View source for Steeltown

{{about|the 1984 album by Big Country|the city nicknamed "Steeltown"|Hamilton, Ontario|other uses|Steel Town (disambiguation){{!}}Steel Town}}
{{distinguish|Steel City|Steelville|Steelton}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Steeltown
| type       = Studio album
| artist     = [[Big Country]]
| cover      = Big_Country_-_Steeltown.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = 19 October 1984
| recorded   = March–July 1984
| studio = [[Polar Studios]] (Stockholm) <br> [[RAK Studios]] (London)
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Alternative rock]], [[New wave music|new wave]], [[Celtic rock]]
| length     = 47:54
| label      = [[Mercury Records|Mercury]]
| producer   = [[Steve Lillywhite]]
| prev_title = [[The Crossing (Big Country album)|The Crossing]]
| prev_year  = 1983
| next_title = [[The Seer (Big Country album)|The Seer]]
| next_year  = 1986
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Steeltown
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[East of Eden (Big Country song)|East of Eden]] 
 | single1date = 21 September 1984
 | single2     = [[Where the Rose Is Sown]]
 | single2date = 16 November 1984<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bigcountryinfo.com/releases/s_wtris.htm|title=Singles|website=Bigcountryinfo.com}}</ref>
 | single3     = [[Just a Shadow]]
 | single3date = 11 January 1985<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bigcountryinfo.com/releases/s_jas.htm|title=Singles|website=Bigcountryinfo.com}}</ref>
}}
}}

'''''Steeltown''''' is the second studio album by Scottish band [[Big Country]]. The album was recorded at [[ABBA]]'s [[Polar Studios]] in Stockholm with [[Steve Lillywhite]] producing. It was released on 19 October 1984, in the [[UK]] and 29 October 1984, in the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MyQEAAAAMBAJ&q=billboard&pg=PT3 |title=October Hot Album Releases |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=6 October 1984 |volume=96 |issue=40 |issn=0006-2510 |accessdate=18 September 2011}}</ref> It was released on [[compact audio disc|CD]] only in Germany, as well as remastered and reissued there.

''Steeltown'' is the band's only [[UK]] number 1 album, topping the chart for 1 week in October 1984. The title track "Steeltown" was written about the town of [[Corby]], telling how many Scots went to work at the [[Stewarts & Lloyds]] steelworks when it opened in 1935, at the height of the [[Great Depression]], but later found themselves unemployed when the steelworks closed in May 1980.<ref>Source: Melody Maker, 1984</ref>

The 1996 reissue contains all of the B-sides from the album's single releases as well as the extended version of non-album single "[[Wonderland (Big Country song)|Wonderland]]".

"[[East of Eden (Big Country song)|East of Eden]]" was the only Top 20 single from the album, reaching number 17 in the [[UK Singles Chart]].

==Reception==
{{Album ratings
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1846|label="Big Country: ''Steeltown''" |first=William |last=Ruhlmann |accessdate=15 February 2017}}</ref>
|rev3 = [[Martin C. Strong]]
|rev3Score = 7/10<ref>{{cite journal |journal=The Essential Rock Discography - Volume 1|title=Big Country : Steeltown |date=2006 |page=87}}</ref>
|rev2 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
|rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Rolling Stone">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bigcountry/albums/album/94209/review/5946119/steeltown |title=Big Country: ''Steeltown'' |first=Fred |last=Schruers |date=17 January 1985 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |issue=RS 439 |publisher=Wenner Media |issn=0035-791X |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080613140236/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bigcountry/albums/album/94209/review/5946119/steeltown |archivedate=13 June 2008}}</ref>
}}
Critic Fred Schruers of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' gave the album a glowing review, writing:
{{Cquote|Clanging and crackling with energy, this second album from Big Country rings natural evolutionary changes on the band's stirring twin-guitar sound even as it frames still better news: bandleader Stuart Adamson has rapidly matured into a songwriter capable of bringing meticulous craft to his obvious passion.<ref name="Rolling Stone"/>}}

Some critics reacted negatively towards the album, calling it muddled and overly dense.{{Citation needed|date=November 2018}} The album's relative failure has been attributed to the fact that many American and international fans couldn't relate to its themes and lyrics, which dealt with the misfortunes of Scottish workers and contained references to British politics.{{Citation needed|date=November 2018}} However, many fans today consider Steeltown to be the band's finest work.{{Citation needed|date=November 2018}}

[[James Dean Bradfield]] from [[Manic Street Preachers]] has cited the album as being one of his all-time favourites.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mackay |first1=Emily |title=Reinventions Of The Near Future: James Dean Bradfield's Favourite LPs |url=https://thequietus.com/interviews/bakers-dozen/james-dean-bradfield-manic-street-preachers-favourite-albums-interview/ |website=The Quietus |access-date=7 June 2024 |page=2 |date=23 September 2014}}</ref>

==Track listing==
All lyrics are written by [[Stuart Adamson]]; all music is composed by Adamson, [[Mark Brzezicki]], [[Tony Butler (musician)|Tony Butler]], and [[Bruce Watson (Scottish guitarist)|Bruce Watson]], except where indicated.

===Side one===
# "Flame of the West" – 5:01
# "[[East of Eden (Big Country song)|East of Eden]]" – 4:29
# "Steeltown" – 4:39
# "[[Where the Rose Is Sown]]" – 4:58
# "Come Back to Me" – 4:35

===Side two===
#<li value="6"> "Tall Ships Go" – 4:38
# "Girl with Grey Eyes" – 4:47
# "Rain Dance" – 4:19
# "The Great Divide" – 4:50
# "[[Just a Shadow]]" – 5:38

===1996 reissue bonus tracks===
#<li value="11"> "Bass Dance" – 1:39
# "Belief in the Small Man" – 5:17
# "Prairie Rose" ([[Bryan Ferry]], [[Phil Manzanera]]) – 4:46
# "[[Wonderland (Big Country song)|Wonderland]]" (12" version) – 7:07
# "Winter Sky" (Adamson, Watson) – 3:16

===2014 30th anniversary deluxe edition – disc 2===
# "Wonderland”
# "Giant”
# "All Fall Together"
# "[[East of Eden (Big Country song)|East of Eden]]" (radio edit)
# "Prairie Rose" (Ferry, Manzanera)
# "Where the Rose Is Sown" (radio edit)
# "Belief in the Small Man"
# "Bass Dance"
# "Just a Shadow" (radio edit)
# "Winter Sky" (Adamson, Watson)
# "Wonderland" (work in progress #1)
# "Wonderland" (work in progress #2)
# "[[East of Eden (Big Country song)|East of Eden]]" (rough mix)
# "Tall Ships Go" (rough mix)
# "Where the Rose Is Sown" (rough mix)
# "Come Back to Me" (rough mix)
# "Bass Concerto" (work in progress)
*Tracks 11–17 are previously unreleased.

==Personnel==
;Big Country
*[[Stuart Adamson]] – vocals, guitar, [[EBow]]
*[[Mark Brzezicki]] – drums, percussion
*[[Tony Butler (musician)|Tony Butler]] – bass, vocals
*[[Bruce Watson (Scottish guitarist)|Bruce Watson]] – guitar, EBow, mandolin 

;Technical
*[[Steve Lillywhite]] – producer
*Will Gosling – engineer
*Jeremy Bird – sleeve design
*[[Brian Aris]] – photography

;Bonus tracks
*"All Fall Together" produced by Big Country; mixed by [[Jimmy Iovine]].
*"Winter Sky" recorded at Impulse Studios, Edinburgh, 1–2 December 1984. Produced by Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson; engineered by Lawrence Riva.

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (1984)
!Peak<br>position
|-
| Australian Albums Chart<ref name="auchart">{{Cite book|title=[[Kent Music Report|Australian Chart Book 1970–1992]] |last=Kent |first=David |author-link=David Kent (historian) |publisher=Australian Chart Book |location=[[St Ives, New South Wales|St Ives, NSW]] |year=1993 |isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref>
|align="center" |68
|-
| Canadian Albums Chart<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.9608&type=1 |title=RPM 100 Albums |date=15 December 1984 |journal=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]] |volume=41 |issue=15 |publisher=archived at Library and Archives Canada |accessdate=18 September 2011}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|53
|-
| Dutch Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Big+Country&titel=Steeltown&cat=a |title=Big Country - Steeltown |language=Dutch |website=Dutchcharts.nl |accessdate=18 September 2011}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|33
|-
|Finnish Albums ([[The Official Finnish Charts|Suomen virallinen lista]])<ref>{{cite book |last=Pennanen |first=Timo |title=Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 |section=Big Country |page=30 |year=2021 |publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava |location=Helsinki |isbn=978-952-7460-01-6}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|24
|-
| German Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.de/album.asp?artist=Big+Country&title=Steeltown&cat=a&country=de |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140707095347/http://www.officialcharts.de/album.asp?artist=Big+Country&title=Steeltown&cat=a&country=de |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 July 2014 |title=Big Country, Steeltown |language=German |website=Charts.de |accessdate=18 September 2011}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|53
|-
| New Zealand Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Big+Country&titel=Steeltown&cat=a |title=Big Country - Steeltown |website=Charts.nz |accessdate=18 September 2011}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|15
|-
| Norwegian Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web |url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Big+Country&titel=Steeltown&cat=a |title=Big Country - Steeltown |website=Norwegiancharts.com |accessdate=18 September 2011}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|12
|-
| Swedish Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web |url=http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Big+Country&titel=Steeltown&cat=a |title=Big Country - Steeltown |website=Swedishcharts.com |accessdate=18 September 2011}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|28
|-
| UK Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/20162/big+country/|title=BIG COUNTRY - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company|website=Officialcharts.com|accessdate=5 November 2018}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
| US Billboard 200<ref>{{cite web|author=Big Country |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/big-country-mn0000056625/awards |title=Big Country - Awards |website=[[AllMusic]]|date= |accessdate=2012-12-26}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|70
|}

==Certifications==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!align="left"|Organization
!align="left"|Level
!align="left"|Date
|-
|align="left"|BPI – UK
|align="left"|Gold
|align="left"|17 October 1984
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Big Country}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Big Country albums]]
[[Category:1984 albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Steve Lillywhite]]
[[Category:Mercury Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums recorded at RAK Studios]]
[[Category:Albums recorded at Polar Studios]]