Body Blow
studio
ArtistHeadless Chickens
CoverHeadless Chickens Body Blow 1991 album cover.jpeg
Released1991, rereleased 1993
GenreRock, industrial
LabelFlying Nun Records
ProducerRex Visible, Michael Koppelman
Prev year1988
Next year1997

Body Blow is the second studio album by New Zealand rock band the Headless Chickens. It was originally released in 1991, then rereleased for Australia in 1993 with a substantially reworked track list, losing "Crash Hot" and "Road Train" but gaining "Mr. Moon", "Juice", "Choppers" and some remixes.[1] Another Australian version followed in 1994 with the addition of a bonus disc containing six remixes.[2]

Body Blow is Headless Chickens' most successful album, including three top-10 singles and achieving double platinum sales.[3] The album includes a cover of "Inside Track", originally recorded as "The Inside Track" by New Zealand new wave band Stridulators.[4][5]

Reviewed in Rolling Stone Australia, the first single, "Gaskrankinstation", was noted for its inability to be categorised. It was described as a "tragic saga of a callous fool trapped in a dumb job and a loveless marriage. The tempo builds inexorably with the sense of an impending catastrophe."[6]

On 29 March 2019, an extended version was reissued.[7]

Personnel

Headless Chickens

  • Chris Matthews – vocals, guitar, keyboards
  • Fiona McDonald – vocals, keyboards
  • Grant Fell – bass, keyboards
  • Michael Lawry – keyboards
  • Anthony Nevison – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards
  • Bevan Sweeney – drums

Additional personnel

  • Rex Visible – keyboards

Production

  • Rex Visible – engineer, producer
  • Michael Koppelman – engineer, producer
  • Anthony Nevison – engineer
  • Phil "Feel" Jones – engineer assistant

Chart positions

Album charts

ChartPeak
position
New Zealand Albums Chart[8]17
Australian Albums Chart[9]45

Certifications

CountryCertification
New Zealand[10]Platinum x2

References

  1. ^ "Headless Chickens". Flying Nun. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  2. ^ "Headless Chickens - Body Blow". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-01-12.
  3. ^ "Headless Chickens". NZ Charts.
  4. ^ "Headless Chickens - Inside Track". YouTube. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  5. ^ "Stridulators – Queue / The Inside Track". Discogs. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  6. ^ Demetrius, Mark (July 1990). "Honey Steel's Gold Ed Kuepper". Rolling Stone Australia. No. 446. Sydney, NSW: Tilmond Pty Ltd. p. 105.
  7. ^ "Headless Chickens and Flying Nun Records announce Body Blow reissue". Stuff Limited. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  8. ^ "HEADLESS CHICKENS - BODY BLOW (ALBUM)". Charts NZ. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  9. ^ "HEADLESS CHICKENS - BODY BLOW (ALBUM)". Australian Charts. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  10. ^ "The Headless Chickens". Stuff. Retrieved 6 February 2013.