Play Yard Blues is the seventh solo album by John Norum

John Norum

John Norum is a rock music guitarist and founder of the Swedish band Europe . Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a side solo project...

, the guitarist in the Swedish hard rock

Hard rock

Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...

 band Europe

Europe (band)

Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum and drummer Tony Reno. Although widely associated with glam metal, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and hard rock elements...

. It was released on 17 May 2010.

The album includes cover versions of the Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...

 song "It's Only Money", the Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush

Frank Marino

Frank Marino , born November 20, 1954, in Montreal, is the guitarist and leader of Canadian hard rock band Mahogany Rush. Often compared to Jimi Hendrix, he is acknowledged as one of the best and most underrated guitarists of the 1970s.-Biography and career:After playing drums since he was five,...

 song "Ditch Queen" and the Mountain

Mountain (band)

Mountain is an American hard rock band that formed in Long Island, New York in 1969. Originally comprising vocalist and guitarist Leslie West, bassist Felix Pappalardi and drummer N. D. Smart, the band broke up in 1972 before reuniting in 1974 and remaining active until today...

 song "Travellin' in the Dark".

Track listing

1. "Let it Shine" (Norum, Torberg) – 4:55
2. "Red Light Green High" (Norum, Torberg) – 4:12
3. "It's Only Money" (Lynott
   Phil Lynott
   Philip Parris "Phil" Lynott was an Irish musician who first came to prominence as a founding member, principal songwriter, and frontman of the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy....
   
   ) – 2:54
4. "Got My Eyes on You" (Norum, Sundin) – 3:14
5. "When Darkness Falls" (Norum, Torberg, Stappe) – 4:01
6. "Over and Done" (Norum, Stappe) – 3:51
7. "Ditch Queen" (Marino
   Frank Marino
   Frank Marino , born November 20, 1954, in Montreal, is the guitarist and leader of Canadian hard rock band Mahogany Rush. Often compared to Jimi Hendrix, he is acknowledged as one of the best and most underrated guitarists of the 1970s.-Biography and career:After playing drums since he was five,...
   
   ) – 5:41
8. "Travellin' in the Dark" (Pappalardi
   Felix Pappalardi
   Felix A. Pappalardi Jr. was an American music producer, songwriter, vocalist, and bass guitarist.- Early life :Pappalardi was born in the Bronx, New York...
   
   , Collins
   Gail Collins Pappalardi
   -Biography:She was wife of the late Felix Pappalardi. She contributed lyrics to many Mountain songs and co-wrote Cream's "World of Pain" with Pappalardi and "Strange Brew" with Pappalardi and Eric Clapton...
   
   ) – 4:11
9. "Born Again" (Norum, Sundin) – 4:13
10. "Play Yard Blues" (Norum) – 4:08

Personnel

Band

• John Norum
  John Norum
  John Norum is a rock music guitarist and founder of the Swedish band Europe . Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a side solo project...
  
   - guitars, vocals
• Tomas Torberg - bass
• Thomas Broman - drums
• Peer Stappe - percussion

Additional personnel

• Leif Sundin - vocals on "Got My Eyes on You" and "Born Again"
• Mic Michaeli
  Mic Michaeli
  Gunnar Mathias "Mic" Michaeli is the keyboardist in the Swedish rock band Europe. Like many of the other Europe members he grew up in Stockholm suburb Upplands Väsby...
  
   - keyboards

Production

• Recorded at Playyard Studios, Sweden
• Engineered by Peer Stappe
• Produced by John Norum
• Mixed at Polar Studios in Stockholm by Peer Stappe and John Norum
• Mastered by Bjorn Engelman at Cutting Room

Cover art

• Photography by Paul Bergen
• Graphic design by Misha van Tol

Chart positions

Year	List	Peak	wks	Ref.
2010	Swedish Album Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....	36	1