Working with Fire and Steel – Possible Pop Songs Volume Two

Working with Fire and Steel
Studio album by China Crisis
Released	October 1983 (October 1983)
Recorded	Amazon Studios, Liverpool and The Manor Studio, Shipton-on-Cherwell, Oxfordshire
Genre	Synthpop, new wave
Length	40:23
Label	Virgin
Producer	Mike Howlett
China Crisis chronology
Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain (1982)Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain1982 Working with Fire & Steel (Possible Pop Songs Volume Two) (1983) Flaunt the Imperfection (1985)Flaunt the Imperfection1985
Singles from Working with Fire and Steel
"Tragedy and Mystery" Released: May 1983 "Working with Fire and Steel" Released: October 1983 "Wishful Thinking" Released: December 1983 "Hanna Hanna" Released: March 1984
Alternative cover
CD cover

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Working with Fire and Steel – Possible Pop Songs Volume Two is the second studio album by English new wave group China Crisis, released in 1983.

The album spent 16 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 20 in February 1984.^[2] It includes the song Wishful Thinking, which was a top 10 hit on the singles chart.^[3]

Critical reception

In a review in Allmusic the album was described as "chock full of intelligent, well-written pop songs" where "even the softer moments...are full of life and excitement". The reviewer noted that the band moved away from their early synthpop-style to more ambitious ideas with "Producer Mike Howlett added much to the sonic blend, allowing the melodies to shine while toughening up the band's sound... Apart from their own matured sound on this release, there are traces of rock, pop, and jazz floating between the lines."^[4]

Track listing

All tracks written by Daly/Lundon.

1. "Working with Fire and Steel" – 3:41
2. "When the Piper Calls" – 4:04
3. "Hanna Hanna" – 3:29
4. "Animals in Jungles" – 3:40
5. "Here Comes a Raincloud" – 4:16
6. "Wishful Thinking" – 4:42
7. "Tragedy and Mystery" – 4:03
8. "Papua" – 3:36
9. "The Gates of Door to Door" – 4:16
10. "The Soul Awakening" – 4:36

Personnel

• Gary Daly - vocals, synthesiser
• Eddie Lundon - guitar, vocals
• Gary "Gazza" Johnson - bass guitar
• Kevin Wilkinson - drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• Steve Levy - saxophone (tracks 1-3), oboe (tracks 5-7)
• Graeme Levy - voice (track 1)
• Roddy Lorimer - trumpet (tracks 2 & 3)
• Anthony Thistlethwaite - tenor saxophone (tracks 2 & 3)
• Jane Lancaster - vocals (tracks 5 & 9)
• Robert Pollard - synthesiser (track 7)
• Luke Tunney - flugelhorn (track 7)
• Gary Barnacle - flute (track 9)
• The Breck Road String Ensemble - strings (track 5)

References