Wild Horses Box Set — Forgotten Supergroup?

Wild Horses – Standing Our Ground (1978–1981)

The Complete Recordings – 6CD Box Set Review

There are certain bands that carried enormous expectation before a note had even been heard. Wild Horses were one of them.

Formed in the late ’70s by Brian Robertson (ex-Thin Lizzy) and Jimmy Bain (ex-Rainbow), this was immediately labelled a supergroup. Add Neil Carter (later of UFO) and drummer Clive Edwards, and you had serious pedigree before you even dropped the needle.

Now we have Standing Our Ground – The Complete Recordings 1978–1981, a six-disc set pulling together:

• Wild Horses (1980) – newly remixed
• Stand Your Ground (1981) – partial remixes
• Bonus tracks and demos from both albums
• Live at The Marquee (1980)
• Live in Tokyo (1980)

For collectors of British hard rock and anyone fascinated by the post-Thin Lizzy / post-Rainbow diaspora, this is essential listening.

The Original Debut – Revisited and Reborn

I remember buying the picture sleeve single of “Criminal Tendencies” when it came out. Money was tight in those days. You took a chance on a single before committing to an album. If it wasn’t 10/10, you hesitated — because between 1978 and 1980 there was simply so much incredible music competing for your wages.

Listening now, the debut album is steeped in that classic British hard rock feel — you can absolutely hear the Lizzy influence in tracks like:

• “Reservation”
• “Face Down”
• “Blackmail”
• “Fly Away”
• “Dealers”
• “No Strings Attached”

Brian Robertson’s guitar work is, of course, superb. There’s class and tone in abundance.

Where the album perhaps struggled originally was in the vocal department. Jimmy Bain’s voice is solid, but when songs demand real attitude, it doesn’t quite hit with the conviction of a Phil Lynott-type presence.

The Remix

The 2025 remix of the debut album is excellent.

Overseen by Brian Robertson and remixed by Per Olsson, it breathes properly. It sounds fuller, clearer, and more defined. Not that the original was poorly produced — but modern ears, modern technology and hindsight have done it real justice.

I suspect many of you who pick this up will gravitate towards this remixed version as your go-to.

The Second Album 

Stand Your Ground (1981) is where tensions famously boiled over between Robertson and Bain. According to Brian, Jimmy was altering mixes behind his back — and that fracture effectively tore the band apart.

Here’s the interesting thing…

I actually preferred this second album.

The songs feel stronger, more direct, more riff-driven. There’s more light and shade. Tracks like:

• “I’ll Give You Love”
• “Love Is Blind”
• “Other Loser”

…carry more punch and focus.

Yes, vocals remain the slight weak link — but musically? This is a confident hard rock album.

Only some tracks have been remixed here (not the entire album, sadly), but where remixes exist they sound fantastic.

The Bonus Material – Proper Demos

One of the real strengths of this box set is the quality of the demos.

These are not “stick a mic in the corner of the rehearsal room” recordings. These were properly tracked studio demos — multitracked, balanced, powerful.

Two highlights for many fans will be the guest appearances:

• Phil Lynott singing on a version of “Fly Away”
• Gary Moore contributing guitar on another version

That alone tells you something important — whatever tensions existed at the end of Brian’s time in Thin Lizzy, bridges had clearly been rebuilt.

There’s also an intriguing story in the booklet about a possible power trio involving Robertson, Lynott and Philthy Animal Taylor of Motörhead. Now that would have been something.

The booklet itself is excellent — up-to-date interview with Robertson, memorabilia, and proper context. It adds weight to the whole project.

Live at The Marquee (1980)

The Marquee disc is strong. Rough and ready in the best way. It sounds like it could have been released officially at the time.

A powerful hour-long set, including a cracking version of “Rocky Mountain Way.” This captures what the band could do when firing properly.

Live in Tokyo (1980)

The Tokyo disc is clearly bootleg quality. You’re further from the stage sonically. Vocals give it away immediately.

But it’s here for completeness — and if you’re a fan of Brian Robertson’s playing, there’s plenty to enjoy once your ears adjust.

It won’t be the disc you play most often — but I understand why it’s included.

Wild Horses were a band with enormous potential, but perhaps never quite the definitive frontman to elevate them into the top tier.

ORDER THE WILD HORSES BOX SET HERE

Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine