| Simple Mission | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1990 | |||
| Studio | A&M, Los Angeles, Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, and Distorto, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 53:59 | |||
| Label | Capitol1 | |||
| Producer | Tom Werman | |||
| Glass Tiger chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Simple Mission | ||||
| ||||
Simple Mission is the third album by the Canadian band Glass Tiger, released in 1991.23
The single "My Town" features Rod Stewart on lead vocals alongside Alan Frew, and reached No. 33 on the UK, marking the band's second highest position in that country.45 "Animal Heart" received a Juno Award nomination.6 The album was certified platinum in Canada.7
Production
The album was produced mostly by Tom Werman.8 Tony Thompson played drums on the majority of its tracks.9 The band attempted to incorporate rock styles alongside its pop.10
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Windsor Star | B11 |
The Toronto Star wrote: "By the fourth or fifth listen, one senses the pure, unvarnished Glass Tiger, and that's a band still very much rooted in the ethos of mid-'70s arena-rock, a hybrid of your basic REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Journey and Kansas."9 The Windsor Star noted that the album "has a raunchier, gutsier sound on most of the tunes, a conscious effort on their part to emphasize guitar rather than keyboards."11 The Edmonton Journal concluded that "every cut on this uneven effort is slathered with rackety electric guitar riffs and self-consciously aggressive vocals that ape everyone from Aerosmith's Steve Tyler to Corey Hart."12
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blinded" | Connelly, Frew, Dvoskin | 4:38 |
| 2. | "Animal Heart" | Connelly, Frew, Dvoskin | 3:50 |
| 3. | "Let's Talk" | Frew, Reid, Vallance | 4:23 |
| 4. | "Where Did Our Love Go" | Frew, Reid, Vallance | 4:31 |
| 5. | "My Town" | Connelly, Frew, Parker, Cregan | 4:49 |
| 6. | "The Rhythm of Your Love" | Connelly, Frew | 4:38 |
| 7. | "Spanish Slumber" | Frew, Reid | 1:29 |
| 8. | "Simple Mission" | Frew, Reid | 4:34 |
| 9. | "Stand or Fall" | Frew, Reid, Vallance, Sandford | 3:59 |
| 10. | "Rescued (By the Arms of Love)" | Frew, Parker, Washbrook | 4:16 |
| 11. | "One to One" | Frew, Reid, Vallance | 4:30 |
| 12. | "One Night Alone" | Frew, Reid, Vallance | 4:06 |
| 13. | "(She Said) Love Me Like a Man" | Frew, Reid, Vallance | 4:09 |
Produced by Tom Werman except:
- track 5, produced by Tom Werman and Jim Cregan
- track 7, produced by Sam Reid
- track 11, produced by Tom Werman and Jim Vallance
Personnel
Glass Tiger
- Al Connelly - guitars
- Wayne Parker - electric bass
- Sam Reid - keyboards
- Alan Frew - vocals
Additional musicians
- Drums: Tony Thompson (except tracks 4 and 6)
- Drums: John Keane (tracks 4 and 6)
- Backing vocals: Tom Kelly, Tommy Funderburk, Rique Franks, Jeff Scott Soto, Mark Free, Paul Rafferty
- Spanish voice: Maria Del Rey
- Vocals on "My Town": Rod Stewart
- Acoustic guitar on "My Town": Jim Cregan
- Additional guitars: Tim Pierce
- Additional keyboards on "One to One": Jim Vallance
- Saxophone solo on "Where Did Our Love Go": Gary Herbig
- Extra percussion: Alex Acuña
- String Arrangement on "Where Did Our Love Go": James Newton Howard
Production
- Associate Producer: Sam Reid
- Engineering: Eddie DeLena
- Mixing: Eddie DeLena and David Thoener
- Assistance: Neal Avron, Ed Goodreau, Greg Goldman, and Efren Herrera
- Additional Engineering: Neal Avron
- Recording: Jim Vallance
- Mastering: Stephen Marcussen (Precision Lacquer, Los Angeles)
Charts
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)13 | 13 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)14 | 27 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)15 | Platinum | 100,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
References
- "A Simple Mission Turns Complicated". The Kitchener-Waterloo Record. 4 Apr 1991. p. C9.
- Kawchuk, Brent (27 Mar 1991). "Band puts boots to audience". Calgary Herald. p. D10.
- "Glass Tiger sharpens claws in musical makeover". The Gazette. Montreal. 5 Dec 1991. p. D16.
- Burliuk, Greg (20 Apr 1991). "Simple Mission Glass Tiger". Magazine. The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 1.
- "Glass Tiger". Official Charts. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- Rubinoff, Joel (24 Apr 1992). "Rough as Glass: Well-manicured Tiger a tame cat compared to raunchy Sass Jordan". The Kitchener-Waterloo Record. p. C7.
- "You Say It's Your Birthday: Wayne Parker of Glass Tiger". MTV News. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- Barr, Greg (30 Mar 1991). "Glass Tiger back with new, sharper image". Ottawa Citizen. p. G1.
- MacInnis, Craig (6 Apr 1991). "McTiger bellyaches into the '90s". Toronto Star. p. J8.
- Sharp, Keith (2014). Music Express: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Canada's Music Magazine. Dundurn Press. p. 238.
- Jones, Owen (13 Apr 1991). "Pop". Windsor Star. p. C2.
- Metella, Helen (21 Apr 1991). "Simple Mission Glass Tiger". Edmonton Journal. p. D6.
- "Top RPM Albums: Image 1521". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- "Swisscharts.com – Glass Tiger – Diamond Sun". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- "Canadian album certifications – Glass Tiger – Simple Mission". Music Canada.