| Rock On! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1989–1990 | |||
| Studio | Rumbo Recorders, Sunset Sound, MC Studios, Posh Studios | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Label | Silvertone Gone Gator/MCA [1] | |||
| Producer | Mike Campbell, Jeff Lynne | |||
| Del Shannon chronology | ||||
| ||||
Rock On! is an album by the American musician Del Shannon, released posthumously in October 1991. [2] [3] [4]
Edsel Records included the album in the 2023 Stranger in Town: A Del Shannon Compendium box set. [5]
The album was produced by Mike Campbell and Jeff Lynne. [6] Shannon unexpectedly committed suicide in February 1990 with work on the album mostly complete. [7] [8] Tom Petty and some of the Heartbreakers played on Rock On! [9] Richard Greene played fiddle on "Let's Dance". [10] "What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am?" is a cover of the Tams song. [11] George Harrison played guitar on "I Got You"; he also contributed backing vocals to "Hot Love", a B-side to "Callin' Out My Name". [12] [13]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [14] |
| Calgary Herald | C [15] |
| Chicago Tribune | [7] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [16] |
| Goldmine | [12] |
| Los Angeles Daily News | [10] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [17] |
The Calgary Herald lamented that "you'll hear a tired-sounding old rocker making one more half-hearted stab at a comeback." [15] The Edmonton Journal noted that "Shannon was always a first-class writer of merry melodies and ringing country guitar licks that poured upbeat empathy on our saddest moments." [18] The Indianapolis Star panned the production, writing that "the 10 songs are Electric Light Orchestra layered over '60s-style rock." [19]
Tim Sendra of AllMusic described the album as "passionate, dramatic, emotional, and full of great songs... Most of all it has that amazing voice, and yes, Shannon's majestic voice is as strong as ever here." [14]
All tracks are written by Del Shannon, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Walk Away" | Del Shannon, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne | 3:37 |
| 2. | "Who Left Who?" | 3:20 | |
| 3. | "Are You Lovin' Me Too" | 3:14 | |
| 4. | "Callin' Out My Name" | 3:44 | |
| 5. | "I Go to Pieces" | 3:59 | |
| 6. | "Lost in a Memory" | 3:35 | |
| 7. | "I Got You (The Birds' Song)" | 3:41 | |
| 8. | "What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am?" | Ray Whitley | 3:15 |
| 9. | "When I Had You" | 4:17 | |
| 10. | "Let's Dance" | 3:31 |
Production:
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