Built to Perform
Built to Perform is the second and last full-length album by American heavy metal band Phantom Blue. In contrast to the first album's glam metal sound, Built to Perform displays a more raw, heavy metal sound. It also features songwriting credits by all five of the band members plus former member Nicole Couch, who left prior to the album's release. The album includes the band's cover of Thin Lizzy's "Bad Reputation."
| Built to Perform | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1993 | |||
| Recorded | Total Access Recording, Redondo Beach, California, Rumbo Recorders, Canoga Park, California, Skip Saylor Recording, Hollywood | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 41:56 | |||
| Label | Geffen (US) Roadrunner (Europe and Japan) | |||
| Producer | Max Norman | |||
| Phantom Blue chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 8/10[2] |
Veteran producer Max Norman oversaw the album's production, while Marty Friedman (who was then with Megadeth) and John Norum (of Europe) contributed as guest guitarists. Norum and guitarist Michelle Meldrum eventually married in 1995.[3] "My Misery" was co-written by West Arkeen, known for his collaborations with Guns N' Roses.[4]
Released by Geffen Records, this was the band's only album under a major record label.[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nothing Good" | Michelle Meldrum, Linda McDonald, Kim Nielsen, Nicole Couch | 3:28 |
| 2. | "Time to Run" | Meldrum, Karen Kreutzer, Gigi Hangach, John Norum, Glenn Hughes | 4:18 |
| 3. | "Bad Reputation" | Phil Lynott, Brian Downey, Scott Gorham | 2:31 |
| 4. | "My Misery" | Meldrum, Couch, West Arkeen | 3:44 |
| 5. | "Little Man" | McDonald, Couch | 3:29 |
| 6. | "Better Off Dead" | Meldrum, Kreutzer, McDonald | 3:48 |
| 7. | "Anti Love Crunch" | McDonald, Kreutzer, Hangach | 3:07 |
| 8. | "Loved Ya to Pieces" | Meldrum, Couch | 3:12 |
| 9. | "So Easy" | Couch, Meldrum | 3:32 |
| 10. | "Lied to Me" | Meldrum, Couch | 3:15 |
| 11. | "A Little Evil" | Meldrum, McDonald, Nielsen, Couch | 3:05 |
| 12. | "You're Free" | Meldrum, Couch | 4:26 |
Personnel
- Phantom Blue
- Gigi Hangach – vocals
- Michelle Meldrum – guitars
- Karen Kreutzer – guitar
- Kim Nielsen – bass guitar
- Linda McDonald – drums
- Additional musicians
- Marty Friedman - guitar on "A Little Evil"
- John Norum - guitar on "Better Off Dead"
- A.T Das - In studio additional guitar
- Production
- Max Norman - producer, engineer, mixing
- George Marino - mastering
References
- Jeffries, Vincent. "Phantom Blue Built to Perform review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
- Popoff, Martin (August 1, 2007). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 241–342. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.
- Lasting Tribute - Michelle Meldrum Archived June 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- Phantom Blue Interview/Live in London 1994
- Phantom Blue - Sounds Archived June 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine