The Skids - The Absolute Game (45th Anniversary National Album Day 2026) The Skids
Pickup available at Dawson Street
Usually ready within 24-48 hours - Pre-order items available on day of release.
Truly one of the greatest British bands to come out of the 1976 / 1977 musical rupture that was Punk, Dunfermline's Skids went on to demonstrate they had so much more to them than many of their contemporaries
Always a tight and powerful musical powerhouse they enjoyed a string of classic chart hits between 1978 and 1979 ('Into The Valley', 'Masquerade', 'Working For The Yankee Dollar' etc).
Following this, they surprised and delighted fans and critics alike with 1980's ambitious and experimental third album outing 'The Absolute Game'. The album was also the first to feature feature new bassist Russell Webb and his inclusion, along with the contribution of new producer Mick Glossop, made for an accomplished and progressive evolution.
The first sign that the band had upped the ante somewhat came with the album's first single (and its opener), 'Circus Games', which fused incisive lyrics and rallying vocal delivery with a powerful backing track, replete with synth stylings and even a schoolkids' chorus. Future singles to be culled included 'A Woman In Winter' and the glorious 'Goodbye Civilian'. Record Collector latersaid of the album: "Endlessly inventive and perfectly executed, it deservedly became their most successful release".
Initial copies of 'The Absolute Game' came with the free mini album 'Strength Through Joy' an experimental mini- album that blended world music influences and atmospheric and ambient sounds that perfectly fitted 1980's Peter Gabriel / Talking Heads / 'Scary Monsters' Bowie zeitgeist.
For this stunning 2LP vinyl reissue, 'The Absolute Game', and 'Strength Through Joy', have been remastered from the source tapes, thereby correcting previous problems with the album's tape transfers. The work was undertaken by respected audio engineer George Shilling (previous creditsinclude Blur, Teenage Fanclub, Bernard Butler, Oasis, Primal Scream).
Artwork has been lovingly recreated with the original's lyric sheet and Skids merchandise inserts promoted onto illustrated inner bags. The albums have pressed onto translucent blue stone vinyl.
Track List
A1 - Circus Games
A2 - Out Of Town
A3 - Goodbye Civilian
A4 - The Children Saw The Shame
A5 - A Woman In Winter
B1 - Hurry On Boys
B2 - Happy To Be With You
B3 - The Devils Decade
B4 - One Decree
B5 - Arena
C1 - An Incident In Algiers
C2 - Grievance
C3 - Strength Through Joy
C4 - Filming Africa
C5 - A Man For All Seasons
D1 - Snakes And Ladders
D2 - Surgical Triumph
D3 - The Bell Jar
Product information
Delivery Details
FREE REGISTERED POST FOR ORDERS OVER €75 WITHINROI*
*DOES NOT INCLUDE HI-FI or HARDWARE PRODUCTS-CHECK DELIVERY RATES FOR MORE DETAILS
Orders are normally dispatched within 12-48 hours of receipt of the order, and normal delivery times to your door are as follows
- Ireland 2-5 working days
- UK 5-7 working days
- Europe 10-14 working days
- U.S. & Rest of World 10-14 working days
Usually ready within 24-48 hours. Pre-order items available on day of Release
Any delays are normally due to the postal service. Orders placed on a Friday will be dispatched on Monday. No orders will be dispatched over the weekend. If you have not received your order within the time shown above, you can check the status of your order. Please email your query to info@towerrecords.ie
CLICK & COLLECT ORDERS:
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For more information, contact us at 01 6719444 or email info@towerrecords.ie
Refund and Returns Policy
If the product is in its original condition and unopened, we will accept its return within fourteen days from the day you received the item. You will receive a full refund to the value of the item* *Applies to Online orders only
Refund and Returns Policy Faulty or defective items:
In the unlikely event you receive an item from us that is either defective or faulty, please let us know so we can arrange collection of the item and dispatch a replacement as soon as possible. Please email us at info@towerrecords.ie to arrange the return of a defective item. If goods are being returned due to being defective or an error on our behalf, we will refund delivery charges resulting from the return of the original order. If you still have the original envelope, simply reseal it and return the item to the Sender, stating the fault. FAO Returns Dept. Tower Records 7 Dawson Street Dublin 2 D02 X688
Non-defective items:
If, for some reason, a customer wishes to return an item that is not defective, we will accept the item and issue a refund within 14 days from the day you received the item. If, for some reason, a customer wishes to return an item that is not defective, your item must be unused and in the same “as new” condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging. To complete your return, we require a receipt or proof of purchase. Items such as games, CDs or DVDs (any recordable media) that require a security seal must be returned with the seal intact in order to qualify for a refund. In the interest of hygiene, headsets and earphones may not be returned unless unopened and intact in their original packaging. You will receive a full refund to the value of the item* *Applies to online sales ONLY. FAO Returns Dept. Tower Records 7 Dawson Street Dublin 2 D02 X688
To return an item:
Please wrap the item and the package securely and send them to the address below. We do not accept liability for goods which are returned in faulty packaging. We recommend that you use a recorded or registered delivery service. Please ensure that you have included a note giving full details of the problem, the order number, return notification number and any other details that may be helpful to us in order to track your order down quickly and efficiently. FAO Returns Dept. Tower Records 7 Dawson Street Dublin 2 D02 X688