One Vice at a Time is the sixth studio album by the Swiss hard rock band Krokus, released in 1982 by Arista Records. It is notable for the strong influence of AC/DC on the songs and production, and was the first album to feature Mark Kohler on rhythm guitar. It includes a cover of the Guess Who's song "American Woman". The song "Long Stick Goes Boom" is used in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories on the fictional in-game radio station V-Rock.
Bruce Dickinson, who at the time had just been hired as Iron Maiden's new lead vocalist, provides backing vocals on the track "I'm on the Run".KROKUS' Metal Rendez-vous, Hardware, One Vice At A Time To Be Reissued in Deluxe Format Producer Tony Platt was best known for his prior work as engineer with AC/DC.
The band's live album Long Stick Goes Boom: Live from da House of Rust took its title from the lead-off song on this release.
UK-based company Rock Candy Records reissued One Vice at a Time on CD in 2014.
Reception At the time of release British press has negatively commented on the musical content of the album, condemning the musicians as copycats of AC/DC. Reviewer Dante Bonutto from Kerrang! magazine wrote in March 1982: "Krokus's infatuation with AC/DC seems to rule out even a hint of progress. On the evidence One Vice at a Time (and it's true of previous albums, also) the band are less concerned with creating something new than aping a tried, tested and successful formula. With the help of producer Tony Platt, who engineered on Highway to Hell and Back in Black, Krokus create passable facsimile of Angus and Co's distinctively-layered sound. The motivations behind the music and that all-important AC/DC swagger, however, can't be reproduced, a fact that leaves the album sounding two-dimensional and soulless. Music by numbers (largely) predictable and uninspired".
Track listing Side one "Long Stick Goes Boom" (Chris von Rohr, Fernando von Arb, Marc Storace) – 5:12 "Bad Boys, Rag Dolls" (von Rohr, von Arb, Storace) – 3:48 "Playin' the Outlaw" (von Rohr, von Arb, Freddy Steady, Storace) – 4:00 "To the Top" (von Rohr, von Arb, Storace) – 4:21
Side two "Down the Drain" (von Rohr, von Arb) – 3:12 "American Woman" (Burton Cummings, Gary Peterson, Michael James Kale, Randy Bachman) – 3:37 (The Guess Who cover) "I'm on the Run" (von Rohr, von Arb, Storace) – 3:43 "Save Me" (von Rohr, von Arb, Steady, Storace) – 4:27 "Rock 'n' Roll" (von Rohr, von Arb) – 4:07
Personnel Krokus Marc Storace – vocals Fernando von Arb – lead guitar Mark Kohler – rhythm guitar Chris von Rohr – bass, percussion Freddy Steady – drums
Additional musicians Bruce Dickinson – backing vocals on "I'm on the Run"
Production Co-produced by Tony Platt and Krokus Engineered by Tony Platt Barry Sage – assistant engineer Chris von Rohr, Fernando von Arb – arrangements
Charts
Album Chart (1982) PeakpositionBillboard 200 (USA)53
Singles YearTitleChartPosition1982"American Woman"Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks (USA)53"Long Stick Goes Boom"22
Sales and certifications
References