| Just a Game | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 10, 1979 | |||
| Recorded | Fall & Winter 1978 | |||
| Studio | Sounds Interchange Studios, Toronto and Metalworks Studios, Mississauga, ON | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, heavy metal | |||
| Length | 36:22 | |||
| Label | Attic, RCA, TML | |||
| Producer | Mike Levine | |||
| Triumph chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Lay It on the Line"" on YouTube | ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Hold On" on YouTube | ||||
Just a Game is the third studio album by Canadian hard rock band Triumph, released in 1979. The album contains one of Triumph's most popular songs on FM album-oriented radio, "Lay it on the Line", and the Top 40 hit "Hold On", which peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 33 in Canada.
Artwork
The vinyl LP version of the album featured a sleeve that folded open to reveal a board game (though later pressings just contained a regular vinyl sleeve without this). According to a Rockline interview, the board game was Rik Emmett's idea, but Mike Levine was the one who actually designed it and decided to make it impossible to win.
The front cover of the album revealed a futuristic world where every symbol depicts a song featured on the album.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
The Globe and Mail wrote that, "as Rush has become bogged down in a sea of pretention, Triumph has stuck to the basics and honed its heavy-metal drone to a steely edge."[2]
Track listing
Vinyl release
Side 1
- "Movin' On" (Moore) – 4:07
- "Lay It on the Line" (Emmett) – 4:02
- "Young Enough to Cry" (Moore) – 6:03
- "American Girls" (Moore) – 5:01
Side 2
- "Just a Game" (Emmett) – 6:13
- "Fantasy Serenade" (Emmett) – 1:39
- "Hold On" (Emmett) – 6:04
- "Suitcase Blues" (Emmett) – 3:01
Cassette release
- "Movin' On" (Moore) – 4:07
- "Young Enough to Cry" (Moore) – 6:03
- "American Girls" (Moore) – 5:01
- "Lay It on the Line" (Emmett) – 4:02
- "Suitcase Blues" (Emmett) – 3:01
- "Just a Game" (Emmett) – 6:13
- "Fantasy Serenade" (Emmett) – 1:39
- "Hold On" (Emmett) – 6:04
CD release
- "Movin' On" (Moore) – 4:07
- "Lay It on the Line" (Emmett) – 4:02
- "Young Enough to Cry" (Moore) – 6:03
- "American Girls" (Moore) – 5:01
- "Just a Game" (Emmett) – 6:13
- "Fantasy Serenade" (Emmett) – 1:39
- "Hold On" (Emmett) – 6:04
- "Suitcase Blues" (Emmett) – 3:01
Personnel
- Rik Emmett – guitars, vocals
- Gil Moore – drums, vocals
- Mike Levine – bass, keyboards
- Laurie Delgrande – keyboards
- Mike Danna – keyboards
- Beau David – background vocals
- Elaine Overholt – background vocals
- Gord Waszek – background vocals
- Colina Phillips – background vocals
- Rosie Levine – background vocals
Production
- Michael Levine – producer
- Mike Jones – engineer
- Doug Neil – assistant
- George Semkiw – remixing
- Hugh Cooper – assistant
- John Golden – digital mastering
- Brett Zilahi – digital re mastering
- Rene Zamic – cover illustration
- Gary Kremnitz – photography
- Lynne Waggett – photography
- Jim Murray – photography
Charts
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[3] | 19 |
| US Billboard 200[4] | 48 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[5] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[6] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ↑ "Just a Game Review by Eduardo Rivadavia". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ↑ Michael-Davidson, Neil (5 May 1979). "Just a Game Triumph". The Globe and Mail. p. F4.
- ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4499a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
- ↑ "Triumph Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
- ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Triumph – Just a Game". Music Canada.
- ↑ "American album certifications – Triumph – Just a Game". Recording Industry Association of America.
