Jeopardy (album)

Jeopardy is the debut studio album by English post-punk band the Sound. It was released on November 1, 1980 by the record label Korova.

Jeopardy
Studio album by
The Sound
ReleasedNovember 1, 1980
Recorded1980
StudioElephant Studio, Wapping, London
GenrePost-punk
Length38:23
LabelKorova
Producer
  • Nick Robbins
  • The Sound
The Sound chronology
Jeopardy
(1980)		 From the Lions Mouth
(1981)
Singles from Jeopardy
  1. "Heyday"
    Released: September 1980

The album fared poorly commercially but received critical acclaim. One single, "Heyday", was released from the album.

Background

Following their 1979 EP Physical World, the band started work on a full-length album. Impressed by the rough mixes, Korova signed the group. Jeopardy was recorded inexpensively at Elephant Studios in London, and was produced by the Sound themselves and Nick Robbins.[1][2] Adrian Janes, ex-member of the Outsiders along with Sound frontman Adrian Borland and Bob Lawrence, contributed writing to two tracks,[2] despite not being a member of the Sound.[1]

Regarding the album, drummer Michael Dudley said:

I felt I had really achieved something in my life. I couldn't wait to hand out copies to family and friends [...] It was the most fun to record and the biggest challenge to work on in the studio [of all the Sound's albums].[3]

Release

The album was preceded by the release of the single "Heyday" in September 1980. The single was well received in the press, with Dave McCullough of Sounds calling the song "one of the most exciting and most astonishingly adept big label debut singles I've heard since the Jam's 'In the City'".[4][5]

Jeopardy was released in November 1980. It was lauded by critics upon its release, but fared poorly commercially, failing to chart in the UK and with the band's fanbase failing to expand further than a cult following.[6]

The album was re-released in 2002 by Renascent with the Live Instinct EP included.[7] The EP contains four tracks recorded live at a show at The Venue in London on 14 January 1981.

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Melody Maker[8]
NME[9]
Record Mirror[10]
Smash Hits8½/10[11]
Sounds[12]
Uncut[13]

Jeopardy was critically lauded, and received full 5-star reviews from three major music publications: NME, Sounds and Melody Maker.[1] Steve Sutherland of Melody Maker wrote: "Jeopardy is one of those records that makes me want to throw all the windows open, crank it up to full volume and blast it out to the world. It clears my head of boredom, strips away the gloom and single-handedly restores my belief in the power of pop to make people stop, think and question. [...] Jeopardy has got more spirit, more soul and more downright honesty about it than any other record I've heard this year".[8]

In a retrospective review, Andy Kellman of AllMusic called Jeopardy "a caustic jolt of a debut that startles and fascinates".[7] PopMatters critic Devon Powers said the album revealed "startling maturity and skill",[14] while Trouser Press remarked that it "has a stark, beautiful quality, with the material given direct exposure rather than a production bath".[15]

Brendan Perry of the Australian musical group Dead Can Dance has praised the album, calling it an "Existentialist post punk jewel".[16]

Track listing
Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Can't Escape Myself"Adrian Borland 
2."Heartland"Borland 
3."Hour of Need"
  • Borland
  • Graham Bailey
  • Michael Dudley
 
4."Words Fail Me"
  • Borland
  • Adrian Janes
 
5."Missiles"Borland 
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Heyday"Borland 
2."Jeopardy"
  • Borland
  • Bi Marshall
  • Bailey
  • Dudley
 
3."Night Versus Day"
  • Borland
  • Janes
  • Bailey
 
4."Resistance"Borland 
5."Unwritten Law"
  • Borland
  • Bailey
 
6."Desire"Borland 
Renascent 2001 reissue bonus tracks (Live Instinct EP)
No.TitleLength
1."Heartland" (live) 
2."Brute Force" (live) 
3."Jeopardy" (live) 
4."Coldbeat" (live) 

Charts
Chart (1980) Peak
position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[17] 23

Personnel
The Sound
  • Adrian Borland – vocals, guitar, production
  • Michael Dudley – drums, production
  • Green (Graham Bailey) – bass guitar, production
  • Belinda "Bi" Marshall – keyboard, production
Technical
  • Nick Robbins – production
  • Sara Batho – sleeve artwork
  • Spencer Rowell – sleeve photography

References
  1. Kellman, Andy. "The Sound". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  2. Jeopardy (liner notes). The Sound. Korova Records. 1980. KODE 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. Reeves, Paul Sutton (March 2002). "Big in Rotterdam". Record Collector. No. 271. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  4. "Brittle Heaven – The Official Adrian Borland Website". Brittle Heaven. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  5. McCullough, Dave (1980). "The Sound: 'Heyday'". Sounds. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  6. Burbeck, Rodney, ed. (15 November 1980). "New Albums" (PDF). Music Week. London: Morgan-Grampian/Music Week. p. 37. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  7. Kellman, Andy. "Jeopardy – The Sound". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  8. Sutherland, Steve (6 November 1980). "Sounding Out". Melody Maker. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  9. Morley, Paul (13 November 1980). "Moany Minor". NME. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  10. Westwood, Chris (1 November 1980). "The Sound: Jeopardy". Record Mirror. p. 20.
  11. Ellen, Mark (13–26 November 1980). "The Sound: Jeopardy". Smash Hits. Vol. 2, no. 23. p. 29.
  12. McCullough, Dave (1 November 1980). "They're a Modern Band". Sounds. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  13. Roberts, Chris (2002). "Paradise Regained". Uncut. Archived from the original on 10 December 2006. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  14. Powers, Devon (31 March 2003). "The Sound: Jeopardy". PopMatters. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  15. Lamey, Charles P.; Rabid, Jack; Ferguson, Scott. "Sound". Trouser Press. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  16. Perry, Brendan [@brendanperry] (6 May 2013). "The Sound – Jeopardy (1980)" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 July 2018 – via Twitter.
  17. "Charts.nz – The Sound – Jeopardy". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
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