Battler (album)
| Battler | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Foolish Creeper | ||||
| Released | March 3, 1982 | |||
| Recorded | January-February 1982 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 41:35 | |||
| Producer | Dave Shevil | |||
| Foolish Creeper chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Battler | ||||
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| Alternate cover | ||||
 35th Anniversary re-release cover |
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Battler is the eponymous debut studio album by American rock band Foolish Creeper, released on March 3, 1982 by Parma Records. The album didn't do well and was critically panned, due to this it's hard to acquire and is out of print.
Production
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stepping Up" | Denis Porter, Lauren Jensen, Karen Weber | 4:38 |
| 2. | "Lost in War" | Porter, Weber | 4:26 |
| 3. | "First Things First" | Porter, Jensen, Weber | 4:14 |
| 4. | "Fighting My Love" | Weber, Roman Erickson | 3:32 |
| 5. | "Don't Forget" | Porter, Jensen, Weber | 4:06 |
| 6. | "Last Kiss" | Wayne Cochran, Joe Carpenter, Randall Hoyal & Bobby McGlon | 2:40 |
| 7. | "Swords Held Long" | Porter, Weber | 5:35 |
| 8. | "Firm Grips" | Porter, Weber, Erickson | 4:46 |
| 9. | "The Battle of a Dying Man" | Porter, Weber, Jensen, Erickson, Craig Hansen | 3:10 |
| 10. | "Battler" | Weber, Jensen | 4:28 |
| Total length: | 41:35 | ||
| 2017 Re-recording/re-release bonus tracks | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 11. | "Careless Whisper (from Inside Out)" | George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley | 5:33 |
| 12. | "Back At You (from Backwards From the Front)" | Porter, Weber, Erickson | 3:48 |
| 13. | "Very Crash (from Break It Off)" | Jensen, Erickson | 4:24 |
Reception
When the album was released, critics called it 'a weak attempt at matching the modern trend of hard rock'. Due to the negative reviews, Parma Records were frustrated and angered with the band leading to a heated argument with lead singer Denis Porter and the band's manager/producer Dave Shevil. The argument resulted in the band being dropped by the label and the master tapes destroyed. This has since caused the album to be a rarity among fans and collectors since it hasn't been available since it's original pressing.
Battler...Again
Since the master tapes were destroyed, the band was unable to ever release their debut album on future formats or digitally through online services. In 2017, lead singer Denis Porter and lead guitarist Lauren Jensen decided to re-record the entire album in celebration of its 35th anniversary. The re-recording allowed the band to return to their original hard rock roots. The wounds caused by the original argument with Parma Records had long since healed and for the first time in 35 years, Battler was available for purchase again.
With the new release of the album, the band decided to add three additional songs all of which were re-recordings of previous catalog deep cuts.
Personnel
- Denis Porter – lead vocals, keyboards
- Lauren Jensen – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Craig Hansen – rhythm guitar
- Karen Weber – bass
- Roman Erickson – drums, percussion
