Having realized that no one could give a hoot about their commercial aspirations,
the Wild Horses made sure that their second album, 1981's much improved
Stand Your Ground, would be a take-no-prisoners, hard-rocking affair. Opener "I'll Give You Love" sets the course, pounding out of the gate with emphatic energy and far more purpose than anything heard on the band's lackluster debut. Far more aggressive than on that first outing, guitarist
Brian Robertson takes charge of the proceedings, lending his stinging leads and tasteful virtuosity to standouts such as "In the City," the very
Lizzy-esque "Another Lover," and the somewhat one-dimensional but still effective "Stake Out." He also relinquishes virtually all lead vocal duties to co-leader
Jimmy Bain, wisely focusing on his six-string for further highlights like the intense "The Axe" and the title track. Alas, though it was vastly superior to its predecessor,
Stand Your Ground couldn't save
the Wild Horses from the one-way ticket to rock & roll oblivion already stamped with their photos, going their separate ways the very next year.