Condition Critical
| Condition Critical | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Quiet Riot | ||||
| Released | July 27, 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal, glam metal | |||
| Length | 44:02 | |||
| Label | Pasha | |||
| Producer | Spencer Proffer | |||
| Quiet Riot chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
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. It was also given an infamous two-word review in Rolling Stone magazine: "Condition terminal."[2] However, it did sell over three million copies, peaking at #15 on the US Billboard album chart. Like the band's previous album, Condition Critical features a Slade cover song as the second track.
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 face 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 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.
Track listing
All songs written by Kevin DuBrow, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sign of the Times" |
|
5:03 |
| 2. | "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" (Slade cover) | 3:38 | |
| 3. | "Party All Night" | 3:32 | |
| 4. | "Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet" | 4:38 | |
| 5. | "Winners Take All" | 5:32 | |
| 6. | "Condition Critical" |
|
5:02 |
| 7. | "Scream and Shout" |
|
4:01 |
| 8. | "Red Alert" | 4:28 | |
| 9. | "Bad Boy" | 4:21 | |
| 10. | "(We Were) Born to Rock" | 3:34 |
2012 Remaster Version Bonus Tracks
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Mamma Weer All Crazee Now [Live Version '84]" (Bonus track) |
|
|
| 12. | "Cum On Feel the Noize [Live Version '84]" (Bonus track) |
|
|
| 13. | "Party All Night [Live Version '84]" (Bonus track) | ||
| 14. | "Condition Critical [Live Version '84]" (Bonus track) |
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[3] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[4] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^shipments figures based on certification alone | ||
Chart performance
| Chart (1984) | Peak position | Total weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart[5] | 14 | 18 |
| German Albums Chart[6] | 42 | ? |
| New Zealand Albums Chart[7] | 35 | 3 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart[8] | 13 | 6 |
| Swedish Albums Chart[9] | 18 | 4 |
| UK Albums Chart[10] | 71 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard 200[11] | 15 | 15 |
Personnel
Quiet Riot
Production
Reviews and responses
As stated in the program Behind the Music, the other band members besides DuBrow considered the album relatively strong but thought that the frontman's nasty, combative attitude towards many music journalists as well as fellow heavy metal musicians (such as DuBrow labeling the magazine Hit Parader as akin to toilet paper) hurt their reviews. Their producer felt the same way. DuBrow in later interviews has agreed and expressed regrets.[12]
Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave Condition Critical a mixed to positive review, stating that he found the band's Slade cover to be the best track on the album given the "solid hook" of its guitar riffs.[1]
Although not meeting the same level of sales as its acclaimed predecessor, the album received considerable commercial success. It notably hit the #15 slot on the Billboard 200 as stated before.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Allmusic review
- ↑ Glam Racket: Quiet Riot-Live At Memorial Auditorium, Burlington Iowa, 1983
- ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Quiet Riot – Metal Heath". Music Canada.
- ↑ "American album certifications – Quiet Riot – Metal Health". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
- ↑ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca
- ↑ "Charts-Surfer". Charts-surfer.de. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
- ↑ Steffen Hung. "New Zealand charts portal". charts.org.nz. Archived from the original on 2008-05-08. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
- ↑ Steffen Hung (2006-06-15). "Norwegian charts portal". norwegiancharts.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
- ↑ Steffen Hung (2012-02-03). "Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
- ↑ "UK Singles & Albums Chart Archive". Chart Stats. Archived from the original on 2012-08-25. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
- ↑ "Music News, Reviews, Articles, Information, News Online & Free Music". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
- ↑ Behind the Music: Quiet Riot