# Daddy's Highway

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***Daddy's Highway*** is the [1987](/source/1987_in_music) debut album by [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand) [indie rock](/source/Indie_rock) group [the Bats](/source/The_Bats_(New_Zealand_band)).

## Recording and release

By 1986, the Bats had released three critically acclaimed EPs, but still had not released a full-length album. While touring in the U.K. that year, an acquaintance in [Glasgow](/source/Glasgow) offered the use of his home 8 track studio. Half of the tracks for what would become *Daddy's Highway* were recorded there.[1]

Upon their return to New Zealand, recording was completed at Nightshift in [Christchurch](/source/Christchurch), and the album was released by [Flying Nun](/source/Flying_Nun_Records) in 1987. "Block of Wood" was released as a 7-inch vinyl single.[2]

## Reception

*Daddy's Highway* is the Bats' most highly regarded album, and has been named one of the best New Zealand albums of the 1980s.[3] *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))* Los Angeles bureau chief Dave DiMartino named it one of the 10 best albums of 1989 in a year-end issue of that magazine,[4] while [Everett True](/source/Everett_True) called it a "minor masterpiece".[5] In 2000, it placed No. 88 in *[Rip It Up](/source/Rip_It_Up_(magazine))* magazine's list of New Zealand's Top 100 Albums of All Time.[6] Notable tracks on the album include "North by North", "Tragedy" and the lead single, "Block of Wood", all of which were staples on New Zealand student radio.

## Reissues

The [compact disc](/source/Compact_disc) release swapped the order of sides one and two of the LP and added five bonus tracks: "Calm Before the Storm" and "Candidate", which were the B-sides to the "Block of Wood" single; and "Mad on You", "Trouble in This Town" and "Made Up in Blue", which constituted the band's *[Made Up in Blue](/source/Made_Up_in_Blue)* EP.

In October 2010, Flying Nun reissued *Daddy's Highway*. The album was remastered by Paul Kean, and the same five bonus tracks were added.

## Track listing

All songs written by [Robert Scott](/source/Robert_Scott_(musician)).

### Original LP

**Side one**

1. "Block of Wood" – 3:12
1. "Miss These Things" – 3:07
1. "Mid City Team" – 2:25
1. "Some Peace Tonight" – 2:53
1. "Had to Be You" – 3:03
1. "Daddy's Highway" – 4:00

**Side two**

1. "Treason" – 2:55
1. "Sir Queen" – 3:25
1. "Round and Down" – 2:18
1. "Take It" – 2:30
1. "North by North" – 4:08
1. "Tragedy" – 3:00

- CD releases swap sides one and two and add five bonus tracks

1. "Calm Before the Storm" – 2:55
1. "Candidate" – 3:25
1. "Mad on You" – 2:18
1. "Trouble in This Town" – 2:30
1. "Made Up in Blue" – 4:08

## Personnel

**The Bats**

- [Robert Scott](/source/Robert_Scott_(musician)) – lead vocals, guitars
- Kaye Woodward – vocals, guitars; organ ("Tragedy"); bass guitar ("Block of Wood", "Had to Be You")
- [Paul Kean](/source/Paul_Kean) – vocals, bass guitar; organ ("Daddy's Highway"); guitars ("Block of Wood", "Had to Be You")
- Malcolm Grant – drums; drum machine ("Mid City Team")

**Additional musician**

- [Alastair Galbraith](/source/Alastair_Galbraith_(musician)) – violin ("Treason", "Sir Queen", "North by North")

**Technical**

- Paul Kean – engineer, mixing
- Callum MacLean – assistant engineer (side one, tracks 2–5)
- Rob Pinder – engineer (side one, tracks 1, 6; side two, tracks 7–12)
- Arnold Von Bussell – engineer (side one, tracks 1, 6; side two, tracks 7–12)
- Malcolm Grant – sleeve, [Polaroids](/source/Polaroid_film)

## References

1. Kean, Paul. ["The Bats: Ancient History – Official Site"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110724194822/http://thebats.co.nz/TourHistory.html). The Bats. Archived from [the original](http://thebats.co.nz/TourHistory.html) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.

1. ["The Bats – Official Site"](http://thebats.co.nz/). The Bats. Retrieved 7 December 2011.

1. Hogg, Colin. ["Flying Nun Records – The Bats"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111123220409/http://www.flyingnun.co.nz/artist/35/show_group). [Flying Nun Records](/source/Flying_Nun_Records). Archived from [the original](http://www.flyingnun.co.nz/artist/35/show_group) on 23 November 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.

1. DiMartino, Dave (1989-12-23). ["The Critics' Choice"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/1438689065). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Vol. 101, no. 51. p. 96. Retrieved 2024-03-04.

1. True, Everett (1989-01-21). ["The Bats – Daddy's Highway"](https://archive.org/details/sim_melody-maker_1989-01-21_65_3). *[Melody Maker](/source/Melody_Maker)*. Vol. 65, no. 3. p. 28. – via Internet Archive.

1. Muller, Fred. ["New Zealand's Top 100 Albums of All Time"](https://archive.today/20130421041229/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/nz_100.htm). Rock List. Archived from [the original](https://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/nz_100.htm) on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2011.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Daddy's Highway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy's_Highway) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy's_Highway?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.