Close Up (The Outsiders album)

Close Up is the second and final studio album by English punk band the Outsiders, which would later evolve into the Sound. It was released in 1978 by record label Raw Edge.

Close Up
Studio album by
The Outsiders
Released1978
Recorded1978 at Spaceward, Cambridge, England
GenrePunk rock
LabelRaw Edge
The Outsiders chronology
One to Infinity
(1977)		 Close Up
(1978)

Background

In the liner notes of the 2012 reissue of the album, the musical style of Close Up was described: "Gone were the acoustic guitars and lengthy solos, replaced by urgency, stabbing riffs and a full-on, hard-edged punk/new wave sound".[1]

Track listing
Side A
  1. "Vital Hours"
  2. "Observations"
  3. "Fixed Up"
  4. "Touch and Go"
  5. "White Debt"
  6. "Count for Something"
Side B
  1. "Out of Place"
  2. "Keep the Pain Inside"
  3. "Face to Face"
  4. "Semi-Detached Life"
  5. "Conspiracy of War"

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
NMEgenerally favourable[3]
Record Mirrorunfavourable[4]

Close Up received a lukewarm response from critics, who were more enthusiastically about it than the band's previous album, Calling on Youth. NME reviewer John Hamblett assessed the album as "patchy, but promising", calling the Outsiders "a band with a future".[3] Tony Parsons, on the other hand, reviewing for the same magazine, described it as "tuneless, gormless, gutless".[1]

Personnel
  • Adrian Borland – vocals, guitar
  • Jan (Adrian Janes) – drums, vocals
  • Bob Lawrence – bass guitar
  • Graham Green – bass guitar
Technical
  • Gary Lucas – engineering
  • June Oliver – sleeve photography

References
  1. 2012 reissue liner notes.
  2. Deming, Mark. "Close Up – The Sound : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. AllRovi. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  3. Hamblett, John (7 April 1979). "[NME review]". NME. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  4. Hall, Phillip (April 1979). "[Record Mirror review]". Record Mirror. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
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