MONSTER MADNESS [2-CD Set]

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

1-1Mötley CrüeDr Feelgood4:49
1-2SlaughterUp All Night3:44
1-3Faith No MoreEpic4:51
1-4QueensrÿcheSilent Lucidity5:45
1-5Lita FordKiss Me Deadly4:00
1-6WingerEasy Come, Easy Go4:01
1-7WarrantI Saw Red3:57
1-8Twisted SisterI Wanna Rock3:03
1-9Mr. BigJust Take My Heart4:23
1-10Europe (2)Superstitious4:34
1-11Giant (4)I’ll See You In My Dreams4:45
1-12Vixen (2)Cryin3:32
1-13Firehouse (2)Don’t Treat Me Bad3:55
1-14White Trash (4)Apple Pie4:07
1-15Nelson (4)After The Rain4:05
1-16KrokusAmerican Woman3:35
1-17LoverboyTurn Me Loose3:29
1-18Black SabbathHeaven And Hell6:56
2-1Poison (3)Unskinny Bop3:47
2-2Skid RowI Remember You5:11
2-3DokkenIn My Dreams4:18
2-4Extreme (2)Hole Hearted3:37
2-5WhitesnakeThe Deeper The Love4:00
2-6White LionWait3:59
2-7Dio (2)Rainbow In The Dark4:14
2-8ForeignerSay You Will4:12
2-9Faster PussycatYou’re So Vain4:08
2-10Quiet RiotBang Your Head (Mental Health)5:16
2-11Bad EnglishPrice Of Love4:45
2-12RattWay Cool Jr4:27
2-13Enuff Z’nuffNew Thing4:20
2-14BonhamWait For You5:00
2-15Damn YankeesWhere You Going’ Now4:39
2-16Bullet BoysSmooth Up In Ya4:24
2-17VandenbergBurning Heart4:09

24 thoughts on “MONSTER MADNESS [2-CD Set]

  1. Deb

    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.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      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.

      Reply
  2. Patti Abbott

    It was this sort of music that turned me away from pop music. It just sounded loud and angry to me.

    Reply
  3. maggie mason

    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.

    Reply
  4. Michael Padgett

    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.

    Reply
  5. Jeff Meyerson

    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.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      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.

      Reply
  6. Jeff Smith

    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.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      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.

      Reply
  7. Rick Robinson

    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.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Rick, music from this era was more about appearance and presentation than the actual music. I’m sure Van Halen songs are pricey.

      Reply
  8. wolf

    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!°

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Wolf, glitz and glamor sold in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the United States. But, on the horizon, was the Grunge movement.

      Reply
  9. Michael Padgett

    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.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Steve Oerkfitz Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *