Up to No Good
| Up to No Good | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1990 | |||
| Studio | 16th Avenue Sound and Emerald Studios (Nashville, TN); The Bennett House and The Castle (Franklin, TN). | |||
| Genre | Rock, hard rock | |||
| Length | 43:23 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Peter Wolf, Robert White Johnson, Taylor Rhodes | |||
| Peter Wolf chronology | ||||
| ||||
Up to No Good is the third solo album by the American musician Peter Wolf, released in 1990 on MCA Records.[1][2]
Production[edit]
The album was produced by Wolf, Robert White Johnson, and Taylor Rhodes.[3] "Never Let It Go" is about the car crash that killed Wolf's high school girlfriend.[4]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Calgary Herald | C−[5] |
| Robert Christgau |  [6] |
| Los Angeles Times |    [2] |
| Ottawa Citizen | [7] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
The Calgary Herald missed "the juvenile appeal that Wolf lucked into just before he and his J. Geils Band buddies went their separate ways."[5] The Toronto Star wrote that "it's a charming record, a lively and knowledgeable tome that finds its ground somewhere between the Detroit and Philadelphia schools of soul, while standing firm on a harder rock footing."[9]
The Ottawa Citizen labeled some of the songs "classic primal funk with a conscience."[7] The Globe and Mail dismissed the album as "just one more attempt to capitalize on the appealing, but somewhat limited, rockaboogie sound Geils and company milked throughout the seventies."[10]
Track listing[edit]
All songs written by Peter Wolf, Taylor Rhodes and Robert White Johnson, unless noted otherwise.
- "99 Worlds" – 3:35
- "Go Wild" – 3:43
- "When Women Are Lonely" – 3:45
- "Drive All Night" (Wolf, Desmond Child) – 3:42
- "Up to No Good" – 4:33
- "Lost in Babylon" – 3:57
- "Arrows and Chains" – 3:25
- "Daydream Getaway" (Janna Allen, Wolf) – 3:44
- "Shades of Red – Shades of Blue" – 4:07
- "River Runs Dry" – 5:01
- "Never Let It Go" (Wolf, Will Jennings) – 3:57
Personnel[edit]
- Peter Wolf – vocals, backing vocals, harmonica
- Mike Lawler – keyboards
- Alan St. John – keyboards
- Byron House – keyboards, bass
- Taylor Rhodes – keyboards, guitars, percussion, backing vocals
- Johnny Neel – acoustic piano
- Matt Rollings – acoustic piano
- Larry Chaney – guitars
- Jeff Golub – guitars
- Barry Tashian – guitars
- Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass
- Angus Thomas – bass
- Bobby Chouinard – drums
- Robert White Johnson – percussion, backing vocals
- Terry McMillan – harmonica
- Arno Hecht – horns
- Jim Horn – horns
- Sam Levine – horns
- Wayne Jackson – horns
- Vicki Hampton – backing vocals (7, 11)
- Kim Morrison – backing vocals (7, 11)
Technical personnel
- Peter Wolf – producer
- Robert White Johnson – producer
- Taylor Rhodes – producer
- Rob Feaster – engineer, mixing
- Paula Montondo – assistant engineer
- Bob Ludwig – mastering at Masterdisk (New York, NY)
- Manhattan Design – design
- Todd Schorr – cover painting
- Bobby DiMarzo – black and white photography
- Jeff Katz – color photography
Charts[edit]
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Billboard 200[11] | 111 |
References[edit]
- ^ Morse, Steve (25 Feb 1990). "Lone Wolf". The Boston Globe. p. B27.
- ^ a b Hunt, Dennis (29 Apr 1990). "In Brief". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 83.
- ^ Milward, John (19 Apr 1990). "What Is Peter Wolf Up to These Days?". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E1.
- ^ Heim, Chris (9 Mar 1990). "Peter Wolf and Nick Lowe resurface on new labels". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. Q.
- ^ a b Obee, Dave (22 Mar 1990). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. F4.
- ^ "Peter Wolf". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
- ^ a b Erskine, Evelyn (30 Mar 1990). "Peter Wolf Up to No Good". Ottawa Citizen. p. D6.
- ^ (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. p. 885.
- ^ Potter, Mitch (23 Mar 1990). "Peter Wolf Up to No Good". Toronto Star. p. D18.
- ^ Niester, Alan (23 Apr 1990). "Up to No Good Peter Wolf". The Globe and Mail. p. C7.
- ^ "Peter Wolf". Billboard. Retrieved 8 March 2023.