Wild Frontier

Wild Frontier is the sixth solo studio album by Irish guitarist Gary Moore, released in 1987. His first studio effort after a trip back to his native Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1985. The album contains several songs about Ireland and even the music itself is steeped in Celtic roots. The album is dedicated to the memory of Moore's close friend and former Thin Lizzy bandmate Phil Lynott, who died on 4 January 1986, with the words "For Philip" on the rear cover.

Wild Frontier contains the hit single "Over the Hills and Far Away", which reached No. 20 in the UK, as well as a cover of the Easybeats' song "Friday on My Mind". The Max Middleton-penned "The Loner" which was originally recorded by Cozy Powell for his Over the Top album in 1979 (on which Moore performed, but not on Powell's recording of "The Loner"). The track was substantially altered by Moore for his own recording, that is why he is credited as a co-writer.

All drums on Wild Frontier are sequenced with a drum machine, although the programming is uncredited in the liner notes of the album. Future Toto drummer Simon Phillips would appear on the music video for "Over the Hills and Far Away," as well in early promotions for the album. He would be replaced by former Black Sabbath drummer Eric Singer for the tour, before leaving shortly afterwards to form Badlands.

"Over the Hills and Far Away" was covered by the Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish on their 2001 EP of the same title, and by Swedish viking metal band Thyrfing on their album Urkraft. The Spanish band Saurom also recorded a cover of this song with alternative lyrics, titled "La Disolución de la Comunidad".

 Track listing 

 Personnel 

 Gary Moore – lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, lead and backing vocals, producer on tracks 5, 7, and 8
 Neil Carter – keyboards, backing vocals
 Bob Daisley – bass

 Production

 Peter Collins – producer on tracks 1, 2, 4, 9, 10 and 12
 Pete Smith – producer on tracks 3 and 6
 James "Jimbo" Barton – producer on tracks 5, 7, 8 and 13, engineer on tracks 1 and 2, mixing on tracks 3 and 6
 Chris Porter – engineer on tracks 2 and 4
 Mike Stone – producer on track 11
 Nigel Walker – producer on track 14

 Certifications 
CountryOrganizationYearSalesUKBPI1987Silver (+ 60,000)SwedenIFPI Sweden1987Platinum (+ 30,000)IFPI Sweden – Gold & Platinum 1987–1998 (pdf) FinlandIFPI Finland1987Gold (+ 25,000)

 References 

Category:1987 albums