Condition Critical

Condition Critical is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Quiet Riot. Released in 1984, it was not nearly as successful as its predecessor (1983's Metal Health) in either fan reaction or sales. However, it did sell over one million copies, peaking at No. 15 on the US Billboard album chart. Like the band's previous album, Condition Critical features a Slade cover song as the second track.

Condition Critical
Studio album by
Quiet Riot
ReleasedJuly 27, 1984
Recorded1984
StudioPasha Music House North Hollywood, California
Genre
Length44:02
LabelPasha
ProducerSpencer Proffer
Quiet Riot chronology
Metal Health
(1983)		 Condition Critical
(1984)		 QR III
(1986)

Tracks "Party All Night" (also known as "Party All Nite") and "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" had music videos made for them, both receiving some airplay on TV. The same man with a metal mask from the last album cover is on this cover as well as many of the band's subsequent album covers, establishing him as the band's mascot. The character also has cameos in both aforementioned music videos.

The track "Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet" shares its title with the original American title to Slade's 1974 album Old New Borrowed and Blue.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

As stated in the program Behind the Music, frontman Kevin DuBrow's combative attitude towards music journalists and fellow metal musicians – for example, he likened the magazine Hit Parader to toilet paper – was felt by other band members and their producer to have hurt the album's reviews. DuBrow later agreed and expressed regret.[2]

In a 2019 interview with BraveWords, Frankie Banali explained a possible reason for the album not being as strong musically as its successful predecessor. "As soon as we got back to Los Angeles after the tour, the label wanted us to go straight back into the studio to record another record - with the old ‘strike while the iron is hot’ type of mentality. So, we were not well-rested, and we would have been better served had we had time to really take in the previous year and then go in fresh and do another record. But we just didn’t have a choice in the matter.”[3]

AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave Condition Critical a mixed-to-positive review, stating that he found the band's Slade cover to be the best track on the album given the "solid hook" of its guitar riffs.[1]

Musician reviewer J. D. Considine wrote simply: "Prognosis: Terminal."[4]

Commercial performance

The album did not garner the same amount of sales as its predecessor, Metal Health. It reached the No. 15 slot on the Billboard 200.[1]

Track listing

All songs written by Kevin DuBrow, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sign of the Times"
5:03
2."Mama Weer All Crazee Now" (Slade cover)
3:38
3."Party All Night" 3:32
4."Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet" 4:38
5."Winners Take All" 5:32
6."Condition Critical"
5:02
7."Scream and Shout"
4:01
8."Red Alert" 4:28
9."Bad Boy" 4:21
10."(We Were) Born to Rock" 3:34

Personnel

Quiet Riot
Additional Personnel

Production

Charts
Chart (1984-1985) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[5] 47
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[6] 14
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[7] 11
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[8] 42
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[9] 35
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[10] 13
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[11] 18
UK Albums (OCC)[12] 71
US Billboard 200[13] 15

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[14] Platinum 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[15] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Allmusic review
  2. Behind the Music: Quiet Riot
  3. Prato, Greg (December 12, 2019). "QUIET RIOT'S FRANKIE BANALI TALKS CANCER BATTLE – "IF ANYTHING THAT I CAN SAY CAN HELP EVEN ONE PERSON, THEN IT'S WORTH ME SAYING IT"". BraveWords.
  4. Considine, J.D. (October 1984). "Home by Dawn". Musician.
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 8532". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  7. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  8. "Offiziellecharts.de – Quiet Riot – Condition Critical" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  9. "Charts.nz – Quiet Riot – Condition Critical". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  10. "Norwegiancharts.com – Quiet Riot – Condition Critical". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  11. "Swedishcharts.com – Quiet Riot – Condition Critical". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  12. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  13. "Quiet Riot Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  14. "Canadian album certifications – Quiet Riot – Condition Critical". Music Canada.
  15. "American album certifications – Quiet Riot – Condition Critical". Recording Industry Association of America.
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