Wild Frontier is the sixth solo studio album by Irish guitarist Gary Moore, released in 1987. His first studio effort after a trip back to his native Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1985. The album contains several songs about Ireland and even the music itself is steeped in Celtic roots. The album is dedicated to the memory of Moore's close friend and former Thin Lizzy bandmate Phil Lynott, who died on 4 January 1986, with the words "For Philip" on the rear cover.
Wild Frontier contains the hit single "Over the Hills and Far Away", which reached No. 20 in the UK,[3] as well as a cover of the Easybeats' song "Friday on My Mind". The Max Middleton-penned "The Loner" which was originally recorded by Cozy Powell for his Over the Top album in 1979 (on which Moore performed, but not on Powell's recording of "The Loner"). The track was substantially altered by Moore for his own recording, that is why he is credited as a co-writer.
All drums on Wild Frontier are sequenced with a drum machine, although the programming is uncredited in the liner notes of the album. Future Toto drummer Simon Phillips would appear on the music video for "Over the Hills and Far Away," as well in early promotions for the album. He would be replaced by former Black Sabbath drummer Eric Singer for the tour, before leaving shortly afterwards to form Badlands.
"Over the Hills and Far Away" was covered by the Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish on their 2001 EP of the same title, and by Swedish viking metal band Thyrfing on their album Urkraft. The Spanish band Saurom also recorded a cover of this song with alternative lyrics, titled "La Disolución de la Comunidad".
| 1. |
"Over the Hills and Far Away" |
5:20 |
| 2. |
"Wild Frontier" |
4:14 |
| 3. |
"Take a Little Time" |
4:05 |
| 4. |
"The Loner" (instrumental, originally recorded by Cozy Powell) |
5:54 |
| 1. |
"Over the Hills and Far Away" |
5:20 |
| 2. |
"Wild Frontier" |
4:14 |
| 3. |
"Take a Little Time" |
4:05 |
| 4. |
"The Loner" |
5:54 |
| 5. |
"Friday on My Mind" |
4:11 |
| 6. |
"Strangers in the Darkness" |
4:38 |
| 7. |
"Thunder Rising" |
5:43 |
| 8. |
"Johnny Boy" |
3:15 |
| 9. |
"Over the Hills and Far Away" (12” version) |
7:26 |
| 10. |
"Wild Frontier" (12” version) |
6:38 |
| 11. |
"Crying in the Shadows" |
5:01 |
- Production
- Peter Collins – producer on tracks 1, 2, 4, 9, 10 and 12
- Pete Smith – producer on tracks 3 and 6
- James "Jimbo" Barton – producer on tracks 5, 7, 8 and 13, engineer on tracks 1 and 2, mixing on tracks 3 and 6
- Chris Porter – engineer on tracks 2 and 4
- Mike Stone – producer on track 11
- Nigel Walker – producer on track 14
| Country
|
Organization
|
Year
|
Sales
|
| UK
|
BPI
|
1987
|
Silver (+ 60,000)[4]
|
| Sweden
|
IFPI Sweden
|
1987
|
Platinum (+ 30,000)[5]
|
| Finland
|
IFPI Finland
|
1987
|
Gold (+ 25,000)[6]
|
