| Alpha Beta Gamma Delta | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by the Godfathers | ||||
| Released | 16 September 2022 | |||
| Recorded | 2020–2021 | |||
| Studio | Abatis Studios (Honiley, Warwickshire) | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 47:41 | |||
| Label | Godfathers Recordings | |||
| Producer | Jon Priestley | |||
| The Godfathers chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Alpha Beta Gamma Delta | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 Alpha Beta Gamma Delta Plus | ||||
Alpha Beta Gamma Delta is the ninth studio album by English rock band the Godfathers, released on 16 September 2022 on their own Godfathers Recordings label. It marks the first Godfathers album to feature the lineup of singer and founding member Peter Coyne with new members Jon Priestley (bass), Richie Simpson (guitar), Wayne Vermaak (guitar), and Billy Duncanson (drums).
Background
When Peter Coyne fired the entire previous Godfathers lineup in 2019, he quickly assembled a new band consisting of bassist Jon Priestley, guitarists Richie Simpson and Wayne Vermaak, and drummer Billy Duncanson. They soon began touring and writing new songs, resulting in the double A-side single "I'm Not Your Slave"/"Wild and Free" on 17 June 2020. Due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, the album was recorded in separate stages with three or four songs at a time at Jon Priestley's Abatis Studios in Honiley, Warwickshire, until the album began to take shape and was completed. This delayed the album's release by 18 months, according to Peter Coyne. Alpha Beta Gamma Delta was released on 16 September 2022 through the band's own label, Godfathers Recordings.
The four-track Midnight Rider EP was released ahead of the album on 26 August 2022, and included its title track and "OCD" – both taken from Alpha Beta Gamma Delta – and the two non-album tracks "When the Cowards Fall" and "Fade Away".
The I Hate the 21st Century EP was released on 9 June 2023, featuring the title track, "You Gotta Wait", and alternative acoustic versions of "Straight Down the Line" and "Tonight".
An expanded 2-CD version of the album entitled Alpha Beta Gamma Delta Plus was released in October 2023, containing the original album plus rare single and EP tracks, alternative acoustic album tracks, and live recordings.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Classic Rock |   |
| The I-94 Bar | |
| Maximum Volume Music | 9/10 |
| The Punk Site.com | |
| Rocknytt | |
The album was well received by critics. Ged Babey of Louder Than War wrote that "for a band of this vintage who adhere to traditional ideas of how rock'n'roll should sound, it is a cracking album. It's melodic, mature, varied, the band still crank out songs of controlled rage, but can pull off gentler numbers too when they need to." John Clarkson of Pennyblackmusic called it "one of the highlights of the Godfathers' lengthy career," and Julian Marszalek of Classic Rock stated it was their best album since 1991's Unreal World, writing, "through a combination of hard riffing, melodicism and Priestley's cranked-up production, the Godfathers deliver with a sincerity that's utterly palpable throughout." Über Röck's Jim Rowland described it as "slick, punchy and crammed with very well written, catchy tunes," and added, "Whilst much of it is upbeat with quite a commercial sheen in places, you can still rest assured that lyrically much of it still sits in an altogether darker place."
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Alpha Beta Gamma Delta" | Peter Coyne, Jon Priestley | 0:29 |
| 2. | "Bring On the Sunshine" | Coyne, Priestley | 3:37 |
| 3. | "You Gotta Wait" | Coyne, Wayne Vermaak | 3:24 |
| 4. | "I Hate the 21st Century" | Coyne, Priestley | 3:37 |
| 5. | "OCD" | Coyne, Richie Simpson | 3:57 |
| 6. | "Midnight Rider" | Coyne, Priestley | 4:20 |
| 7. | "Straight Down the Line" | Coyne, Vermaak | 3:51 |
| 8. | "Lay That Money Down" | Coyne, Vermaak | 3:07 |
| 9. | "Tonight" | Coyne, Priestley | 3:34 |
| 10. | "I'm Not Your Slave" | Coyne, Priestley | 4:03 |
| 11. | "There's No Time" | Coyne, Priestley | 3:19 |
| 12. | "Dead in Los Angeles" | Coyne, Simpson | 6:00 |
| 13. | "I Despair" | Coyne, Priestley, Vermaak | 4:23 |
Alpha Beta Gamma Delta Plus
- Disc one
- as per original CD
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wild and Free" (double A-side single with "I'm Not Your Slave", 2020) | Coyne, Simpson | 4:37 |
| 2. | "When the Cowards Fall" (Midnight Rider EP, 2022) | Coyne, Priestley | 4:15 |
| 3. | "Fade Away" (Midnight Rider EP) | Coyne, Vermaak | 3:57 |
| 4. | "Bring On the Sunshine" (acoustic) | Coyne, Priestley | |
| 5. | "I'm Not Your Slave" (acoustic) | Coyne, Priestley | |
| 6. | "Lay That Money Down" (acoustic) | Coyne, Vermaak | |
| 7. | "Straight Down the Line" (acoustic) | Coyne, Vermaak | |
| 8. | "Tonight" (acoustic) | Coyne, Priestley | |
| 9. | "You Gotta Wait" (acoustic) | Coyne, Vermaak | |
| 10. | "Wild and Free" (live) | Coyne, Simpson | |
| 11. | "Into the Blue" (live) | Simpson, Billy Duncanson, Garry Borland, Jerry Crowe | |
| 12. | "Dead in Los Angeles" (live) | Coyne, Simpson | |
| 13. | "I Wanna Be Your Dog" (live) | Dave Alexander, Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, Iggy Pop |
- Note
- Tracks 10–13 recorded live on 11 March 2020 at Rockpalast Crossroads at Harmonie Club in Bonn, Germany, by WDR.
Personnel
Adapted from the album liner notes.
The Godfathers
- Peter Coyne – vocals
- Jon Priestley – bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
- Wayne Vermaak – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Richie Simpson – electric guitar, backing vocals
- Billy Duncanson – drums, backing vocals
Additional musicians
- Mike Exeter – keyboards
Technical personnel
- Jon Priestley – producer, engineer, mixing
- James Livett – mastering
- Jaime Martin – artwork
- Simon Balaam – band photography
References
- ^ Watson, Denzil (26 November 2022). "Godfathers - Interview with Peter Coyne". Pennyblackmusic. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- "Exclusive News!". Facebook. 24 January 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ Babey, Ged (21 August 2022). "Alpha Beta Gamma Delta – album review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ Clarkson, John (5 October 2022). "Alpha Beta Gamma Delta - Album review". Pennyblackmusic. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ Ironside, Gus (12 June 2020). "Single reviews - I'm Not Your Slave / Wild and Free". Is This Music?. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ "The Godfathers – The Alpha Beta Discussion". Skylight Magazine. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- Phinky (23 July 2022). "The Godfathers Return With Upcoming "Midnight Rider" EP & "Alpha Beta Gamma Delta" Album". The Punk Site.com. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ "The Godfathers of Hate". Maximum Volume Music. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- "Alpha Beta Gamma Delta Plus". Apple Music. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- ^ Marszalek, Julian (16 September 2022). "Alpha Beta Gamma Delta - Album review". Classic Rock. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- "An offer you can't refuse: Alpha Beta Gamma Delta - Album review". The I-94 Bar. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- Thorley, Andy (15 September 2022). "Alpha Beta Gamma Delta - Album review". Maximum Volume Music. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- Cartwright, Mark (12 September 2022). "Alpha Beta Gamma Delta - Album review". The Punk Site.com. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- Pruetz, Jerry (7 October 2022). "Alpha Beta Gamma Delta - Album review". Rocknytt. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- Babey, Ged (21 August 2022). "Alpha Beta Gamma Delta - Album review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- Rowland, Jim (30 September 2022). "Alpha Beta Gamma Delta - Album review". Über Röck. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- Alpha Beta Gamma Delta (CD liner notes). The Godfathers. Godfathers Recordings. 2022. GORE 2022.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Alpha Beta Gamma Delta Plus (CD liner notes). The Godfathers. Godfathers Recordings. 2023. GORE 2025.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)