I’ll be very interested to see what Deb, Steve, and Jeff–our resident musicologists–think of this compilation of “Hair Metal” bands from 1986-1992. Some of the bands are familiar: Quiet Riot, Dio, Poison, Black Sabbath, Foreigner, Twisted Sister, Ratt, and Motley Crue. But there were a few groups I didn’t recognize–Vixen (an all-girl group from Minneapolis) and Nelson (a couple of long-haired blond brothers)–that I would like to hear more from.
I wasn’t really a Hair Metal fan, but these Glam Rock tunes dominated the radio air-waves for five or six years so I heard plenty of these songs. Were you into Big Hair and guitar riffs? Do you recognize these groups? Any favorites here? GRADE: B+ (well worth the $1 I paid for this 2–CD set)
Tracklist
| 1-1 | –Mötley Crüe | Dr Feelgood | 4:49 |
| 1-2 | –Slaughter | Up All Night | 3:44 |
| 1-3 | –Faith No More | Epic | 4:51 |
| 1-4 | –Queensrÿche | Silent Lucidity | 5:45 |
| 1-5 | –Lita Ford | Kiss Me Deadly | 4:00 |
| 1-6 | –Winger | Easy Come, Easy Go | 4:01 |
| 1-7 | –Warrant | I Saw Red | 3:57 |
| 1-8 | –Twisted Sister | I Wanna Rock | 3:03 |
| 1-9 | –Mr. Big | Just Take My Heart | 4:23 |
| 1-10 | –Europe (2) | Superstitious | 4:34 |
| 1-11 | –Giant (4) | I’ll See You In My Dreams | 4:45 |
| 1-12 | –Vixen (2) | Cryin | 3:32 |
| 1-13 | –Firehouse (2) | Don’t Treat Me Bad | 3:55 |
| 1-14 | –White Trash (4) | Apple Pie | 4:07 |
| 1-15 | –Nelson (4) | After The Rain | 4:05 |
| 1-16 | –Krokus | American Woman | 3:35 |
| 1-17 | –Loverboy | Turn Me Loose | 3:29 |
| 1-18 | –Black Sabbath | Heaven And Hell | 6:56 |
| 2-1 | –Poison (3) | Unskinny Bop | 3:47 |
| 2-2 | –Skid Row | I Remember You | 5:11 |
| 2-3 | –Dokken | In My Dreams | 4:18 |
| 2-4 | –Extreme (2) | Hole Hearted | 3:37 |
| 2-5 | –Whitesnake | The Deeper The Love | 4:00 |
| 2-6 | –White Lion | Wait | 3:59 |
| 2-7 | –Dio (2) | Rainbow In The Dark | 4:14 |
| 2-8 | –Foreigner | Say You Will | 4:12 |
| 2-9 | –Faster Pussycat | You’re So Vain | 4:08 |
| 2-10 | –Quiet Riot | Bang Your Head (Mental Health) | 5:16 |
| 2-11 | –Bad English | Price Of Love | 4:45 |
| 2-12 | –Ratt | Way Cool Jr | 4:27 |
| 2-13 | –Enuff Z’nuff | New Thing | 4:20 |
| 2-14 | –Bonham | Wait For You | 5:00 |
| 2-15 | –Damn Yankees | Where You Going’ Now | 4:39 |
| 2-16 | –Bullet Boys | Smooth Up In Ya | 4:24 |
| 2-17 | –Vandenberg | Burning Heart | 4:09 |
Hair metal is not really my bag, baby—and I must say, I don’t know too many of these songs beyond the ones by the big names (Black Sabbath, Loverboy, Twisted Sister). Nelson are (iirc) the sons of Rick Nelson—I remember them (but not their music) being extremely popular because of their beautiful long blond hair. Damn Yankees was (again, iirc) Ted Nugent’s band. He’s now a complete Trumpster and I wouldn’t want to contribute so much as a penny, however inadvertently, to his income by buying this cd.
Deb, I seem to remember Rick Nelson’s sons starting a band, but I didn’t connect them (and their beautiful long blond hair!) with this CD. Ted Nugent went to the Dark Side.
It was this sort of music that turned me away from pop music. It just sounded loud and angry to me.
Patti, this music is loud, angry…and loud!
No interest in this at all, George.
Jerry, I’ll be heading back into the songs of the 1960s soon.
I also had little interest in this type of music and recognized few groups. I did know of Nelson, who as Deb says are the sons of teen idol, Rickie, but I didn’t know them for their music.
Maggie, I think Nelson’s career was short.
I was still very much into current rock music during this period but not these bands. I only recognize eight of the bands by name and only 4-5 of the songs. During the 1986-92 period I’d say my favorite band was REM.
Michael, I think most of these groups were part of a genre that sold well for a while…then faded away in the 1990s.
The only song I can identify by title is the Twisted Sister, though I certainly know at least the names of some of the others. Face it, if Deb doesn’t know it, it isn’t worth knowing! Pass.
Jeff, you’re right about Deb.
I detest hair metal. Rock and roll at it’s low point.
Steve, yet these bands sold well and dominated a lot of radio stations back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their tours generated millions, too.
I recognize the names of most of these groups, but I didn’t listen to any of them. (Well, some Foreigner.) I have zero desire to listen to any of them now, even on a five cent sampler.
Jeff, when I listened to MONSTER MADNESS, it was like a Time Machine (without the Time Loop!!) taking me back 30 years. Granted, many of these songs are mediocre, but they trigger memories of a Happier Time.
I bought and listened to and liked the first Black Sabbath album, but that was about it for me Of course Foreigner was all over the radio, as were Whitesnake and others here, but I guess I tuned them out (see what I did there?). This certainly isn’t one I’d buy, though the early MTV crowd might love it. Note, no Van Halen.
Rick, music from this era was more about appearance and presentation than the actual music. I’m sure Van Halen songs are pricey.
I don’t remember much, maybe two or three band names bot none of the songs and as George said “appearance which I wasn’t interested at all.
Real Rock and Blues I want!°
Wolf, glitz and glamor sold in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the United States. But, on the horizon, was the Grunge movement.
I’d never really thought of Van Halen as a member of this coterie, possibly because I actually thought they were quite good, although they were never quite the same after Diamond Dave left. For me, they were much better than any of the bands on this collection.
Michael, Van Halen produced music that’s still listenable today. I still hear “Jump” played a lot.
Most of this stuff is WAY out of my comfort zone.
Beth, I’ll be heading for your Comfort Zone next Thursday!