Definitely one of the best tracks I have ever heard out of the chicago / acid house era, this is still a floor filler today. The track uses drum sequencing in a way that really shows off some tricks of the TR-808 like fills, stutters, A-B pattern switches, etc. The drum sounds are all amazing, making people on the dancefloor go into a frenzy with its raw 808 claps, snares, hi-hats and booming bassdrum. The 303 bassline is just fat as hell and without being tweaked into an acid hellfire like some other tracks of the era, this tune had a pulsing, rumbling, quickly recognized bassline that will bring trainspotters up to the booth in a hurry. I only found this song on accident, buying a FlashCube/NoWayBack white label. I have only played FlashCube at a few events but I play NoWayBack almost any chance I get because its a sure fire crowd pleaser and a great track for any 808/303 fanatic. I am shocked to see this tune barely ever used on compilations or mentioned in discussion of that era, it gets an A+ and a 10 in my book.

At the very beginning, Adonis was into Citizen Band Radios, back when his nickname was Popcorn Kid (he used to love popcorns!). A CB friend named Love Child introduced him a guy named Gary B (which would be the man behind the robotic vocals on "No Way Back"). Love Child told Adonis that there was this DJ he should meet - Gary B would be the one that would introduce Adonis into the House Music World.

Mr. Acid Buddha (Adonis) was the only kid in Chicago with a CB Radio attached to his bike with a motorcycle battery and a generator to power up the CB radio. He was all into technology at the mid eighties.

Gary came over his house, and they talked about the music industry in Chicago, and Adonis played some music there (he was a musician with tons of records in his house, from Blues to Jazz and R&B - but not a DJ or a producer yet), and Gary brought on a record with him which was Jesse Saunders' "On And On" that changed his life.

This early House record gave a very intense inspiration to several of these youngsters willing to take the lead on the dance music Universe. After that meeting, it gave Adonis more of a desire to create House style tracks that would be original and not copies of other records basslines.

"No Way Back" production started with the basslines first, then the drums with the use of the roland TR-808. One day, Adonis was going to studio and Gary B. was with him, so Adonis told him to do the vocals, because he wanted Gary to be a famous DJ like Ron Hardy and Farley (Jackmaster Funk).

The metalic, futuristic vocals - "Release my Soul, I've lost control! Release my Soul, I've lost control! Too far gone! Too far gone... Ain't No Way Back!" suggested quite a lots of interpretations. According to the author, it was like getting lost in the sound of music to a point where you can't find your way back to being normal again. Once you was introduced to the sound, you changed for life; your thinking would be expanded into other dimensions forever. That's what Adonis music was all about.

As soon as Adonis finished recording "No Way Back", Marshall Jefferson heard it; he wanted Adonis to give him the demo tape so that Marshall could have it on an Virgo EP; Marshall Jefferson knew that it would be a big record even before Adonis did, but the author said no, he didn't want to.

Sometime after that, Adonis was at the largest party of the year, and he had the "No Way Back" track on tape. A DJ name Larry Thompson was DJing that night. That's exactly when Adonis found out he was going to have an effect in the Chicago scene. Steve Silk Hurley had just introduced one of his newest track to the fans at the party, and no one had ever heard "No Way Back" before. After playing Hurley's track, Larry Thompson asked Adonis if he could play "No Way Back", so he played, and the whole place lost their minds. All the DJs asked what the f*ck was that, who made that track - then Larry Thompson told Adonis, that he' was on the map now. After that, Larry Sherman from Trax Records pulled Adonis to the side and gave him his business card.

About that classic, his friend Marshall Jefferson said with deep respect that No Way Back had been out and was hitting really hard, and everyone thought it would be a good idea to have Adonis down for co-production.

No Way back hit the dancefloors in the mid eighties but i first heard it about 88 and i didn't rest easy untill i purchased a copy. Chicago house at it's best you just can't help but dance to this seriously jacking track.
Everytime i drop this one i get nods and waves of approvement, timeless Chicago classic for sure.

No way back is a fantastic house music track.
A the time (1988) it was my favourite track.
It's really danceable and it was just made with a tr 808 and a tb 303 loop.
It's as simple as full of genius.