One Vice at a Time

One Vice at a Time
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 1982 (UK)[1]
17 March 1982 (US)[2]
Recorded1981
StudioBattery (London)
GenreHard rock, heavy metal
Length36:14
LabelArista
ProducerTony Platt, Krokus
Krokus chronology
Hardware
(1981)
One Vice at a Time
(1982)
Headhunter
(1983)
Singles from One Vice at a Time
  1. "Bad Boys Rag Dolls"
    Released: February 1982 (UK)[3]
  2. "Long Stick Goes Boom"
    Released: June 1982 (US)[4]
  3. "American Woman"
    Released: July 1982 (UK)[5]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal9/10[7]
Record Mirror[8]

One Vice at a Time is the sixth studio album by the Swiss hard rock band Krokus, released in 1982 by Arista Records. It is notable for the strong influence of AC/DC on the songs and production, and was the first album to feature Mark Kohler on rhythm guitar. It includes a cover of the Guess Who's song "American Woman". The song "Long Stick Goes Boom" is used in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories on the fictional in-game radio station V-Rock.[9]

Bruce Dickinson, who at the time had just been hired as Iron Maiden's new lead vocalist, provides backing vocals on the track "I'm on the Run".[10] Producer Tony Platt was best known for his prior work as engineer with AC/DC.[10]

The band's live album Long Stick Goes Boom: Live from da House of Rust took its title from the lead-off song on this release.

UK-based company Rock Candy Records reissued One Vice at a Time on CD in 2014.

Reception

At the time of release British press has negatively commented on the musical content of the album, condemning the musicians as copycats of AC/DC. Reviewer Dante Bonutto from Kerrang! magazine wrote in March 1982: "Krokus's infatuation with AC/DC seems to rule out even a hint of progress. On the evidence One Vice at a Time (and it's true of previous albums, also) the band are less concerned with creating something new than aping a tried, tested and successful formula. With the help of producer Tony Platt, who engineered on Highway to Hell and Back in Black, Krokus create passable facsimile of Angus and Co's distinctively-layered sound. The motivations behind the music and that all-important AC/DC swagger, however, can't be reproduced, a fact that leaves the album sounding two-dimensional and soulless. Music by numbers (largely) predictable and uninspired".[11]

Track listing

Side one
  1. "Long Stick Goes Boom" (Chris von Rohr, Fernando von Arb, Marc Storace) – 5:12
  2. "Bad Boys, Rag Dolls" (von Rohr, von Arb, Storace) – 3:48
  3. "Playin' the Outlaw" (von Rohr, von Arb, Freddy Steady, Storace) – 4:00
  4. "To the Top" (von Rohr, von Arb, Storace) – 4:21
Side two
  1. "Down the Drain" (von Rohr, von Arb) – 3:12
  2. "American Woman" (Burton Cummings, Gary Peterson, Michael James Kale, Randy Bachman) – 3:37 (The Guess Who cover)
  3. "I'm on the Run" (von Rohr, von Arb, Storace) – 3:43
  4. "Save Me" (von Rohr, von Arb, Steady, Storace) – 4:27
  5. "Rock 'n' Roll" (von Rohr, von Arb) – 4:07

Personnel

Krokus
Additional musicians
Production
  • Co-produced by Tony Platt and Krokus
  • Engineered by Tony Platt
  • Barry Sage – assistant engineer
  • Chris von Rohr, Fernando von Arb – arrangements

Charts

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[18] Gold 25,000^
United States 100,000[19]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 472. ISBN 978-0-86241-541-9.
  2. ^ "New Releases" (PDF). FMQB. 12 March 1982. p. 33. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Krokus singles".
  4. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). Great Rock discography. Canongate Press. p. 472. ISBN 978-0-86241-541-9.
  5. ^ "Krokus singles".
  6. ^ Henderson, Alex. "Krokus One Vice at a Time review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  7. ^ Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 191. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5.
  8. ^ Smith, Robin (13 February 1982). "Review: Krokus — One Vice at a Time" (PDF). Record Mirror. p. 15. ISSN 0144-5804. Retrieved 21 April 2021 – via American Radio History.
  9. ^ "KROKUS ONLINE – official homepage – Discography – ONE VICE AT A TIME". Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  10. ^ a b KROKUS' Metal Rendez-vous, Hardware, One Vice At A Time To Be Reissued in Deluxe Format
  11. ^ Bonutto, Dante (1982). "Review: Krokus — One Vice at a Time". Kerrang!. No. 10. London: Spotlight Publications Inc. p. 22. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  12. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Krokus – One Vice at a Time" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  13. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Krokus – One Vice at a Time" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  14. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Krokus – One Vice at a Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Krokus Songs and Albums | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  16. ^ "Krokus Awards". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on 30 April 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  17. ^ "Krokus Awards". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on 30 April 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  18. ^ "Homegrown Krokus Gives Boost to Swiss Industry" (PDF). Billboard. 1 June 1982. p. 54. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Krokus The Big Boom of '82!" (PDF). Billboard. 29 June 1982. p. 17. Retrieved 30 August 2024.