In summary:

The fact that Gun followed up their heavy-as-fuck (and massive Top 10 hit) album Swagger with 0141 632 6326 is astounding. It’s one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen a band make, and the album has not improved with time.

0141 632 6326 receives 1/11.
★

0141 632 6326 is the fourth album from Scottish rock band Gun.

It is the final LP to feature the original line-up, with the band splitting in the aftermath amid disputes over the musical direction of this album.

The unusual title 0141 632 6326 comes from a Glasgow-based telephone number which re-directed you to the band’s information hotline (remember when those were a thing?).

Unfortunately, burdening the album with such an unmemorable name in favour of a marketing ploy did it no favours, and it’s just one of a series of unnecessary risks which were taken here, which would ultimately spell the end of Gun.

The band (who now wanted to be known as G.U.N.) had decided to change their trademark hard rock sound for this record in a bid to stay relevant in the 90s’ ever-changing rock scene, so they hired INXS legend Andrew Farriss to take them in a pop-centric direction, and in doing so they killed the momentum which they had worked so hard to build on their three prior albums.

The end product doesn’t even sound like Gun (sorry, G.U.N.).

Heck, one listen to the intro of My Sweet Jane is enough to highlight everything that’s wrong with 0141.

Album opener Rescue You uses a template which is repeated time and time again throughout the disc, its INXS-esque drums pieced together with fragments of Gizzi’s guitar, and Rankin doing his best Michael Hutchence impression.

Giuliano Gizzi’s trademark heavy guitar hooks have all but been erased… the thunderous drums which kept time on their biggest hit singles have been swapped for generic pop loops… and Mark Rankin’s fantastic low register vocals just sound like he’s going through the motions. It really is quite absurd.

Frustratingly, the production style hints that most of these songs had entered the studio in more complete form, and then had bits tweaked and pieces removed, until just the outer shell remained.

However, I would be remiss to blame all of the album’s problems on the production. 0141 632 6326 (fuck, that’s wordy!) is packed with cringey lyrics, dull choruses, and awkward instrumental breakdowns as Gun struggle to figure out what the heck they’re actually trying to do.

The recording process of the album had it’s fair share of problems, too, and the tension between bandmates is palpably audible. Here’s more on that.

Lead guitarist Giuliano Gizzi is said to have been so appalled by the lack of balls of this record that he refused to partake in any promotional work for it (which may explain why all of the album artwork only features frontman Rankin), and the backlash it received from fans created an irreparable wedge between the Gizzi brothers and Mark Rankin, which caused Gun to break-up before the tour for 0141 could even take place.

They would return (without Rankin) in 2012.

If you’re interested in reading more about the making of 0141 632 6326 and finding out why Gun decided to go in this new direction, check out our Rock Story here.

In summary:

The fact that Gun followed up their heavy-as-fuck (and massive Top 10 hit) album Swagger with 0141 632 6326 is astounding. It’s one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen a band make, and the album has not improved with time.

0141 632 6326 receives 1/11.
★