{{use mdy dates|date=November 2023}} {{use list-defined references|date=November 2023}} {{Infobox album | name = External Combustion | type = studio | artist = Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs | cover = The Dirty Knobs - External Combustion.jpg | alt = A photo of Mike Campbell leaning in a doorway next to a guitar | released = {{start date|2022|03|04}} | recorded = | studio = Hocus Pocus Recorders, California, US | genre = Rock<ref name="amg" /> | length = {{Duration|m=44|s=42}} | language = English | label = BMG | producer = *Mike Campbell *George Drakoulias | prev_title = Wreckless Abandon | prev_year = 2020 | next_title = | next_year = }} {{quote-box|align=right|width=20%|You're right, I do write a lot. In some ways, staying home and not being able to tour was kind of normal for me. Because when I'm home, I'm very active with writing and I have a studio here. That didn't slow me down. I was regretful that we couldn't do the tour. But I think all of those dates are still sold and ready to go now. You know, some of the songs, I've noticed as I look back at them, I don't write about specific things necessarily. But as I look back at this album we just did, some of the lyrics seem to be indirectly about being isolated and trying to find a better world than you're in. [Laughs] So it might have been subliminal.|—Frontman Mike Campbell on writing, recording, and planning his first tour after the COVID-19 pandemic<ref name="ucrint" />}}
'''''External Combustion''''' is the second studio album by American rock band Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs. The album was released by BMG Rights Management in 2023 to positive reviews and was supported by the first large-scale tour from the band,<ref name="azc" /> which included cover songs from Campbell's former group Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,<ref name="rs" /> as well as songs from the band's debut album ''Wreckless Abandon''.<ref name="forbes" />
==Reception== {{MCalbum|External Combustion|positive|76|four}}<ref name="mc" /> Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4 out of 5 stars, with critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine writing that while "this 2022 affair shares many of the same attributes" as the band's debut album ''Wreckless Abandon'', "it's not quite as rough and garagey" resulting in "handsomely crafted classic rock played with flair, wit, and precision, elements that make familiar tropes seem fresh" comparable to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers's 2014 release ''Hypnotic Eye''.<ref name="amg" /> In ''Classic Rock'', Claudia Elliott gave this release a 7 out of 10, calling it "another shot of hard-driving, foot-tapping rock'n'roll".<ref name="cr" /> Charles Waring gave ''External Combustion'' 3 out of 5 stars for ''Mojo'' and characterized the music as "grungy, scuzzy and for all the covert craft of the playing, unashamedly garage".<ref name="mojo" /> At ''Ultimate Classic Rock'', Gary Graff called this album "solid from start to finish" and stated that it "assures us that the Dirty Knobs are not a side-band lark but... a worthy full-time concern for Campbell and his talents".<ref name="ucr" /> Bud Scoppa of ''Uncut'' rated this work an 8 out of 10 and highlighted many tracks, stating that the music ends "in a blaze of guitar glory".<ref name="uncut" />
==Track listing== All songs written by Mike Campbell. #"Wicked Mind" – 3:55 #"Brigitte Bardot" – 3:23 #"Cheap Talk" – 4:38 #"External Combustion" – 4:11 #"Dirty Job" – 4:13 #"State of Mind" – 4:18 #"Lightning Boogie" – 4:00 #"Rat City" – 4:01 #"In This Lifetime" – 3:37 #"It Is Written" – 3:52 #"Electric Gypsy" – 4:36
==Personnel== '''The Dirty Knobs''' *Mike Campbell – lead guitar, vocals, production *Matt Laug – drums, backing vocals *Lance Morrison – bass guitar, backing vocals *Jason Sinay – guitar, vocals
'''Additional personnel''' *Chris Bellman – mastering for vinyl LP edition *Charlie Bisharat – violin *Katisse Buckingham – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone *Daphne Chen – strings, violin *Giovanna Clayton – cello *Dennis Dibrizzi – photography *George Drakoulias – percussion, vocals, production *Wrenne Evans – photography *Ian Hunter – piano on "Dirty Job", vocals on "Dirty Job" *Gabriel Johnson – trumpet *Sheva Kafai – photography *Leah Katz – viola *Erm Navarro – trombone *Chris Phelps – photography *Martin Pradler – engineering, mixing, mastering *Margo Price – vocals on "State of Mind", backing vocals on "Cheap Talk" *Benmont Tench – piano on "Lightning Boogie" *Patrick Warren – horn arrangements, string arrangements *Miles Wintner – cover art, layout
==See also== *2022 in American music *Lists of 2022 albums
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="amg">{{Cite web |url=https://allmusic.com/album/mw0003651279 |title=Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs – External Combustion |language=en-US |website=AllMusic |publisher=RhythmOne |access-date=2023-11-08 |first=Stephen Thomas |last=Erlewine |date=n.d. |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}</ref> <ref name="azc">{{Cite news |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/05/31/mike-campbell-dirty-knobs-phoenix-concert-preview/70270695007/ |title=Tom Petty guitarist Mike Campbell on moving on with own band: 'It gets a little emotional' |language=en-US |department=Music |newspaper=The Arizona Republic |issn=2766-452X |publisher=Gannett |access-date=2023-11-09 |first=Ed |last=Masley |date=2023-05-31}}</ref> <ref name="cr">{{Cite magazine |issn=1464-7834 |magazine=Classic Rock |language=en-GB |last=Elliott |first=Claudia |date=May 2021 |pages=82–83 |title=Reviews |department=The Hard Stuff}}</ref> <ref name="forbes">{{Cite magazine |magazine=Forbes |language=en-US |department=Business > Hollywood & Entertainment |last=Ryan |first=Jim |access-date=2023-11-08 |date=2022-02-28 |title=Mike Campbell On New Dirty Knobs Album 'External Combustion' And Return To The Road |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimryan1/2022/02/28/mike-campbell-on-new-dirty-knobs-album-external-combustion-and-return-to-the-road/?sh=258c07671a82 |issn=0015-6914}}</ref> <ref name="mc">{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/external-combustion/mike-campbell-the-dirty-knobs |title=External Combustion by Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs Reviews and Tracks – Metacritic |language=en-US |website=Metacritic |publisher=Fandom, Inc. |access-date=2023-11-09 |date=n.d.}}</ref> <ref name="mojo">{{Cite magazine |magazine=Mojo |lang=en-GB |issn=1351-0193 |publisher=Bauer Media Group |last=Waring |first=Charles |page=94 |date=May 2022 |title=Filter Albums}}</ref> <ref name="rs">{{Cite magazine |issn=0035-791X |department=Music > Music News |language=en-US |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=2022-03-24 |first=Andy |last=Greene |access-date=2023-11-09 |title=Watch Mike Campbell Play Tom Petty Classics On First-Ever Solo Tour |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mike-campbell-play-tom-petty-classics-solo-tour-1326209/}}</ref> <ref name="ucr">{{Cite web |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/mike-campbell-and-the-dirty-knobs-external-combustion-album-review/ |title=Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs, 'External Combustion': Review |language=en-US |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=2023-11-09 |date=2022-03-01 |last=Graff |first=Gary}}</ref> <ref name="ucrint">{{Cite web |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/mike-campbell-dirty-knobs-interview-2022/ |title=How Mike Campbell Found His Way Out of Isolation With New Album |language=en-US |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=2023-11-09 |date=2022-03-03 |last=Wardlaw |first=Matthew}}</ref> <ref name="uncut">{{Cite magazine |magazine=Uncut |language=en-GB |date=May 2022 |last=Scoppa |first=Bud |title=New Albums |page=25 |issn=1368-0722}}</ref> }}
==External links== *{{Discogs master}} *{{MBrgID}} *[https://www.bmg.com/us/news/Mike-Campbell-The-Dirty-Knobs-External-Combustion.html Press release from BMG] *[https://consequence.net/2022/03/mike-campbell-external-combustion-kyle-meredith-with/ Mike Campbell on External Combustion and Getting Songwriting Advice from Bob Dylan] *[https://www.loudersound.com/news/mike-campbell-and-the-dirty-knobs-launch-wicked-mind-video Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs launch Wicked Mind video]
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Category:2022 albums Category:Albums produced by George Drakoulias Category:Albums produced by Mike Campbell (musician) Category:BMG Rights Management albums Category:The Dirty Knobs albums