Up to No Good is the third solo album by the American musician Peter Wolf, released in 1990 on MCA Records.
Production The album was produced by Wolf, Robert White Johnson, and Taylor Rhodes. "Never Let It Go" is about the car crash that killed Wolf's high school girlfriend.
Critical reception
The Calgary Herald missed "the juvenile appeal that Wolf lucked into just before he and his J. Geils Band buddies went their separate ways." The Toronto Star wrote that "it's a charming record, a lively and knowledgeable tome that finds its ground somewhere between the Detroit and Philadelphia schools of soul, while standing firm on a harder rock footing."
The Ottawa Citizen labeled some of the songs "classic primal funk with a conscience." The Globe and Mail dismissed the album as "just one more attempt to capitalize on the appealing, but somewhat limited, rockaboogie sound Geils and company milked throughout the seventies."
Track listing All songs written by Peter Wolf, Taylor Rhodes and Robert White Johnson, unless noted otherwise. "99 Worlds" – 3:35 "Go Wild" – 3:43 "When Women Are Lonely" – 3:45 "Drive All Night" (Wolf, Desmond Child) – 3:42 "Up to No Good" – 4:33 "Lost in Babylon" – 3:57 "Arrows and Chains" – 3:25 "Daydream Getaway" (Janna Allen, Wolf) – 3:44 "Shades of Red – Shades of Blue" – 4:07 "River Runs Dry" – 5:01 "Never Let It Go" (Wolf, Will Jennings) – 3:57
Personnel Peter Wolf – vocals, backing vocals, harmonica Mike Lawler – keyboards Alan St. John – keyboards Byron House – keyboards, bass Taylor Rhodes – keyboards, guitars, percussion, backing vocals Johnny Neel – acoustic piano Matt Rollings – acoustic piano Larry Chaney – guitars Jeff Golub – guitars Barry Tashian – guitars Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass Angus Thomas – bass Bobby Chouinard – drums Robert White Johnson – percussion, backing vocals Terry McMillan – harmonica Arno Hecht – horns Jim Horn – horns Sam Levine – horns Wayne Jackson – horns Vicki Hampton – backing vocals (7, 11) Kim Morrison – backing vocals (7, 11)
Technical personnel Peter Wolf – producer Robert White Johnson – producer Taylor Rhodes – producer Rob Feaster – engineer, mixing Paula Montondo – assistant engineer Bob Ludwig – mastering at Masterdisk (New York, NY) Manhattan Design – design Todd Schorr – cover painting Bobby DiMarzo – black and white photography Jeff Katz – color photography
Charts +Up to No Good chart performanceYearChartPosition1990The Billboard 200111
References