One Vice at a Time


One Vice at a Time is the sixth studio album by the Swiss hard rock band Krokus, released in 1982 by Arista Records. It is notable for the strong influence of AC/DC on the songs and production, and was the first album to feature Mark Kohler on rhythm guitar. It includes a cover of the Guess Who's song "American Woman". The song "Long Stick Goes Boom" is used in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories on the fictional in-game radio station V-Rock.
Bruce Dickinson, who at the time had just been hired as Iron Maiden's new lead vocalist, provides backing vocals on the track "I'm on the Run". Producer Tony Platt was best known for his prior work as engineer with AC/DC.
The band's live album Long Stick Goes Boom: Live from da House of Rust took its title from the lead-off song on this release.
UK-based company Rock Candy Records reissued One Vice at a Time on CD in 2014.

Reception

At the time of release British press has negatively commented on the musical content of the album, condemning the musicians as copycats of AC/DC. Reviewer Dante Bonutto from Kerrang! magazine wrote in March 1982: "Krokus's infatuation with AC/DC seems to rule out even a hint of progress. On the evidence One Vice at a Time the band are less concerned with creating something new than aping a tried, tested and successful formula. With the help of producer Tony Platt, who engineered on Highway to Hell and Back in Black, Krokus create passable facsimile of Angus and Co's distinctively-layered sound. The motivations behind the music and that all-important AC/DC swagger, however, can't be reproduced, a fact that leaves the album sounding two-dimensional and soulless. Music by numbers predictable and uninspired".

Track listing

;Side one
  1. "Long Stick Goes Boom" ' – 5:12
  2. "Bad Boys, Rag Dolls" ' – 3:48
  3. "Playin' the Outlaw" ' – 4:00
  4. "To the Top" ' – 4:21
;Side two
  2. "Down the Drain" ' – 3:12
  3. "American Woman" ' – 3:37
  4. "I'm on the Run" ' – 3:43
  5. "Save Me" ' – 4:27
  6. "Rock 'n' Roll" – 4:07

    Personnel

;Krokus
;Additional musicians
  • Bruce Dickinson – backing vocals on "I'm on the Run"
;Production
  • Co-produced by Tony Platt and Krokus
  • Engineered by Tony Platt
  • Barry Sage – assistant engineer
  • Chris von Rohr, Fernando von Arb – arrangements

    Charts

Album

Singles

Sales and certifications