2WO — Mediated Wiki

{{About|the Strange Advance album|the industrial metal band|2wo|other uses|2wo (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox album | name = 2WO | type = Studio album | artist = Strange Advance | cover = 2WO (Strange Advance album) coverart.jpg | alt = | released = February 1985 | recorded = Phase One Studios, Toronto, Britannia Row, London, UK, Mushroom Studios, Vancouver, BC, ESP Studios, Buttonville, Ontario | venue = | studio = | genre = Rock, new wave | length = | label = Capitol | producer = Drew Arnott<br>Michael Kamen <small>("Nor Crystal Tears" only)</small> | prev_title = Worlds Away | prev_year = 1982 | next_title = The Distance Between | next_year = 1988 | misc = {{Singles | name = 2WO | type = studio | single1 = We Run | single1date = 1985 | single2 = Running Away | single2date = 1985 | single3 = The Second That I Saw You | single3date = 1985 }} }}

'''''2WO''''' is the second studio album by Canadian new wave band Strange Advance released in February, 1985. It featured two hit Canadian singles, "We Run" and "The Second That I Saw You". Along with their first album, this was a Canadian gold record for the band.<ref name="jam.canoe.ca"/>

==Background and writing== This recording features heavy use of keyboards and synthesizers including the Fairlight, Yamaha DX7, and Jupiter 8.{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}}

Recalling the inspiration behind the hit song "We Run", Drew Arnott said it was "one of those 'wake up sweating' dreams. I just described what I saw. The smallest things can be the most inspiring. Ed Shaw added a delay to a sound in "We Run" which made the whole track come alive for me. Major bow to Michael Kamen for the strings and Scott Litt (REM) for the mix."{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}}

One song written during the ''2WO'' sessions but left off the record was "Lady with a Blade", which would later appear on the 1995 compilation album ''Worlds Away & Back''.

==Critical reception== {{Album reviews |rev1 = AllMusic |rev1score = {{rating|4.5|5}}<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r217074|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic Review]</ref> }}

Tomas Mureika of allmusic calls ''2WO'' "A seriously overlooked album".<ref name="allmusic.com"/>

==Track listing== {{Tracklist | all_writing = Drew Arnott, except where noted<ref name="collectionscanada.gc.ca"/> | extra_column = Producer(s) | title1 = I'll Be the One to Cry | writer1 = Drew Arnott | extra1= Drew Arnott | length1 = 3:56 | title2 = The Second That I Saw You | writer2 = Arnott | extra2= Arnott | length2 = 3:20 | title3 = We Run | writer3 = Arnott | extra3= Arnott | length3 = 3:59 | title4 = Prelude | writer4 = Arnott | extra4= Arnott | length4 = 2:02 | title5 = Home of the Brave | writer5 = Arnott | extra5= Arnott | length5 = 6:34 | title6 = The Sounds of Life | writer6 = Arnott | extra6= Arnott | length6 = 4:00 | title7 = Blue Fire | writer7 = Darryl Kromm | extra7= Arnott | length7 = 4:14 | title8 = Just Like You | writer8 = Arnott | extra8= Arnott | length8 = 5:41 | title9 = Running Away | writer9 = Kromm | extra9= Arnott | length9 = 4:15 | title10 = Nor Crystal Tears | writer10 = Kromm | extra10= Michael Kamen | length10 = 5:06 }}

==Album credits== ===Personnel=== * Darryl Kromm – lead vocals, guitar * Drew Arnott – keyboards, drums, vocals, lead vocal on "We Run"

with:

* Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve – bass * Gerald O'Brien – keyboards and arrangement assistance * Howard Ayee – bass on "We Run", "The Second That I Saw You" * Dawnlee Tait – backing vocals * Andy Bown – 12 string guitar; bass on "Running Away" * Ed Shaw – guitar * Andy Newmark – drums on "Running Away" * Earl Slick – guitar on "Running Away" * David Roberts – backing vocals * Steve Sexton – keyboards on "We Run" * Keith Scott – guitars * Chitose Ishikura – Japanese voiceover on "The Second That I Saw You" * Chris Arnott – Gaelic voiceover * Kevin Markland – percussion * Laura Oldham – slapstick * Michael Kamen – oboe, keyboards, vocal effect on "I'll Be the One to Cry" * Domenic Troiano – guitar on "The Second That I Saw You" * Tony Lester – guitar * Simon Brierley – lead guitar * John Jones – piano * Ericka Goodman – harp * Bernie LaBarge – backing vocals * John Forbes, Jean Piche, Dee Long, Drew Arnott – Fairlight programming

===Production=== * Drew Arnott –– producer * Michael Kamen – producer of "Nor Crystal Tears", string arrangements on "We Run" * Remixing – Scott Litt; Drew Arnott & Lenny DeRose on "Nor Crystal Tears" * Engineering – Lenny DeRose, Andy Jackson, Dave Oglivie, Dee Long, Scott Litt * Mastering – Bob Ludwig, Masterdisk, New York

==References== ;Citations {{Reflist | colwidth = 30em | refs =

<ref name="allmusic.com"> {{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/artist/strange-advance-p20793/biography | title = Strange Advance > 2WO > Review | author = Tomas Mureika | publisher = AllMusic | accessdate = 19 February 2011 }} </ref>

<ref name="collectionscanada.gc.ca"> {{cite web | url = http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/ourl/res.php?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_tim=2011-02-20T09%3A20%3A23Z&url_ctx_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=5482513&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fcollectionscanada.gc.ca%3Aamicus | title = AMICUS No. 5482513 | author = Library and Archives Canada | author-link = Library and Archives Canada | work = collectionscanada.gc.ca | publisher = canada.gc.ca/main_e.html | accessdate = 19 February 2011 }} </ref>

<ref name="jam.canoe.ca"> {{cite web | url = http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/S/Strange_Advance.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160310040816/http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/S/Strange_Advance.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 10 March 2016 | title = Artist: Strange Advance Biography | date = 7 December 2004 | work = canoe.com | publisher = Jam! | access-date = 19 February 2011 }} </ref>

}}

;Other {{Refbegin}} * {{cite AV media notes | title = Worlds Away & Back | title-link = 2WO | others = Strange Advance  | year = 1991 | type = Insert | publisher = Capitol | id = ST 12349 | location = Mississauga }} {{Refend}}

Category:1985 albums Category:Strange Advance albums Category:Capitol Records albums