Kings of the Wild Frontier

Performer: Adam & the Ants
Producer: Chris Hughes
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Adam & The Ants: Adam Ant, Marco Pirroni (vocals, guitar); Kevin Mooney (bass); Merrick, Terry Lee Miall (drums). 1980's KINGS OF THE WILD FRONTIER was actually the second Adam and the Ants record, preceded by an unremarkable postpunk indie effort called DIRK WEARS WHITE SOX, recorded with the musicians who later became Bow Wow Wow. However, it became a massive commercial breakthrough and one of the defining albums of early '80s British chart pop. Mixing the sort of booming double-drummer rhythms Gary Glitter had popularized years before with a certain post-postpunk cynicism and a remarkable flair for self-mythology, Adam Ant (born Stuart Goddard) and his cohorts, led by ex-Banshees guitarist Marco Pirroni and producer/drummer Chris Hughes, created a bubblegum-pop gem on the same level as the early albums by The Sweet and the Bay City Rollers (which is meant as a compliment). Led by the classic single "Antmusic," the album also features the pounding "Physical (You're So)," and several other goofy gems.

Spin (p.104) - "[H]is bubblegum chants are so spooky that you can almost understand why they inspired an entire British youth cult." Q (1/95, p.265) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...After a first flush with 1980's 'Dog Eat Dog'...his merrie band was unstoppable....KINGS OF THE WILD FRONTIER abides a rousing rock set and watertight conceptual gambit..." CMJ (1/6/03, p.12) - Included in CMJ's list of "Top 25 College Radio Albums of All Time" CMJ (1/5/04, p.8) - Ranked #1 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1981". Mojo (Publisher) (p.116) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[D]elivered with conviction, this bizarre brew achieved an alchemical transformation into pop gold."

Adam & The Ants started out in the late-'70s London punk scene, but former Sex Pistols manager Malcom Mclaren turned their image around. By 1980 they were part of the brief "new romantic" scene, wearing outrageous clothes that combined pirate gear with Native American warpaint. Their sound was a fresh bricolage of bubblegum pop, Burundi drumming, and spaghetti western themes. Their unique visual and musical style brought the band fleeting but grand success, after which Adam embarked on a solo career that included work in films and TV.

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