| One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back | |
| Type: | Studio |
| Artist: | The Darkness |
| Cover: | OneWayTicketToHellAndBack.jpg |
| Released: | 28 November 2005 |
| Recorded: | 2005 |
| Genre: | Hard rock, glam rock |
| Length: | 35:04 |
| Label: | Atlantic |
| Producer: | Roy Thomas Baker |
| Prev Title: | Permission to Land |
| Prev Year: | 2003 |
| Next Title: | Hot Cakes |
| Next Year: | 2012 |
One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back is the second studio album by the British rock band The Darkness. It was released on 28 November 2005 through Atlantic Records, reaching number 11 on the UK Album Chart and eventually attaining platinum status in the UK. Three singles were released from the album. The lead single, "One Way Ticket", reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart, as did the second single "Is It Just Me?"
The album was produced by Roy Thomas Baker, best known for his work with Queen, a major influence on The Darkness. Bassist Frankie Poullain left the band during the early stages of production on the album, with most bass parts on the album played by Dan Hawkins. Poullain has said that "Hazel Eyes" is his favourite track on the record, citing, "I defy anyone after a couple of beverages to listen to "Hazel Eyes" standing up and NOT get the Michael Flatleys." Poullain was already familiar with six of the ten songs on the album, playing "Hazel Eyes", "Dinner Lady Arms", "Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time" and "English Country Garden" on tour with the band before his departure. He also co-wrote four of the tracks featured on the album. The working title for the album was The Painstaking.
Reviews for the album were mixed. Q magazine proclaimed it the 22nd best album of 2005. However Planet Sound remarked how it was the "world's most expensive penis joke", regarding the costly delay of the album, and hyper-masculine themes throughout. In an interview with The Sun, Dan said that it cost £1 million to make.
| Peak position | |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[1] | 43 |
|---|---|
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[2] | 31 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[3] | 20 |