This Is the Life | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 2002 | |||
Genre | Rock, pop | |||
Label | Chrysalis Records (Papillon) (UK) Evolver (US) | |||
Producer | Kenny MacDonald, Ricky Ross, Davie Scott | |||
Ricky Ross chronology | ||||
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Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
This Is the Life is a solo album from Scottish rock musician Ricky Ross, a member of Deacon Blue.
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the early 1950s, and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, a style which drew heavily from the genres of blues, rhythm and blues, and from country music. Rock music also drew strongly from a number of other genres such as electric blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz, classical and other musical styles. Musically, rock has centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass, drums, and one or more singers. Usually, rock is song-based music usually with a 4/4 time signature using a verse–chorus form, but the genre has become extremely diverse. Like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political.
Richard Alexander "Ricky" Ross is a Scottish singer-songwriter and broadcaster. He is the lead singer of the rock band Deacon Blue.
Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop rock band formed in Glasgow during 1985. The line-up of the band consists of vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime and drummer Dougie Vipond. The band released their debut album, Raintown, on 1 May 1987 in the United Kingdom and in the United States in February 1988. Their second album, When the World Knows Your Name (1989), topped the UK Albums Chart for two weeks, and included "Real Gone Kid" which became their first top ten single in the UK Singles Chart.
Ross produced the album with Kenny MacDonald, who had produced for Deacon Blue in the past. The album has more touches of folk and country music and the general mood of the album is more placid than most of the Deacon Blue catalog.[ citation needed ]
Deacon Blue colleague James Prime plays piano on "The Way to Work", and Ross' wife and Deacon Blue colleague Lorraine McIntosh contributes vocals to one song (as she did on each of Ross' three prior solo albums), "Nothing Cures That".
James Prime is best known as the keyboard player for Deacon Blue. He also lectures at the University of the West of Scotland. Known as a Hammond/piano player, his talents have been sought after by John Martyn, Johnny Hallyday, Phil Cunningham, Eddi Reader and Little Richard..
Lorraine McIntosh is a Scottish singer best known as a vocalist with Scottish band Deacon Blue. She has also achieved success as an actress, starring in River City and appearing in Taggart among her most notable roles in television.
This is the first Ricky Ross solo album to receive a US release.
All songs written by Ricky Ross, except where noted.
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that usually has six strings. It is typically played with both hands by strumming or plucking the strings with either a guitar pick or the finger(s)/fingernails of one hand, while simultaneously fretting with the fingers of the other hand. The sound of the vibrating strings is projected either acoustically, by means of the hollow chamber of the guitar, or through an electrical amplifier and a speaker.
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. The percussion family is believed to include the oldest musical instruments, following the human voice.
The piano is an acoustic, stringed musical instrument invented in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700, in which the strings are struck by hammers. It is played using a keyboard, which is a row of keys that the performer presses down or strikes with the fingers and thumbs of both hands to cause the hammers to strike the strings.
Raintown is the debut album by Scottish pop band Deacon Blue. The album, written largely by lead singer Ricky Ross, was released in the United Kingdom on 1 May 1987. It proved a commercial success and has to date sold around a million copies, peaking in the UK Albums Chart at no. 14 and remaining in the charts for a year and a half.
When the World Knows Your Name is the second album by the Scottish rock band Deacon Blue. It was released in 1989 and attained the number 1 chart position in the UK Albums Chart.
Fellow Hoodlums is the third studio album by the Scottish rock band Deacon Blue, released in 1991. It includes four singles; "Your Swaying Arms", the Top 10 hit "Twist and Shout", "Closing Time" and "Cover from the Sky".
Whatever You Say, Say Nothing is the fourth studio album by Scottish rock band Deacon Blue, released in 1993. Changing from producer Jon Kelly to the team of Steve Osborne and Paul Oakenfold, this album presented a change in musical style for Deacon Blue. While the band's songwriting remained based in rock and blues, many of the tracks moved into alternative rock territory in their presentation.
Ooh Las Vegas is a compilation album by the Scottish rock band Deacon Blue. It contains B-sides, unreleased tracks, and songs written for William McIlvanney's television play Dreaming.
Riches is a limited edition compilation album that was temporarily included with the Raintown album by the Scottish rock band Deacon Blue, starting in February 1988. Only 20,000 copies were made.
Our Town – The Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits compilation album by the Scottish rock band Deacon Blue. The album reached the top spot of the UK Albums Chart in May 1994 for two weeks, and has been certified Platinum. It was also their second and final number one album to date. It is also notable for being the 500th number one album since the charts inception in 1956.
Riches & More is a compilation album for the Scottish rock band Deacon Blue. It combines the Riches limited edition bonus album that was temporarily packaged with copies of Raintown with the Four Bacharach & David Songs EP. However, this compilation does not include the piano version of the song "Raintown", which was the fifth track on the initial release of Riches.
Walking Back Home is an album by Scottish pop rock band Deacon Blue released in 1999. It was their first album since reforming that year after disbanding in 1994. A part studio/part compilation album, it contains nine of their earlier songs coupled with eight brand-new or previously unreleased songs.
Homesick is a studio album from Scottish rock band Deacon Blue. Released in May 2001, it was the band's fifth studio album. It was their final album to feature guitarist Graeme Kelling, who died in 2004.
The Very Best of Deacon Blue is a greatest hits compilation for the Scottish rock band Deacon Blue. It is composed of singles and album tracks from the band's previous albums, plus two B-sides, "Indigo Sky" from the "Hang Your Head" single, and "When You Were a Boy You Were a Beautiful Boy" from the "Everytime You Sleep" single.
Singles is a singles compilation by the Scottish rock band Deacon Blue. It contains three new tracks, "Bigger than Dynamite", "Haunted", and "The One About Loneliness", that were recorded by the band in March, 2006.
What You Are is a solo album from Scottish rock musician Ricky Ross. It was the first solo album Ross released after the breakup of the band he fronted, Deacon Blue.
New Recording is a solo album from Scottish rock musician Ricky Ross and member of Deacon Blue. It was produced by Ross and former Love and Money keyboardist Paul McGeechan.
The Undeveloped Heart EP is the sole single/EP release from Scottish rock musician Ricky Ross' album New Recording. It contains a new version of "The Undeveloped Heart", which was originally recorded by Ross' band Deacon Blue and re-recorded by Ross for New Recording. The addition of a driving bass line and guitar to "The Undeveloped Heart " completes the move of the song from its original form as an understated piano ballad to a track that sits fully in alternative rock territory.
Pale Rider is a solo album from Scottish rock musician Ricky Ross.
A New House is the seventh studio album by Scottish rock band Deacon Blue, released on September 8, 2014. The album consists of 11 tracks.