Geordie in Wonderland (album) explained

Geordie in Wonderland
Type:live
Artist:The Wildhearts
Cover:Wildhearts Geordie.jpg
Recorded:17 September 2005
Venue:Scarborough Castle
(Scarborough, England)
Length:64:02
Label:Secret
Producer:Roger Lomas
Prev Title:The Wildhearts Strike Back
Prev Year:2004
Next Title:The Wildhearts
Next Year:2007

Geordie in Wonderland is a live album by British rock band The Wildhearts. Recorded on 17 September 2005 at Scarborough Castle in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, it was produced by Roger Lomas and released on 24 July 2006 by Secret Records. The album reached number 34 on the UK Independent Albums Chart. A corresponding video album was released under the title Live at Scarborough Castle on 23 October 2006, which reached number 42 on the UK Music Video Chart.

Background

In the summer of 2005, the 1993–1994 lineup of the Wildhearts (Ginger Wildheart, C. J. Wildheart, Danny McCormack and Ritch Battersby) reformed for a one-off performance at In the Castle, a festival held at Scarborough Castle in Scarborough, North Yorkshire on 17 September 2005.[1] The band's full 15-song performance was documented on the album Geordie in Wonderland released by Secret Records on 24 July 2006, followed by the corresponding Secret Films video Live at Scarborough Castle on 23 October 2006.[2] In 2014, Secret reissued the album and video together as a CD+DVD set entitled Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know.[3] The album was also issued on vinyl for the first time in 2018 under the title Best of Live, with "Nita Nitro", "Everlone", "My Baby Is a Headfuck" and "Love You Til I Don't" removed.[4]

Reception

Commercial

Geordie in Wonderland reached number 34 on the UK Independent Albums Chart and Live at Scarborough Castle reached number 42 on the UK Music Videos Chart.[5]

Critical

Geordie in Wonderland received mixed reviews from critics. In a 3.5-star review for AllMusic, Greg Prato claimed that "The set does a fine job of capturing the group's powerful yet sleazy hard rock ... Geordie in Wonderland doesn't disappoint". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles writer Mark Gromen awarded the album a rating of 7 out of 10, writing that "Nearly half the 15 songs are culled from their stellar Earth vs the Wildhearts debut, delivered in a pseudo-sloppy, rapid-fire rockabilly-meets-punk manner", suggesting that Ginger Wildheart's vocal performance on the album is "hoarse-voiced [and] off-kilter".[3]

Personnel

The Wildhearts

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (2006)!scope="col"
Peak
position
Geordie in Wonderland
UK Independent Albums (OCC)34
Live at Scarborough Castle
UK Music Videos (OCC)42

Notes and References

  1. News: Original Lineup Of The Wildhearts To Headline U.K.'s In The Castle Festival . . 9 July 2005 . 18 March 2024 .
  2. Web site: Discography . . 18 March 2024 .
  3. Web site: The Wildhearts – Mad, Bad And Dangerous To Know . Gromen . Mark . . 11 June 2014 . 18 March 2024 .
  4. Best of Live . . 2018 . . 18 March 2024 .
  5. Web site: Wildhearts songs and albums: full Official Chart history . . 18 March 2024 .