Vixen is the debut studio album by American rock band Vixen, released on August 31, 1988, by EMI's Manhattan Records.[3] It includes the singles "Edge of a Broken Heart" and "Cryin'", which reached numbers 26 and 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.[4]

Vixen
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 31, 1988
Recorded1988
Studio
GenreGlam metal[1]
Length43:18
LabelEMI Manhattan
Producer
Vixen chronology
Vixen
(1988)
Rev It Up
(1990)
Singles from Vixen
  1. "Edge of a Broken Heart"
    Released: 1988
  2. "Cryin'"
    Released: 1989
  3. "Love Made Me"
    Released: 1989
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]

Richard Marx, one of the late 1980s' most successful recording artists, was heavily involved in Vixen's early career, co-producing the album and writing one of their highest-charting singles, "Edge of a Broken Heart".

The three songs co-written by Jeff Paris, "Cryin'", "One Night Alone" and the bonus track "Charmed Life" were previously released on Paris's 1987 solo album Wired Up. "Give It Away" is credited to Paris's real name Geoffrey Leib and was included on his previous album Race to Paradise from 1986.

Vixen was ranked at number 43 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time".[1] The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 6, 1989.[3]

A remastered CD, featuring 6 bonus tracks, was reissued by Rock Candy Records in September 2023.

Track listing

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Edge of a Broken Heart"Marx4:24
2."I Want You to Rock Me"
  • Cole
  • Rick Neigher
3:30
3."Cryin'"
  • Cole
  • Neigher
3:32
4."American Dream"Jon ButcherSpencer Proffer4:19
5."Desperate"
  • Cole
  • Neigher
4:16
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
6."One Night Alone"
  • Tripp
  • Paris
Proffer3:50
7."Hell Raisers"
  • Scott Metaxas
  • Kenneth Dubman
  • Vixen
  • Proffer
Proffer4:27
8."Love Made Me"
  • Cole
  • Neigher
3:18
9."Waiting"
  • Kuehnemund
  • Gardner
  • Cole
  • Neigher
3:11
10."Cruisin'"
  • Kuehnemund
  • Gardner
  • Keith Krupp
  • Cole
  • Neigher
4:24
CD and cassette edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
11."Charmed Life"
  • Tripp
  • Paris
  • Cole
  • Neigher
4:05
Japanese CD edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Give It Away" (replaces "Charmed Life")3:32

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the liner notes of Vixen.[5]

Vixen

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Additional personnel

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  • Richard Marx – keyboards, production, arrangements (track 1)
  • Michael Landau - lead guitar (track 1)[6]
  • Vivian Campbell - acoustic guitar (track 5)
  • Brian Foraker – engineering, mixing (track 1)
  • David Cole – production, arrangements, engineering, mixing (tracks 2, 3, 5, 8–11)
  • Rick Neigher – production, arrangements (tracks 2, 3, 5, 8–11)
  • Spencer Proffer – production, arrangements (tracks 4, 6, 7)
  • Hans Peter Huber – engineering (tracks 4, 6, 7)
  • Peter Doell – additional engineering
  • Annette Cisneros, Judy Clapp, Mark Stebbeds, Jimmy Perziosi – engineering assistance
  • Greg Fulginiti – mastering at Artisan Sound Recorders (Hollywood, California)
  • Susanne Marie Edgren, Lewis Kovac – production coordination
  • Henry Marquez – creative direction
  • Robert Fusfield – art direction
  • Nels – photography
  • Glen La Ferman – back cover photography

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for Vixen
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[3] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

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  1. ^ Tracks 4, 6 and 7

References

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  1. ^ a b Eddy, Chuck (October 13, 2015). "50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time: 43. Vixen, 'Vixen' (1988)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  2. ^ Theakstone, Rob. "Vixen – Vixen". AllMusic. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "American album certifications – Vixen – Vixen". Recording Industry Association of America. February 6, 1989. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  4. ^ "Vixen Chart History (Billboard Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  5. ^ Vixen (liner notes). Vixen. EMI Manhattan Records. 1988. CDP-7-46991-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ Marx, Richard (July 2021). Stories To Tell. ISBN 9781982169435 – via www.simonandschuster.com.
  7. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  8. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Vixen – Vixen" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  9. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Vixen – Vixen". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  10. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  11. ^ "Vixen Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  12. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1989". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2022.