1977 studio album by Eddie and the Hot Rods
Life on the Line Released 20 December 1977 Studio Regents Park Studios, St. Johns Wood, London Genre Pub rock Length 34 :53 – 1:07:01Label Island Producer Ed Hollis
"Do Anything You Wanna Do "/"Schoolgirl Love" Released: 29 July 1977
"Quit This Town"/"Distortion May Be Expected" Released: 16 December 1977
"Life on the Line"/"Do Anything You Wanna Do (Live)" Released: 10 March 1978
Life on the Line is the second studio album by English rock band Eddie and the Hot Rods . The album was mixed by Ed Hollis and Steve Nicol, produced by Ed Hollis, and engineered by Steve Lillywhite .
Life on the Line reached number 27 on the UK Albums Chart .[ 1] The album featured three singles: "Do Anything You Wanna Do ", which peaked at number 9 on the UK Singles Chart ,[ 1] "Life on the Line", and "Quit This Town", which reached number 36.[ 1]
The song "Do Anything You Wanna Do " was covered by Manfred Mann's Earth Band for their Criminal Tango album (1986).
Critical reception
The Globe and Mail concluded: "This band is so topical, so accurate on contemporary street feeling (the alternation between active-passive is scary but authentic), that Life on the Line qualifies as more than a collection of tunes; it's a document that pegs 1977 as it hasn't yet been pegged."[ 5]
Track listing
"Do Anything You Wanna Do " (music: Graeme Douglas; lyrics: Ed Hollis) – 4:19
"Quit This Town" (music: Graeme; lyrics: Hollis, Douglas) – 2:27
"Telephone Girl" (music: Paul Gray, Steve Nicol; lyrics: Barry Masters) – 2:28
"What's Really Going On" (music & lyrics: Gray) – 2:17
"Ignore Them (Still Life)" (music: Douglas; lyrics: Hollis) – 4:43
"Life on the Line" (music: Douglas, Gray; lyrics: Hollis) – 4:04
"(And) Don't Believe Your Eyes" (music: Douglas; lyrics: Hollis) – 3:35
"We Sing... The Cross" (music: Douglas, Gray, Nicol) – 2:48
"Beginning of the End" (music & lyrics: Dave Higgs) – 8:17
2000 reissue bonus tracks
"I Might Be Lying" (Dave Higgs) – 5:16
"Ignore Them (Always Crashing in the Same Bar)" – 3:34
"Schoolgirl Love" (Douglas, Masters) – 3:21
"Till the Night Is Gone (Let's Rock)" – 3:13
"Flipside Rock" (With Robin Tyner ) – 2:39
"Do Anything You Wanna Do " (Live) – 4:05
"What's Really Going On" (Live) (Douglas, Hollis) – 2:17
"Why Can't It Be" (Live) (Higgs) – 2:39
"Distortion May Be Expected" – 5:07
Personnel
Eddie and the Hot Rods
Barrie Masters – lead vocals
Graeme Douglas – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals, 12-string guitar and organ on "(And) Don't Believe Your Eyes"
Dave Higgs – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, Mellotron on "Beginning of the End"
Paul Gray – bass, backing vocals
Steve Nicol – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Technical
The Rods, Graeme Douglas, Steve Lillywhite - assistant production
Ed Hollis, Steve Lillywhite - mixing
Steve Lillywhite - engineer
Edward Barker, Keith Morris - design, photography
Charts
Chart (1977)
Peak position
UK Albums Chart
27
Singles
Year
Single
Chart
Position
1977
"Do Anything You Wanna Do "
UK Singles Chart
9
"Quit This Town"
36
1978
"Life on the Line"
-
References