On the Turn

Last updated

On the Turn
Kerbdog OnTheTurn.jpg
Studio album by
Released31 March 1997
RecordedJuly - October 1995
Studio
Genre Alternative rock, grunge
Length55:02
Label Fontana Records
Producer Garth Richardson
Kerbdog chronology
Kerbdog
(1994)
On the Turn
(1997)
Congregation
(2014)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic -Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

On The Turn is the second and final studio album by Irish alternative rock outfit Kerbdog, released on Fontana Records in the UK on 31 March 1997. It was produced by GGGarth who had previously worked with Rage Against the Machine.

Contents

"We did one record with a band named Kerbdog, and we started off with about 25 cabinets and amps. It took about two days just to go through 'em all, but we got the best sounds that we have ever gotten. We used old Les Pauls, old Strats and Teles, different strings, different pickups."
GGGarth [2]

Rehearsals began at Full Blast Studios in Los Angeles in July 1995 [3] before recording took place at Sound City Studios and A&M Studios over the following months. The band spent almost 4 months rehearsing/recording and the album went massively over budget, including a scrapped mix of the entire album by Alan Moulder. [4] The final mix of the album was provided by Joe Barresi. Recording took its toll on guitarist Billy Dalton who departed the band shortly after returning home.

"If GGGarth hadn't pointed out what was going on, then Billy might still be in the band. We're really nice guys and he was a mate, so we couldn't say 'Are you able to do this'? I think if he was still with us, he'd be in a mental home by now. He said in America that if things didn't improve for himself when we came home, he'd leave, so it wasn't like we just arrived on his door step and said, 'you're fired' or anything."
Colin Fennelly [5]

Unfortunately, the album was delayed release by over a year and never sold in great enough quantities to satisfy the record label, reaching number 64 in the UK Albums Chart. [6] Unlike their debut album, it never saw release in the States, despite being recorded there. Kerbdog were dropped by Mercury and their back catalog was deleted shortly thereafter. The band split in March 1998, with Battle and Butler regrouping to form Wilt later that year.

The album was originally released on LP, CD and cassette. It was re-released on CD in September 2012 on East World Records UK. On January 3 in 2022 it was released on Spotify.

"On The Turn" was finally re-released on yellow vinyl in November 2020 on Hassle Records and added to online streaming services like YouTube Music in early January 2022. [7] There was also a clear vinyl edition, limited to 300 hand-numbered copies. [8]

Track listing

All songs composed by Kerbdog

  1. "Sally" - 3:56
  2. "J.J.'s Song" - 5:23
  3. "Didn't Even Try" - 4:07
  4. "Mexican Wave" - 4:19
  5. "Severed" - 4:12
  6. "Pledge" - 4:11
  7. "On the Turn" - 4:47
  8. "Secure" - 4:03
  9. "Lesser Shelf" - 4:19
  10. "Pointless" - 5:02
  11. "Rewind" - 3:27
  12. "Sorry for the Record" - 7:16

"Hard To Live" and "Gridlock" from the album sessions were later released as b-sides to the "J.J.'s Song" EP.

Personnel

Singles

Chart performance

On the Turn entered the UK artist albums chart on 12 April 1997 and spent one week on. [9]

Chart (1997)Peak
position
UK Music Week Top 75 Artist Albums64

Legacy

Artists such as Biffy Clyro, Frank Turner, Inme, Cars on Fire and others have all said this album had a major influence on their music. Biffy Clyro also stated that they chose GGGarth to produce their last two albums based on his work with Kerbdog. Biffy Clyro's lead singer, Simon Neil, has been quoted as saying that 'On The Turn' "...is a beautiful, beautiful thing".

Related Research Articles

<i>Kerbdog</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Kerbdog

Kerbdog is Kerbdog's eponymous debut album. The album was recorded in 1993 at Rockfield Studios in Wales and released on 28 March 1994 through Vertigo. Though the band had various indie influences, with bands like Sonic Youth, Fugazi and Big Black, the album ended up having a Metallica influenced proto-grunge sound. The band said that this was simply the result of getting professional equipment, and turning everything up as loud as they could. What also might account for this is the fact that grunge pioneer Jack Endino recorded the album.

"If I remember right the whole thing took five weeks. No problems except that Cormac was still writing lyrics right up to the next-to-last day of mixing. Dummy Crusher was literally the last thing finished, we cut the vocal and then I mixed it next day. We had about run out of time at that point. [I] liked almost all of it. Thought the intro to EOG should have been half as long, but band disagreed; and in retrospect I would have turned up the vocals on EOG just a teeny bit, though no one ever complained. Didn't like Xenophobia much but that didn't make the album. Thought Clock should have been a single."
Jack Endino

Biffy Clyro Scottish rock band

Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band that formed in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, composed of Simon Neil, James Johnston, and Ben Johnston. Currently signed to 14th Floor Records, they have released nine studio albums, five of which reached the top five in the UK Albums Chart, with their sixth studio album, Opposites claiming their first UK No. 1 album. The latest three consecutive studio albums have all peaked at number one in the UK official albums chart. After their first three albums, the band expanded their following significantly in 2007 with the release of their fourth album, Puzzle, creating more mainstream songs with simpler rhythms and distancing themselves from the more unusual dissonant style present in their previous three albums. Puzzle peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart on 16 June 2007. The album went platinum in the UK in 2012, having sold over 300,000 copies.

Kerbdog were an alternative metal band from Kilkenny, Ireland, formed in 1991. Following two albums released on Mercury Records, the band split up in 1998. Since 2005, they have reformed for a series of occasional one-off performances. In 2012, a live album entitled Congregation was recorded and released in October 2014.

Cormac Battle is an Irish musician and radio presenter/producer. He is the vocalist and lead guitarist for the bands Kerbdog, Wilt, Jonny's Boys, and On the turn. He is also the current presenter of RTÉ 2fm's alternative music programme, The Battle Axe.

Marmaduke Duke are a Scottish conceptual rock duo from Ayrshire, Scotland, comprising Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro and JP Reid of Sucioperro. Within the band, the pair perform under the pseudonyms The Atmosphere and The Dragon respectively. According to Neil, the band, and its albums, are "based on a trilogy of unreleased manuscripts that a friend of ours brought to this country a few years ago. We're really just working to soundtrack those stories."

Joy.Discovery.Invention 2002 single by Biffy Clyro

"Joy.Discovery.Invention" is a song by Biffy Clyro which opens their 2002 debut album, Blackened Sky. It was their fourth single, appearing as a double A-side with "Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys", a track from their second album, The Vertigo of Bliss. It reached number 86 on the UK Singles Chart and number 46 in the band's native Scotland.

<i>Puzzle</i> (Biffy Clyro album) 2007 studio album by Biffy Clyro

Puzzle is the fourth studio album by Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro, released 4 June 2007 – the album was later released in America in August. It is the band's first album since leaving Beggars Banquet.

Saturday Superhouse 2007 single by Biffy Clyro

"Saturday Superhouse" is a song by Biffy Clyro and the first physical single from their fourth album, Puzzle. It was released on 5 March 2007. The band undertook a promotional tour of UK HMV stores to coincide with the release of the single.

Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies 2007 single by Biffy Clyro

"Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies" is the opening song on Scottish band Biffy Clyro's fourth album, Puzzle. It was released on 14 May 2007, as the second physical single from the album. The song itself, without any B-sides, was released as a digital download on 7 May 2007.

Folding Stars 2007 single by Biffy Clyro

"Folding Stars" is a song by Scottish band Biffy Clyro from their 2007 album, Puzzle. It was released as the third physical single from Puzzle, on 16 July 2007 and reached number 18 on the UK Singles Chart.

Mountains (Biffy Clyro song) 2008 single by Biffy Clyro

"Mountains" is a song by Scottish band Biffy Clyro, released as a single on 18 August 2008. Originally released as a non-album single, it would later be included on the band's fifth studio album, Only Revolutions, in 2009. It was originally entitled "Teeth or Mountains" and was first played live at the Electric Festival in Getafe, Spain, on 30 May 2008.

<i>Only Revolutions</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Biffy Clyro

Only Revolutions is the fifth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Biffy Clyro, released 9 November 2009 on 14th Floor Records. As with its predecessor, Puzzle, the album was produced by Garth Richardson. Upon release, Only Revolutions was a critical and commercial success. The album entered at No. 8 on the UK Album Chart and was then certified gold by the BPI shortly afterwards. It was certified platinum by the BPI in June 2010 for shipments of 300,000 copies in the UK, making it the band's largest selling album. In September 2010, the album achieved a new peak position of No. 3. It was the 26th biggest selling album of 2010 in the UK with sales of 377,900. It was nominated for the 2010 Mercury Prize, which is awarded annually for the best album in the UK or Ireland, and Rock Sound declared it third in its list of the 75 best albums of 2009.

Many of Horror 2010 single by Biffy Clyro

"Many of Horror" is an alternative rock song written by Simon Neil of Scottish band Biffy Clyro for their fifth studio album Only Revolutions. The song was released as the fourth single from the album on 18 January 2010. The song was recorded at Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood, California and mastered at Masterdisk. The lyrics of the song concern Neil's wife and family. Jacknife Lee, who previously remixed "Silhouettes" for the Biffy Clyro and Sucioperro side project Marmaduke Duke, recorded a remix for the song.

<i>Opposites</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Biffy Clyro

Opposites is the sixth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Biffy Clyro, which was released on 28 January 2013. A double album, Opposites was originally announced as a pair of albums, The Land at the End of Our Toes and The Sand at the Core of Our Bones, which later became the names of the individual discs of the album. The album features 20 songs across two discs. There is also a single disc version with 14 selected tracks. As of July 2016, the album has sold 260,720 copies in the UK.

Congregation is the third full length, and first live, album by Irish alternative rock band Kerbdog. The bulk of the album was recorded in 2012 at three different gigs in England and Ireland. A studio track entitled "Electricity" was recorded at Tower Studios in Evesham in July 2014. A Pledge campaign was unveiled on 23 June 2014 to help fund and promote the new release. The campaign had reached 100% of its goal on 6 October 2014. The album was released on 10 October 2014 through Pledge Music and Graphite Records.

<i>Ellipsis</i> (Biffy Clyro album) 2016 studio album by Biffy Clyro

Ellipsis is the seventh studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Biffy Clyro. It was produced by Rich Costey and released on 8 July 2016. Ellipsis entered the UK charts at number one, making it Biffy Clyro's second number one album.

<i>Balance, Not Symmetry</i> (album)

Balance, Not Symmetry is a soundtrack album by Scottish alternative rock band Biffy Clyro to the film of the same name, co-written by the band's frontman Simon Neil. Recorded at AIR Studios in England, Monnow Valley Studio in Wales and ICP Studios in Belgium with co-producer Adam Noble, it was released on 17 May 2019 by Warner Bros. Records. Initially available only for digital download and streaming, the album was also issued as a vinyl record on 26 July 2019.

<i>A Celebration of Endings</i> 2020 studio album by Biffy Clyro

A Celebration of Endings is the eighth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Biffy Clyro. It was produced by Rich Costey and was released on 14 August 2020. It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, making it the band's third consecutive studio album to top the chart.

Garth "GGGarth" Richardson is a Canadian record producer and music engineer. He is the son of music producer Jack Richardson, a pioneer of the music recording industry in the 1960s and 1970s. Garth Richardson has done music engineering work for the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nickelback, and Mötley Crüe, and produced for Kittie, Biffy Clyro, Rage Against the Machine, Mudvayne, Melvins, Shihad, Kensington, and many others. He cofounded the Nimbus School of Recording Arts in Vancouver, British Columbia together with Bob Ezrin and Kevin Williams. The school was named after Richardson's father's production company, Nimbus 9, and offers courses in production, recording, and audio. Richardson has the nickname 'GGGarth' due to his mild stutter.

<i>The Myth of the Happily Ever After</i> 2021 studio album by Biffy Clyro

The Myth of the Happily Ever After is the ninth studio album by Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro, released on 22 October 2021 through 14th Floor and Warner Records. It is said to be the 'sister album' to their 2020 album A Celebration of Endings. It entered the UK album chart at number 4.

References

  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Kerbdog — On the Turn". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  2. 'Music Producers: Conversations with Today's Top Hit Makers'
  3. "Hot Press article 1995".
  4. 'Facebook post by Darragh Butler, 2014'
  5. 'Metal Hammer magazine, 1996'
  6. "UK Top 200 Charts History".
  7. "YouTube Music - Kerbdog - On The Turn".
  8. "kerbdog.com - LP re-issues".
  9. Warwick, Neil; Kutner, Jon; Brown, Tony (2004). The Complete Book of the British Charts: Singles & Albums. Suffolk: Omnibus Press. p. 596. ISBN   1-84449-058-0.