The Way Out (Drag album)

Last updated

The Way Out
The Way Out (Drag album) cover.jpg
Studio album by
Released Flag of Australia (converted).svg 10 July 2005 [1]
Flag of the United States.svg 8 August 2005 [2]
Recorded Byron Bay
Early 2005
Genre Rock
Label Dew Process
Producer David Nicholas [2]
Drag chronology
Gas Food Lodging
(2002)
The Way Out
(2005)
Singles from The Way Out
  1. "You and I"
    Released: August 2005
  2. "Lady Luck"
    Released: October 2005

The Way Out is the debut album by Australian rock band Drag released 10 July 2005. Drag recorded and toured for the album while lead singer and guitarist Darren Middleton was on a break from his other band Powderfinger.

Contents

Background

As Middleton was allowed time to devote to his own side project Drag, he and McElligott decided to fill out Drag to a full band lineup. initially enlisting Brisbane keyboardist Matt Murphy and fellow Powderfinger member John Collins on bass, Drag began performing around Brisbane and its surrounding areas. Middleton had intended recording some of the Drag songs in the hiatus time, but when the opportunity was offered by Paul Piticco, Powderfinger's manager and founder of Dew Process to record on Dew Process, Middleton accepted. Drag then recorded The Way Out in early 2005 at a recording studio in the Northern New South Wales beachside town Byron Bay. The band enlisted David Nicholas as the album's producer, known for his work with Elton John.

Songs and singles

There were two singles released from The Way Out. "You and I" was released just prior to the album to radio and as a CD single. The song is a rock-electronic song with influences of new-wave music. The second single released was "Lady Luck" which was released in October 2005. According to the band, "Lady Luck" is the band's attempt at writing a Beatles styled song.

Track listing

  1. "Not So Innocent" [2]
  2. "Road That We Both Travel"
  3. "You and I"
  4. "Fading Out"
  5. "Lady Luck"
  6. "Long Way Home"
  7. "Frustrated Writer"
  8. "I Know You"
  9. "You Will Save Me"
  10. "Fall in the Haze"
  11. "Inside Your Words"

Personnel

Reception

Zombos Reviews gave the album a B−, saying that "All up, it's certainly not earth-shattering, but they don't embarrass themselves with anything hideously bad either. This one gets awarded a middling-to-high 10 for being "pleasant, but doesn't have any songs or melodies that are flatout brilliant." [3] The reviewer did say that The Frustrated Writer was his favourite song on the album.

Footnotes

  1. Australian release information Archived 29 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine . Publisher: Dew Process. Retrieved: 9 June 2007
  2. 1 2 3 International release information. Publisher: CD Universe. Retrieved: 9 June 2007.
  3. Zombos: Drag – The Way Out Archived 10 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powderfinger</span> Australian rock band

Powderfinger were an Australian rock band formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their break-up in 2010, the line-up consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bass guitarist John Collins and drummer Jon Coghill. The group's third studio album Internationalist peaked at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart in September 1998. They followed with four more number-one studio albums in a row: Odyssey Number Five, Vulture Street, Dream Days at the Hotel Existence and Golden Rule. Their top-ten hit singles are "My Happiness" (2000), "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind" (2003) and "Lost and Running" (2007). Powderfinger earned a total of eighteen ARIA Awards, making them the second-most-awarded band, behind Silverchair. Ten Powderfinger albums and DVDs certified multiple-platinum, with Odyssey Number Five—their most successful album—achieving eightfold platinum certification for shipment of over 560,000 units.

<i>Vulture Street</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Powderfinger

Vulture Street is the fifth studio album by Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger, released on 29 July 2003 by Universal Music. It won the 2003 ARIA Music Award for Best Rock Album. Produced by Nick DiDia, Vulture Street was certified platinum, and spent 47 weeks on the ARIA Charts and peaked at #1. Singles from the album included "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind", "Since You've Been Gone", "Love Your Way" and "Sunsets".

<i>Internationalist</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Powderfinger

Internationalist is the third studio album by Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger. The album was released on 7 September 1998 and was often labelled Powderfinger's most adventurous work, with greater experimentation than in previous works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Fanning</span> Australian singer-songwriter (born 1969)

Bernard Joseph Fanning is an Australian musician and singer-songwriter. He was the lead vocalist of Queensland alternative rock band Powderfinger from its formation in 1989.

<i>Double Allergic</i> 1996 studio album by Powderfinger

Double Allergic is the second studio album by Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger. Released in Australia on 2 September 1996 Polydor, the album was produced by Tim Whitten and widely considered Powderfinger's mainstream breakthrough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darren Middleton</span> Australian musician (born 1971)

Darren Middleton is an Australian musician, best known as lead guitarist and songwriter for alternative rock band Powderfinger. He was also lead singer/songwriter for Drag; his current solo tour is 'Splinters', a follow-up to his 2013 solo tour 'Translations.' The 'Splinters' tour is Middleton's tour of Western Australia and Victoria in August and November 2016, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Collins (Australian musician)</span> Australian bass guitarist (born 1970)

John Andrew Collins is the mainstay bass guitarist for Australian rock band Powderfinger since 1989. He is one of the founding members of the band, along with guitarist Ian Haug, forming at their high school, Brisbane Grammar School, as a three-piece. Powderfinger has released seven studio albums, a greatest-hits album, and a double CD live album. After they released their first best-of album, Fingerprints, in 2004, they decided to take a break. During the hiatus, Collins played with fellow Powderfinger member Darren Middleton in his new band Drag on a number of occasions as well as performing with Ian Haug and Steven Bishop in The Predators. Collins is often referred to as "J.C." by his fellow band members, as they are his initials and to distinguish him from the group's drummer Jon Coghill. Initially, the nickname was given to him following the group's song "JC" from their second album, Double Allergic, which referred to Jesus Christ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Haug</span> Australian musician (born 1970)

Ian Haug is an Australian musician and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and backing vocalist in the rock band Powderfinger from its formation in 1989 until its breakup in 2010. He is presently a member of The Church.

<i>Tea & Sympathy</i> (Bernard Fanning album) 2005 studio album by Bernard Fanning

Tea & Sympathy is the debut solo album by Australian musician Bernard Fanning. It was released on 31 October 2005, by Dew Process records while Powderfinger—Fanning's main band—were on hiatus. Contrary to Powderfinger's usual alternative style, the album blends alternative and country-folk music. Most of the record was written after the cancer-related death of his brother in 2002. His brother's death coincided with the end of Fanning's twelve-year relationship with his partner, and both events were instrumental in his move away from his typically political and socially lyrical subject matter.

<i>Dream Days at the Hotel Existence</i> 2007 studio album by Powderfinger

Dream Days at the Hotel Existence is the sixth studio album by Australian rock band Powderfinger, released by Universal Music on 2 June 2007 in Australia, 19 November 2007 in the United Kingdom, and 11 November 2008 in the United States on the Dew Process label. It was released in Australia with a limited edition bonus DVD, titled Powderfinger's First XI, featuring eleven music videos spanning the band's career, from the first single, "Tail" to "Bless My Soul", the band's latest single before the release of the album. A collector's edition, including a CD and DVD, was released on 18 April 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Like a Dog (song)</span> 2001 single by Powderfinger

"Like a Dog" is a song by Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger. It was released as a single in 2001, and appeared on the band's fourth studio album, Odyssey Number Five. The song was later included on Fingerprints: The Best of Powderfinger 1994-2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Passenger (Powderfinger song)</span> 1999 single by Powderfinger

"Passenger" is a song from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. It was released as a single on 9 August 1999, and reached #30 on the Australian music chart. The single was nominated for Single of the year in 2000 at the Australian ARIA Music Awards. "Passenger" was also featured as the opening song performed by Powderfinger while supporting Crowded House's Farewell to the World charity concert in November 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Happiness (Powderfinger song)</span> 2000 song by Powderfinger

"My Happiness" is a song by Australian rock band Powderfinger. It was released via record label Universal Music Australia in August 2000 as the first single from the band's fourth album, Odyssey Number Five. Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning wrote the lyrics for "My Happiness" as a reflection on the time the band spent touring to promote their work, and the loneliness that came as a result. It was inspired by his love of gospel and soul music. The rest of the band are co-credited with Fanning for composing the track. Despite its melancholy mood, "My Happiness" is considered by many to be a love song, a suggestion Fanning regards as mystifying.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Your Way</span> 2003 single by Powderfinger

"Love Your Way" is a song from Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was the second single from Vulture Street and reached No. 37 on the Australian music chart having charted in September 2003 It was physically released as a single on 25 May 2004.

<i>Mr Kneebone</i> 1995 EP by Powderfinger

Mr Kneebone is the third EP by the Australian rock band Powderfinger. It was released after their first full-length studio album, Parables for Wooden Ears, and before the album, Double Allergic. It contains five songs, none of which were included on either album. The EP peaked at #83 on the Australian singles chart, and is considered to be "the turning point in Powderfinger's song writing career".

Drag are an Australian rock band led by Darren Middleton, most known as the lead guitarist from rock group Powderfinger.

<i>Gas Food Lodging</i> (EP) 2002 EP by Drag

Drag or Gas Food Lodging is the debut extended play by Australian rock band, Drag, which was released in June 2002 via Dew Process/Universal Music Australia. The track, "Take Me with You", received airplay on Triple J radio after the EP was released.

The Predators are an Australian rock band formed in Brisbane in 2005. It comprises three of the original members of the rock group Powderfinger: Steven Bishop, Ian Haug, and John Collins, and Haug's fellow member of Far Out Corporation, Ross McLennan. As of 2023, they have released one EP, Pick Up the Pace (2006), and one full-length album, Everybody Loves (2021).

<i>Pick Up the Pace</i> 2006 EP by the Predators

Pick Up the Pace is the debut EP by Australian alternative rock band The Predators. It was released on 1 July 2006 through Dew Process and Universal Music Australia. The EP was produced after Powderfinger entered a hiatus, and several of its band members sought work with side projects. Following the release of Pick Up the Pace, The Predators embarked on a minor tour around Australia, including a performance at Splendour in the Grass, before officially going on hiatus, around the time Powderfinger reformed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nobody Sees</span> 2007 single by Powderfinger

"Nobody Sees" is a song by Powderfinger from their sixth album Dream Days at the Hotel Existence. It is the third single from the album and was released in Australia on 1 December 2007. The announcement that it would be released as a single came at the same time as releasing the music video to the internet on the official Universal Records website.