Wildwall

Description

Wildwall is the sophomore and final studio album by the British folk-rock duo Malcolm & Alwyn (Malcolm Wild and Alwyn Wall), released in the UK on Key Records in 1974. Also released in the US the following year by Myrrh Records, a division of Word. (The album title is a play on the guys second names.) The album was recorded by Denny Bridges at Redan Recorders in London, England; and was produced by Triumvirate Productions (Jon Miller, Rod Edwards, and Roger Hand). Mixed by Bridges and Bill Price. Brass arranged by Roger Ball of The Average White Band. All songs co-written by Malcolm Wild and Alwyn Wall.

Wildwall was voted Album of the Year in a Reader’s Poll conducted by the British gospel magazine Buzz. Like its predecessor Fool’s Wisdom, Wildwall was issued in the US on Myrrh Records and was the first Key Records effort to sell well in the American Christian music market.

Wildwall pumps up the volume a notch with more rock and roll («I Feel Fine», «Spaceman», and «Buried Alive»). A bit of George Harrison-styled guitar graces «I’ll Carry You Through», while harmonica and a Byrdsy guitar solo adorn the pure folk-rock of the title track. «Stay With Me» and «Someone To Sing To» are up there with the best autoharp’d acoustic gems from Fool’s Wisdom. Horns enliven the folk-rock/pop number «I Love», while the ballad «I Love You More Than Yesterday» receives a saxophone solo. Also some string orchestration in parts. Mandolin, harmonica and brass decorate the closing «England Goodbye». Includes a fold-out poster with lyrics. Released in the US on Myrrh records (MSA-6534-LP). Both these albums are essential Jesus music classics. The gents would go on to release solo albums, form separate side projects (The Alwyn Wall Band, Malcolm & The Mirrors) and reunite for a live album in 1981. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th edition]

Malcolm Wild & Alwyn Wall wandered around the churches and coffee bars and concert halls of mid ’70s England playing as an acoustic duo. They were like the Phil & John of their day except that for this, their second album recorded in 1974, they decided to plug in and turn up the volume a little bit. Only a little bit mind. Rockers like «Burried Alive» and «I Feel Fine» are very influenced by Larry Norman‘s brand of mid ’70s pop rock whilst the poppier groove of «I Love» is a particular favourite of mine. (Cliff Richard liked it too, he covered it on his ‘Small Corners‘ album.) «Spaceman» has a brilliant quirky ’70s vibe to it which sounds like fun now and slower songs like «I Love You More Than Yesterday» and «Stay With Me» are similar to the acoustic material on their debut album ‘Fool’s Wisdom‘. ‘Wildwall’ comes complete with three bonus live tracks recorded in California including a version of «Fool’s Wisdom» and a hilarious «I Feel Fine» which captures their live spirit. Ahhh.memories! [Mike Rimmer, Cross Rhythms, July 2005]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/wildwall-re-mastered/81005057)

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “I Feel Fine”
A2. “I Love You More Than Yesterday”
A3. “Spaceman”
A4. “Someone To Sing To”
A5. “I’ll Carry You Through”

Side Two
B1. “Buried Alive”
B2. “Stay With Me”
B3. “I Love”
B4. “Wildwall”
B5. “England Goodbye”

Note: Re-issued on CD by Footstep Recordings ‎in 1999, digitally remastered and featuring three live bonus tracks: “I Feel Fine”, “Morning Star”, and “Fool’s Wisdom”.

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