The Lone Ranger (album)

The Lone Ranger is the first solo album by British singer Suggs (of the second wave ska band Madness), released in 1995. The album peaked at No. 14 in the UK charts. "Cecilia", a cover of the Simon and Garfunkel song, reached No. 4 on the UK charts. The song "4 am" was later re-recorded and appeared on the 1999 Madness album Wonderful.

The Lone Ranger was reissued in 2016 by Cherry Red Records as a two-CD deluxe edition.

Background
After the Madness reunion concert in 1992, which yielded the album Madstock!, Suggs became involved in working on his first solo album. He had written a few songs, including "Alcohol" and "Fortune Fish". In 1994, Rob Dickins arranged for Suggs to work with producers Sly and Robbie on some songs. Dickins suggested "I'm Only Sleeping" as a track, while Sly and Robbie proposed "Cecilia" as one of the songs to work on. Other songs produced by Sly and Robbie are "Camden Town", "Haunted" and "Off on Holiday", and they also helped to produce "The Tune", a song written by Mike Barson. After the sessions with Sly and Robbie ended, other songs were recorded with other producers.

Suggs collaborated with Barson to write and produce a number of songs, including "Camden Town", "4 am", which is a tribute to The Kinks, and "She's Gone". The songs, including "Green Eyes", were co-produced with engineer Kevin Petrie, who also helped with "Alcohol" and "Fortune Fish".

After the second Madstock concert, Madstock II, Suggs announced that he would pursue a solo career in August 1994, and made his first appearance as a solo artist in November on Danny Baker After All, performing "I'm Only Sleeping" and Morrissey's "Suedehead". His debut album The Lone Ranger was released in 1995.

Reception
Upon its release, Victoria Segal of Melody Maker was critical of "Camden Town" and "I'm Only Sleeping", describing them as being "as welcome as hawmorragic fever", but felt "the rest [of the album] is actually OK, in a predictably perky, ska-ed up way". Johnny Cigarettes of NME was negative in his review, believing the album to be merely a money-making endeavor without "a single good excuse for [it] to exist", although he did note a "couple of mildly agreeable contemplative ballads". He believed that the covers of 'I'm Only Sleeping' and 'Cecilia' were recorded merely for "maximum commercial muscle" and also noted that the single "Camden Town" "borrows a hefty chunk of credible trendiness". He added, "Rope in Sly and Robbie to try and prove your authentic credentials, roll out the jaunty feel-good 'reggie' ditties, sit back and watch the cash roll in."

Evan Cater, writing for AllMusic, wrote, "The Lone Ranger has the feel of an amateur demo, populated primarily by drum machines and synthesizers, but despite the weakness of the production, Suggs manages credible covers of the Beatles' 'I'm Only Sleeping' and Simon and Garfunkel's 'Cecilia'." Cater was not impressed with Suggs' songwriting talent on the songs he wrote by himself, but felt that he fared better on the ones he co-wrote with Mike Barson, "who appears to have a stronger sense of melody". Trouser Press described the album as delivering "much the same ska pop mixture and music hall jollity as [Madness], but with more weight to the production." In a review of the 2016 reissue, Record Collector's Mark Elliott commented that the "charming, 60s-influenced, 11-song set hits the sweet spot where an experimental edge packs an impressive commercial punch and everyone emerges with their dignity intact".

Track listing
Adapted from the album's liner notes.

2016 reissue

 * Disc one
 * The first disc contains the eleven tracks from the original album plus eight bonus tracks.


 * Disc two

Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

Although no musicians are credited on the album, the following are thanked:
 * Jah Wobble
 * Phil Spalding
 * Rico Rodriguez
 * Jazz Jamaica
 * John Themis
 * Sly and Robbie
 * Louchie Lou and Michie One (on "Cecilia")
 * Ben Barson (on "Alcohol")
 * Anne Dudley – string arrangement on "She's Gone"


 * Technical
 * Suggs – production (3, 4, 9-11), booklet photography
 * Mike Barson – production (3, 4, 9-11)
 * Sly and Robbie – production (1, 2, 6-8), additional production (5), mixing (1, 2, 5-8)
 * TommyD – production (5)
 * Garry Hughes – additional production (2, 6-8)
 * Kevin Petrie – additional production, engineer (3, 4, 9-11)
 * Paul Taylor – additional production, mixing (4, 9)
 * Pete Craigie – additional production, mixing (4, 9)
 * Gregg Jackman – mixing (3, 10, 11)
 * Trevor Key – booklet cover photography
 * Ben Kelly – art direction (from an original idea by Marcel Duchamp)
 * Assorted Images – artwork
 * Jill Furmanovsky – booklet photography
 * Eugene Adebari – booklet photography
 * Gavin Evans – booklet photography
 * Rob Dickins – executive producer


 * 2016 reissue bonus tracks
 * Louchie Lou and Michie One – vocals (17, 19)
 * Suggs – production (12, 13, 15, 16)
 * Mike Barson – production (12-16)
 * Sly and Robbie – production (17)
 * Garry Hughes – additional production (17)
 * The Rapino Brothers – production (19)
 * Bobby Dee – production (19)
 * Gregg Jackman – engineering, mixing (19)
 * Collin "Bulby" York – remix (disc two: 1, 2)
 * Pepperoni – remix (disc two: 8, 9)