2 March 1987.{{cite web|url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/brit-certified/|title=Brit certifications for Gary Moore}} His first studio effort after a 1985 trip back to his native Belfast, Northern Ireland, the album contains several songs about Ireland. The album is dedicated to the memory of Moore's close friend and former Thin Lizzy bandmate Phil Lynott, who died on 4 January 1986, with the words "For Philip" on the rear cover.
Wild Frontier contains the hit single "Over the Hills and Far Away", which reached No. 20 in the UK,{{cite web |url= http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/17602/gary-moore/ |title=Gary Moore Official Charts |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=9 June 2018 }} as well as a cover of the Easybeats' song "Friday on My Mind". The Max Middleton-penned "The Loner" was originally recorded by Cozy Powell for his Over the Top album in 1979 (on which Moore performed, albeit not on Powell's recording of "The Loner"). The track was substantially altered by Moore for his own recording, thus he is credited as a co-writer. The song "Crying in the Shadows", which was released as the B-side of the "Over the Hills and Far Away" single in December 1986 and appears as a bonus track on the CD version of Wild Frontier, was also recorded by Japanese singer Minako Honda, titled "The Cross (Ai No Jujika)", with Moore on guitar.
Gary Moore was joined by The Chieftains on select tracks from this album.{{Cite web |date=1988-03-24 |title=Chieftains, Tops in Irish Folk Music, Celebrate Their Silver Anniversary |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-24-ca-212-story.html |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Wonderlea |first=Harold Mac |last2=published |first2=Christine Rebmann |date=2011-09-15 |title=Gary Moore Discusses His Latest Album, Gear and Phil Lynott in 1987 Guitar World Interview |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/gw-archive/gary-moore-discusses-his-latest-album-gear-and-phil-lynott-1987-guitar-world-interview |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=guitarworld |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Himes |first=Geoffrey |date=1987-08-21 |title=MOORE'S MAGIC ROCK ANTHEMS |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1987/08/21/moores-magic-rock-anthems/f70299ac-dbe5-49a0-a22e-49436e043b4a/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |issn=0190-8286}}
All drums on Wild Frontier are sequenced with a drum machine, which AllMusic described as Moore's "most fatal" decision, leading to a "disappointing" album.{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wild-frontier-mw0000190972 |title=Gary Moore - Wild Frontier Review |last=Rivadavia |first=Eduardo |work=AllMusic
|access-date=October 4, 2021 }}
Covers
"Over the Hills and Far Away" has been covered by the Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish on their 2001 EP of the same title, by Swedish viking metal band Thyrfing on their album Urkraft, and by Patty Gurdy on her Shapes & Patterns EP (2018). The Rockoutstandout reviewer wrote, "Patty Gurdy’s cover with a hurdy gurdy and vocals gives us a completely different take on the song altogether and it works very well. The echo effect on the vocals give this track that well known powerful atmosphere that the original song is able to do. I love this quirky cover and I always feel a sense of warmth when hearing the song."{{cite web| url = https://rockoutstandout.com/2018/06/17/half-way-post-songs-that-have-made-my-year-so-far-pt-1/ | title = Half Way Post: Songs That Have Made My Year So Far (Pt. 1) | date = 17 June 2018 | access-date = 21 July 2020 | website = Rock Out Stand Out | first = Lotty | last = Whittingham }} The Spanish band Saurom also recorded a cover of this song with alternative lyrics, titled "La Disolución de la Comunidad".
Christy Moore recorded a version of Johnny Boy on his 2021 album, Flying Into Mystery and released it as a single in November 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.folkradio.co.uk/2021/11/christy-moore-shares-new-single-johnny-boy/|title = StackPath}} He performed the song live on the Late Late Show, noting his long time admiration for Gary Moore as a musician, and performed it following his receipt of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2021/1119/1262062-christy-moore-brings-tears-and-laughter-to-late-late/|title = Christy Moore brings tears and laughter to Late Late|date = 19 November 2021|last1 = Corr|first1 = Alan|website = RTÉ.ie}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hotpress.com/music/winners-of-the-rte-radio-1-folk-awards-2021-announced-at-powerful-ceremony-in-vicar-street-22881137|title = Winners of the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards 2021 announced at powerful ceremony in Vicar Street}}
Track listing
{{track listing
| headline = Side one
| title1 = Over the Hills and Far Away
| writer1 = Gary Moore
| length1 = 5:20
| title2 = Wild Frontier
| writer2 = Moore
| length2 = 4:14
| title3 = Take a Little Time
| writer3 = Moore
| length3 = 4:05
| title4 = The Loner
| note4 = instrumental, originally recorded by Cozy Powell
| writer4 = Max Middleton, Moore
| length4 = 5:54
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side two
| title5 = Friday on My Mind
| writer5 = George Young, Harry Vanda
| note5 = The Easybeats cover
| length5 = 4:11
| title6 = Strangers in the Darkness
| writer6 = Moore, Neil Carter
| length6 = 4:38
| title7 = Thunder Rising
| writer7 = Moore, Carter
| length7 = 5:43
| title8 = Johnny Boy
| writer8 = Moore
| length8 = 3:15
}}
{{track listing
| headline = CD release
| title1 = Over the Hills and Far Away
| writer1 = Moore
| length1 = 5:20
| title2 = Wild Frontier
| writer2 = Moore
| length2 = 4:14
| title3 = Take a Little Time
| writer3 = Moore
| length3 = 4:05
| title4 = The Loner
| writer4 = Middleton, Moore
| length4 = 5:54
| title5 = Friday on My Mind
| writer5 = Young, Vanda
| length5 = 4:11
| title6 = Strangers in the Darkness
| writer6 = Moore, Carter
| length6 = 4:38
| title7 = Thunder Rising
| writer7 = Moore, Carter
| length7 = 5:43
| title8 = Johnny Boy
| writer8 = Moore
| length8 = 3:15
| title9 = Over the Hills and Far Away
| note9 = 12” version
| writer9 = Moore
| length9 = 7:26
| title10 = Wild Frontier
| note10 = 12” version
| writer10 = Moore
| length10 = 6:38
| title11 = Crying in the Shadows
| writer11 = Moore
| length11 = 5:01
}}
{{track listing
| headline = 2002 remastered CD bonus tracks
| title12 = The Loner
| note12 = Extended mix
| writer12 = Middleton, Moore
| length12 = 7:16
| title13 = Friday on My Mind
| note13 = 12” version
| writer13 = Young, Vanda
| length13 = 6:15
| title14 = Out in the Fields
| note14 = live
| writer14 = Moore
| length14 = 5:28
}}
Note: The 12" version of "Wild Frontier" was track 5 on the 1987 CD release. There was also a double LP edition including some of the CD bonus tracks.{{Citation |title=Gary Moore - Wild Frontier |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/2577727-Gary-Moore-Wild-Frontier |language=en |access-date=2022-04-25}}
Personnel
- Gary Moore – lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, lead and backing vocals, producer on tracks 5, 7, and 8
- Neil Carter – keyboards, backing vocals
- Bob Daisley – bass
- Roland Kerridge – drum programming
- Paddy Moloney – pipes on tracks 1, 7 and 8
- Sean Keane & Martin Fay – fiddle on tracks 1 and 8
;Production
- Peter Collins – producer on tracks 1, 2, 4, 9, 10 and 12
- Pete Smith – producer on tracks 3 and 6
- James "Jimbo" Barton – producer on tracks 5, 7, 8 and 13, engineer on tracks 1 and 2, mixing on tracks 3 and 6
- Chris Porter – engineer on tracks 2 and 4
- Mike Stone – producer on track 11
- Nigel Walker – producer on track 14
- James Barton – mixing on tracks 3 and 6
- Bob Kraushaar – mixing on track 10
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
=Album=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col"| Chart (1987)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{Album chart|Austria|16|artist=Gary Moore|album=Wild Frontier|rowheader=true|access-date=22 June 2018}} |
| {{Album chart|Netherlands|13|artist=Gary Moore|album=Wild Frontier|rowheader=true|access-date=22 June 2018}} |
| scope="row"|Finnish Albums Chart{{cite web| url=http://suomenlistalevyt.blogspot.fi/2015/08/mok-moy.html
| title= Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1961: MOK - MOY > Garu Moore| publisher= Sisältää hitin / Timo Pennanen| access-date=9 June 2018}} | align="center"|1 |
| {{Album chart|Germany4|9|artist=Gary Moore|album=Wild Frontier|id=518|rowheader=true|access-date=22 June 2018}} |
| {{Album chart|New Zealand|11|artist=Gary Moore|album=Wild Frontier|rowheader=true|access-date=22 June 2018}} |
| {{Album chart|Norway|1|artist=Gary Moore|album=Wild Frontier|rowheader=true|access-date=22 June 2018}} |
| scope="row"|Spanish Albums Chart{{cite book |last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st|date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=978-84-8048-639-2}}
| align="center"|2 |
| {{Album chart|Sweden|2|artist=Gary Moore|album=Wild Frontier|rowheader=true|access-date=22 June 2018}} |
| {{Album chart|Switzerland|7|artist=Gary Moore|album=Wild Frontier|rowheader=true|access-date=22 June 2018}} |
| {{Album chart|UK2|8|artist=Gary Moore|album=Wild Frontier|date=19870308|rowheader=true|access-date=22 June 2018}} |
| {{Album chart|Billboard200|139|artist=Gary Moore|album=Wild Frontier|refname="US"|rowheader=true|access-date=22 June 2018}} |
{{col-break}}
=Singles=
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Sales certifications for Wild Frontier}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|relyear=1987|region=Finland|award=Gold|salesamount=42,791|artist=Gary Moore|title=Wild Frontier|access-date=24 August 2020}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|relyear=1987|region=Norway|award=Gold|salesamount=50,000|certref={{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1987/M&M-1987-12-26.pdf|title=Gold & Platinum Awards 1987|publisher=worldradiohistory.com|work=Music and Media|date=26 December 1987|page=44|access-date=24 August 2020}}|salesref=}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|relyear=1987|region=Sweden|award=Platinum|certyear=1987|artist=Gary Moore|title=Wild Frontier|access-date=24 August 2020}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|relyear=1987|region=United Kingdom|award=Silver|artist=Gary Moore|title=Wild Frontier|certyear=1987|id=8265-3510-2|access-date=24 August 2020}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Gary Moore}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Virgin Records albums