Go West (Village People album)
Go West | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 26, 1979 | |||
Recorded | 1978 | |||
Genre | Disco | |||
Length | 30:33 | |||
Label | Casablanca | |||
Producer | Jacques Morali | |||
Village People chronology | ||||
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Singles from Go West | ||||
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Go West is the fourth studio album by the Village People, released on March 26, 1979. It features their hit singles "In the Navy" (#3 on the US Billboard Hot 100, #2 in the UK Top 40) and "Go West", which the Pet Shop Boys did a successful cover of in 1993.
The album was reissued on CD in 1996.
Go West would be the band's last complete album of all-new material for Casablanca, as well as the last album to feature Victor Willis.
Critical reception
[edit]Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Record Guide | B−[2] |
Smash Hits | 5/10[3] |
Billboard stated that the album contains "some of the most irresistible rhythm in today's pop /disco genre."[4] Billboard described the song "I Wanna Shake Your Hand" as "an appropriately non romantic twist on the Beatles", with its mock exhortation to "Don't be shy/ go up and say hello."[4] The New York Times wrote that the album is "set to a pounding disco beat, overlaid with glutinously symphonic arrangements and Victor Willis's hoarse, sweaty vocals."[5] AllMusic critic Amy Hanson felt that aside from the two singles and "Manhattan Woman," which she felt "contained some interesting, James Brown-inflected vocalizations," the remaining songs "sound like a rehash of the band's already released finest."[1]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Henri Belolo, Jacques Morali and Victor Willis
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "In the Navy" | 5:39 |
2. | "Go West" | 4:10 |
3. | "Citizens of the World" | 5:32 |
4. | "I Wanna Shake Your Hand" | 4:40 |
5. | "Get Away Holiday" | 5:22 |
6. | "Manhattan Woman" | 5:10 |
Charts
[edit]Chart (1979) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[6] | 8 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[7] | 22 |
Belgian Albums (BEA)[8] | 6 |
Canadian Albums (RPM)[9] | 2 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[10] | 8 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[11] | 2 |
French Albums (SNEP)[12] | 9 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] | 14 |
Icelandic Albums (Tónlist)[14] | 6 |
Italian Albums (AFI)[15] | 15 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[16] | 18 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[17] | 28 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[18] | 4 |
Spanish Albums (AFE)[19] | 14 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[20] | 7 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] | 11 |
UK Albums (OCC)[22] | 14 |
US Billboard 200[23] | 8 |
Zimbabwean Albums (ZIMA)[24] | 2 |
Certifications and sales
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[25] | Gold | 20,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada)[26] | 3× Platinum | 300,000^ |
France (SNEP)[27] | Gold | 100,000* |
Germany | — | 500,000[28] |
United Kingdom (BPI)[29] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[30] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Hanson, Amy. "Go West - The Village People". Retrieved 2 September 2011.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: V". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 19, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (May 17–31, 1979): 25.
- ^ a b "Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. April 7, 1979. p. 98. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
- ^ Rockwell, John (20 Apr 1979). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C15.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 330. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Village People – Go West" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ "Hits Of The World, Page 95 June 9 1979". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
- ^ "RPM: Village People (albums)". RPM Magazine. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Village People – Go West" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
- ^ "Tous les Albums de l'Artiste choisi". InfoDisc. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Village People – Go West" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ "Tonlist Top 40". DV. Retrieved 2017-04-09.
- ^ "Gli album più venduti del 1979". Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ "Oricon Archive - Village People". Oricon. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Village People – Go West". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Village People – Go West". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Village People – Go West". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Village People – Go West". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ "The Village People – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: albums chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
- ^ "Initial Shipping of Go West Goes Gold in Australia" (PDF). Cash Box. March 28, 1979. p. 9. Retrieved December 1, 2021 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Village People – Go West". Music Canada.
- ^ "French album certifications – Village People – Go West" (in French). InfoDisc. Select VILLAGE PEOPLE and click OK.
- ^ Spahr, Wolfgang (July 28, 1979). "Germany's Metronome Label Booming". Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 30. p. 9. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ "British album certifications – Village People – Go West". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "American album certifications – Village People – Go West". Recording Industry Association of America.