GODDAMN! That's Glam! Stryper - Against The Law (Enigma, 1990)

GODDAMN! Thats Glam! 

Stryper- Against The Law (1990), #39 Billboard Albums Chart

Michael Sweet - Vocals, Guitar

Oz Fox - Guitar

Tim Gaines - Bass

Robert Sweet - Drums

Writer: Michael Sweet Solo

Producer: Tom Werman (Shout At The Devil, Cheap Trick's In Color, Heaven Tonight, Dream Police and Twisted Sister's Stay Hungry. Apparently owns a B&B in Lenox, MA might have to check that out and do a podcast, dude must have great stories!)

"There are no atheists in foxholes." Is it accidental that I found Stryper during the COVID-19 lockdown? God works in mysterious ways. :P

I have known of Stryper's existence since freshman year of college. As I was devouring any and all 80s heavy metal, especially that of the glam-tinged variety, I ran across Stryper. My first Stryper song  was "Calling You" after watching the music video. I liked it enough that I downloaded it. Stryper looked like a typical LA band, big hair and makeup. They did seem to have this gimmick of wearing yellow & black stripes, which made them look like the Killer Bees. I didnt think much of it.  Then I kept listening to the song which I loved more for the vocals, really well-done harmonies especially the really glammy ending. As I listening to the song, I realized there was something odd about the song. Is he singing about a Man? Oh wait, are they singing about God & Jesus? Then I looked it up they were a Christian Glam Metal band. "Holy shit!" :P

Even though I am a practicing Catholic, Christian rock has never really been my jam. There are some Church hymns that I really dig ("Here I Am Lord" gets me everytime, I am always crying during that song). However, once you add guitars and drums to it, you end up with "My God is an Awesome God" and I am lactose intolerant to that level of cheeze.  I find most Christian Rock to be excessively cheezy and I also dont like how it is mixed. It is mixed specifically so you can hear the lyrics. So the vocals ride high in the mix and the actual rock is buried. So it takes the balls away from the music. What I love about Stryper is they sound like a heavy metal band first that just happens to sing about Christ rather than a Christian band that plays heavy metal in the background. Stryper shows you can keep your balls and still praise the Lord above.

Over the years, I have found myself to like a couple more Stryper songs such as "Free" and "To Hell With The Devil", but the Power of Christ never compelled me to listen to an entire album. Then Stryper's number came up. I have a list of 355 Heavy Metal Albums from the 80s (yes the 80s include 1990 & 1991) and I use a random number generator and up came Stryper's Solider Under Command, their debut album. It fucking rocked! I mean face-melting, head-banging metal rock! I was impressed. It was very clear that Stryper was influenced by the Holy Trinity: Ozzy, Priest & Maiden! What did you think that I meant a different Holy Trinity? :P 

Stryper came from Sunset Strip at the same time as Motley Crue & Ratt and were a part of what is called "The First Wave of Glam Metal". I think what really separates the First Wave from the Second Wave is that First Wave really made sure to put the Metal in Glam Metal. So I really shouldnt have been surprised that Stryper was committed to the Heavy Metal cause as much as they were the Christian Cause. "To Hell With The Devil" which is definitely my favorite Stryper album reinforces all those influence and not to mention Scorpions and Van Halen. I was tempted to write about that album, but I like the hidden gems. "To Hell With The Devil" is Stryper's calling card, if you know Stryper you have at least heard of the album. "In God We Trust", the 1988 follow-up, follows the trend of Glam Metal to lighten up the sound, this album relies more heavily on keyboards and makes Stryper sound like a slightly heavy Styx. It is a very ok album and then I heard 1990's Against The Law. I was hooked and I was like I got my next article. When I heard that Michael Sweet disowns the album basically after I listened to it, I knew I had to write about it because I love great albums disowned by the band. 

In 1990, Stryper were PISSED! When you are pissed, you can make some kickass rock 'n' roll. As you can imagine, Stryper took some serious flack for being a Christian Glam Metal band. Heavy metal fans were pretty merciless in mocking Hair Metal bands like Motley Crue and Ratt, they must have been 10x worse for a Christian Glam band. However, Stryper got it from both sides as there were a lot of modern day Pharisees in the American Evangelical movement that condemned the mixing of Christianity and the Devil's music, heavy metal. There were a lot of protests at Stryper concerts from these hardline nutjobs and Stryper just said enough! They are straightened their hair as was common at the time. They ditched the Yellow & Black garb for leather pants and the vests or big shirts fashionable at the time. Perhaps, most importantly, they stopped singing about God. Stryper went SECULAR on Against The Law. 

I have listened/read a couple Michael Sweet (band-leader) interviews and he repeats that Stryper is a heavy metal band comprised of Christians, not a Christian band. I do agree that there is a difference. I found most of the songs on "To Hell With The Devil" are not explicitly Christian but sung from a Christian worldview. I think "Against The Law" takes this further, but it is not like Stryper all of sudden did a Sleaze record where they are banging a three chicks a night and blowing a couple 8-balls. The songs are just about more everyday life. For Christ sake, the one big time party song "Not That Kind of Guy" (a very direct Van Halen speed metal song rip-off right down to ripping-off Michael Anthony's backing vocals) is about all the women that want to sleep with Michael Sweet, but sorry honey he is just not that kind of guy. You can't help but laugh at the role reversal and humblebrag of the song. No Stryper did not become Motley Crue or Slayer, but "Against The Law" is a refreshing change of pace from the "Soliders Under Command" and shows their versatility. 

I need to find a way to shorten up my preludes. You guys need to tell me to shut up and get to the music because this is a gem of an album. I would say Stryper has two really big strengths, one is Michael Sweet's incredible voice and the other is the twin metal guitar attack of Sweet & Fox. This album is definitely more of a vocally-driven album as it really shows off Michael Sweet's insane power and expansive range. He is screaming, shreiking and screeching all over the album like a Banshee from Hell erm...Heaven? Sweet has described himself as "Heavy Metal Dennis DeYoung" and while I can see that I think he sounds a lot closer to the Metal God himself Rob Halford especially in how he can do these full-throated screams with such power and conviction. 

I think the best song to really show off Michael's vocal prowess is the song "Two Bodies" . This song is proof that Michael Sweet is just as good as Halford or Dickinson. That may be blasphemy to some, but only the Gospel Truth comes out of my mouth. ;) Listen to how he sings "Together" tell me you don't get chills. I love how the chorus evolves. On the second go-around, he adds "Oh Yeah" after "Together" and "No, No, No" after "Stone" to fill everything out. The cherry on top is that he harmonizes "Never" at the end of the chorus for great texture. Then on the third refrain, he bring it all home when he absolutely lets it rip on "Stone". Holy shit, I just listened to it. What an awesome vocal performance from Michael and a great arrangement. As for the song, you will get tired of me saying but it was very Van Halen-derived. This song was definitely more indebted to Van Hagar-era. I love Van Halen, but I cant think of the exact song. It starts off with an acoustic intro and then abruptly stops and the electric guitar and drums kick in for extra oomph during the chorus. The abrupt stop is definitely cribbed from "Finish What Ya Started", but I feel like there's another Van Halen song that has similar loud-soft dynamics to this song. I would give credit Stryper credit on this song for those very loud-soft dynamics, which is something that is missed in their earlier rock the hell out of you approach. It shows versatility and maturity. Speaking of "Rock The Hell Out Of You"...

A lot of "Against The Law" sounds like mid-tempo Van Hagar, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make Stryper come off as a big derivative, which I think is not true about the band. Stryper is not as innovative as a Van Halen or a Judas Priest but they definitely have a distinct sound. "Rock The Hell Out Of You" is distinctly Stryper right down to the playful Christian title that both works both ways. It is a speed metal song that absolutely melts where Michael Sweet screams his bloody head off. The beginning sounds like it could come right off the scorching hot Judas Priest Painkiller album (same year, same producer, incidentally). I think what really separates this from great speed metal and makes it unique is how Stryper leans into their glam influences and uses harmonized vocals on the chorus. You get Sweet screaming "We Will" like a fucking Metal God and then Oz & Co. singing "Rock The Hell Out of You" in a very full catchy way. The solo is a ripcord and Sweet comes back in all cylinder firing. If you like speed metal with a lot of really good screaming, definitely check this out. 

The other song on "Against The Law" that I think is definitively Stryper is "All For One", which is actually something I saw Michael Sweet say. Always good to agree with the bandleader on that. One thing that dawned me is that Stryper may have actually innovated American Power Metal and perhaps the Power Metal genre in general years before Helloween. Power Metal is an amalgamation of Dio/Blackmore's fantasy metal with the twin melodic guitar approach of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden with big soaring vocals and large gang-choruses. Think about it, replace the fantasy lyrics with Christian lyrics and that sounds a lot like Stryper. "All For One" would not sound out of place at all on an Iced Earth album. This is the Arena Metal song that Halford was obsessed with writing trying and failing most famously with "United". Stryper knocks it out of the park because of how proficient they are at all vocals and they sound absolutely HUGE on the chorus. The "Tell Me" on the bridge to the chorus is just money.  The other trick is how good the rhythm section is. This has that Iron Maiden gallop/rumble to it that keeps the listener entranced. For further proof that Stryper was at least key if not the true innovator of power metal check out "The Way" on To Hell With The Devil for proof that Stryper did speed/power metal too not just the stomping arena anthems. 

Finally, my favorite song off "Against The Law" is "Two-Time Woman" that infectious gang-chorus immediately caught my ear and never let go. Stryper has a lot of kickass metal jams, but this song proves that Stryper can let their hair down and have some fun. I love that Oz is wearing a "Headbanger's Ball" shirt in the music video. I love the guitar work in this again it definitely feels more Van Hagar then their earlier harmonized Scorpions-esque leads. I think the gang-chorus sounds like Damn Yankees and shows their Arena Rock influences like Styx & Night Ranger. I think usually they take on a more glam-tinged gang choruses but in this case it is closer to the late 70s Arena Rock. I love how Sweet screams "Way" right before the blues-y solo from Oz Fox which is unusual compared to the rest of the album and the rest of their work.  

All in all, I really enjoy "Against The Law" and hope that people give it chance. I understand why the band does not like it. The pressure had gotten to them. They started drinking and many of their marriages fell apart. Michael left the band after the album. It must suck that the people you are trying to support were their most vocal critics. Out of that darkness, I thought they wrote a killer album, but I get why they wouldnt want to revisit those dark times. Even though more than not, it does sound very derivative of Van Hagar on most tracks what holds this together is terrific musicianship of Stryper. Michael is a helluva singer and guitar player. He & Oz rocked on this album and the rhythm section kept right up with them. Michael Sweet really got a chance to show off his amazing voice throughout this album, which is so powerful and filled with emotion.  So what they lacked in innovation they made up for in Spirit. :) 

GODDAMN! Thats Glam! vol. 3 Motley Crue - Theatre of Pain (Elektra, 1985)

GODDAMN! Thats Glam! 

Motley Crue- Theatre of Pain (1985), #6 Billboard Albums Chart, 4x Platinum

Vince Neil – Vocals

Mick Mars – Lead & Rhythm Guitar

Nikki Sixx  - Bass

Tommy Lee  – Drums

Writers: Nikki Sixx on all songs, contributions from other band members throughout

Producer: Tom Werman (Shout At The Devil, Cheap Trick's In Color, Heaven Tonight, Dream Police and Twisted Sister's Stay Hungry. Apparently owns a B&B in Lenox, MA might have to check that out and do a podcast, dude must have great stories!)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes, we are only on volume 3 and I am already re-posting stuff from my original Rocktober countdown. This was written in 2011. This is one of my favorite pieces I did as it really details why this is a great album even if the band itself disowns it. Since this piece originally was published The Dirt the movie has come out. This album was pretty much ignored except for one brief scene where they bury the album as trash and as if it was the worst thing they ever produced (Generation Swine anyone?). Funny thing is that they always say the only good thing to come out of this album is Home Sweet Home, which is their best & signature power ballad. What is funny is that song did not chart well at the time. It was actually the cover of Smokin' In The Boys Room that was a Top 40 hit. Home Sweet Home was remastered and re-released on Decade of Decadence in 1991 and that is the version we all know and love. I hope you enjoy this re-post and take some time to revisit this album. It is not as good as Too Fast for Love or Shout At The Devil, but few albums are. This is still a great glam metal album. Enjoy!

All four people that who will eventually read this blog knew that Motley Crue was going to show up on this countdown sooner rather than later (they had FIVE albums in the 80’s alone). Their first appearance is for their over-looked, under-appreciated glam classic, Theatre of Pain. This album finds the Crue boys re-inventing themselves (as they have a penchant to do on each album) as philosophical glam rocking gypsies.  Philosophical?!?!? Ok as philosophical as a glam band can get. Motley Crue always had a unique sense of self when it came to rebellion and cutting-edge trends. Nikki Sixx led the band to the forefront of American heavy metal with the bitchin album, Shout At The Devil. On Heavy Metal Sunday at the US Festival, a veritable murder’s row of metal killed New Wave dead as Van Halen, Scorpions, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot and a young, hungry Motley Crue band gathered to melt hundreds of thousands people’s faces. Yes, if you could take a time machine back to 1983-84, it was Motley Crue, not Metallica that was the face of American Heavy Metal (and I am not talking VH1 metal, this is true, blue metal. If you disagree with me, then basically you are calling Ozzy and Priest not metal. Crue was just as metal as those artists in this time period.) Then depending on your vantage point, Nikki and troop threw it all away for mainstream fame and success with the album, Theatre of Pain. My own theory is that Nikki knew he could not top that aggressive, almost violent magnus opus and thus he needed to shift to the other extreme leading to Theatre of Pain being born. Nikki has stated in a couple of interviews that he believes in always re-inventing the image and sound of the band with every album. He did a Satanic, post-Apocalypse album and now he wanted to rebel differently as the Metallica's and SLAYERRRRR's started to pop up. He dropped the leather and added the lace. Thrash was an aggressive, realistic take on metal. Then he was going to create carnival, fantastical atmosphere on his albums. They replaced the heavy songs about Satan with a power ballad about life on the road and songs about the uplifting street-wise rebellion with songs about being tethered to the city.  

Theatre of Pain is Motley Crue’s most challenging release to the point, where the members of the band have mostly dis-owned the album (save for the smash hit, Home Sweet Home) stating that it does not fit with the Crue mold of partying, sex, drugs and rock n roll. For the most part they are right, this album is not a party album, which is pretty weird for a glam metal album. I disagree that quite strongly that this album is the weakest of their 80’s golden years albums (that distinction belongs to the repetitive Girls, Girls, Girls album). The distorted, fuzzy guitar tone of Mars on this album adds a great wrinkle to the 1970’s glam rock (Nikki Sixx’s favorite genre) that is prevalent throughout the album. In fact, the heavy, grinding tone of Mars is the one of the remaining vestiges of Crue’s metal past. While this has been deemed the “glam rock” album, Mick Mars does his best to remind you that is a heavy metal band.  In addition, this was the last time, I feel Vince Neil sang like a heavy metal lead singer rather than a mainstream, overly-produced hard rock lead singer. Neil was still allowed to perform unintelligible screams, which are a hallmark of glam metal and still sang with a high-pitched sneer rather than the fuller voice he “developed” on later albums. My main issue with the album is that the rhythm section especially Tommy’s drums are mixed way too low and sound either muddled or hidden underneath the Neil/Mars tandem.   

However, the circumstances around the album seemed to have distracted Crue from the objective of perfecting this album. The drug problems in the band were reaching a fever pitch. Vince killed the drummer of the “biggest band that never was” Hanoi Rocks in a drunk driving accident and Theatre of Pain is dedicated to Razzle. This led to a very short album (35 minutes) that included a cover among the ten songs not exactly indicative of the peak of creative power. I do hope to unearth some Motley Crue gems that have been lost to the fact that this album is so criminally over-looked.

Theatre of Pain, immediately tells the listener that this is NOT the sequel to Shout At The Devil, but this album for better or worse is very much its own album. City Boy Blues is definitely one of my favorite songs off the album that displays perfectly that dirty, dirty, dirty guitar tone Mars employs on the whole album. The riff is a plodding, pulsating attack of distortion while Vince screams over it about street-life and drugs. Tommy’s drums are actually pretty audible in this one as his constant crashing of the cymbals and drum rolls are on point. Nikki’s lyrics are illustrative that he is the best lyrical force in glam metal even if he was high on five different drugs as the bridge to the solo is a well-crafted set of lyrics setting out to challenge the mainstream belief system of Americans. The solo is one of my favorite of the album and is a relatively short (standard for Mick Mars’ standards) burst of melodic energy.

Next on the album was the lead single and cover of Brownsville Station’s hit, Smokin In The Boys Room. I definitely disagree with using a cover as a lead single as that seems downright lazy to me. However, as I looked over the rest of the album only, Tonight (We Need A Lover), could have been a lead single. I guess you can argue that their hands were tied. I love the music video for this one as this cover made so much sense for Motley Crue and their rebellious, teenage attitude. The imagery of the band was the most extreme at its time until Poison took it to the next level in 1986.  Once again, proving how Motley Crue were the trend-setters of glam metal. A funny personal anecdote, my brother and I always thought the lyrics were “Because everybody knows that smoking in the lounge is cool” because Vince’s phrasing sucks the meat missile. Then my dad who knows the original version told us it is “Because everybody know school aint allowed in school” which makes way more sense.

Next up is one of my personal favorites and a hold-over from the Shout-era, Louder Than Hell. This track is by far the most metal of all the songs on this album. The riffs vacillate between a grinding attack and long, drawn wail. Over the top of this, Vince delivers one of his best vocal performances EVAH~! screaming about sexual domination and things of that ilk. However, I would like the rumbling rhythm section more if I did not have to strain myself to hear it. Check out the difference between this and Hotter Than Hell, which is the original version. On the latter, Tommy’s drums really pound, but I prefer Vince’s vocals on Theatre of Pain, so it is a tough call.   

Some fun, fluffy filler is on tap next, Keep Your Eye On The Money, which I do not know completely why it was included on the album.

Now for the main event of the album and the reason this bad boy went quadruple platinum, the massive hit single, Home Sweet Home. The song that sent Motley Crue from top-flight heavy metal band to mainstream rock stars across America. Sometimes it is hard to reconcile that the same band performs Shout At the Devil and Home Sweet Home, but that is one of the reasons to love Crue. There is no Crue formula and there is no such thing as quintessential Crue as everything sounds so different.  This is THE power ballad to pretty much end all power ballads. Crue would never top this power ballad and this power ballad that started them all. Once again, Motley Crue are the trend-setters in glam metal. The piano intro, Vince’s crooning, the heavy attack of Mars’ guitar and the HUGE chorus make this a must-hear off the album. Mars’ guitar during the chorus is what sets this apart from so many other power ballads because it is such a heavy, distorted that swoops in like a locomotive. Then the solo, HOLY SHIT, what a solo as it just blares with great continuity between each of his guitar acrobatics. On the music video front, WHAT THE FUCK happened to Vince's hair. His hair was totally butchered into a mullet and is probably one of the reasons why the uninformed associate mullets with glam metal. Ugh, his hair has looked so much better.  I love the beginning of the video, when each member is found in their respective environments. It really hallmarks how much of a MOTLEY crew, Motley Crue actually was. It was this diversity of talents and backgrounds that led them to be the glam juggernauts that they were and are. Without further aideu, the number one MTV video of 1985:

Following that monster is the song that should have been the lead single, Tonight (We Need A Lover), which is also a very metallic song for the album with a pounding rhythm section from Tommy and an elongated wailing riff during verses that transforms into a pulsating, head-banging attack on the chorus. My favorite part of the song is when the band sings “Tonight” in harmony higher and higher pitch. Only for Vince to swoop in with a low-pitch snarl of “Oooooo Tonight”.

The token speed metal track comes up next as the riff from Livewire is transformed into the new Motley Crue song. I like the vocal delivery and melodies more than anything else. The hook on this song for me is when Vince sings “JFK Marilyn Monroe//Street-Walking Gypsy//Margaret Throdeau”. All in  all not essential Crue, but a fun song to come back to when you have played the hits to death.

I don’t think anybody on this planet agrees with me, but I believe Save Our Souls is the masterpiece of Nikki Sixx and Motley Crue’s career (Danger and Shout AT The Devil make it a tight race) and it is unfortunate that only Crue die-hards have ever heard it. The song is characterized by a HEAVY, GRINDING DIRGE of a riff that is punctuated by the DELIBERATE drum pounding of Tommy Lee. Vince screams and wails about the sleazy underbelly of the streets, which climaxes with the melancholy gang-shout of “Save Our Souls//For the Heavens//Save Our Souls//For the Promised Land”. This song is probably the closest thing to have ever heard to glam-doom metal and it sounds so fuckin cool.

That is one tough act to follow and Raise Your Hands to Rock sees Crue experimenting once again, but this type failing to reach my high expectations. The song begins with an acoustic guitar and then the muddled rhythm section kicks in. It is like a cross between I Wanna Rock and a feel-good, summer heart-land rock song. I think they were going for a big anthem and they fell short of it as there just were not enough hooks.

The final song used to be my least favorite song on the album, Fight For Your Right, until incidentally I was writing this blog. Don’t get me wrong, I still think the lyrics are way too self-serious and sound like an absolute joke when being sung by Vince Neil of all people. However, the only reason I used to listen to this song is that one of the lyrics include “Martin Luther” (It is clearly intended to be Martin Luther King, but the boys in Crue are not Rhodes Scholars) and so I used to like to hear Vince sing my name. I still hate the bridge, which does nothing for me and the chorus is pretty lame. However, I have newfound appreciation for the riff, which I am actually digging a whole lot now. God, I LOVE Mick Mars.

Is this the best Motley Crue album? Of course not. It needs to be made known that Motley Crue on their off-day is still better than 90% of glam metal bands out there. Is this an album that I want to listen to when I went to rejuvenate myself or “party”? No, not at all. This album is very different than a conventional glam metal album and when I find myself tired of the usual big hooks and high-powered riffs I find this album really takes glam metal into an interesting territory of grinding riffs and rumbling rhythm sections. I hope that maybe, just maybe, I proved my point that Theatre of Pain is a lost gem in the catalog of glam metal.        

GODDAMN! Thats Glam! vol. 2 Tigertailz - Bezerk (Music For Nations, 1990)

GODDAMN! Thats Glam! 

Tigertailz - Bezerk (1990)

Band Members

Kim Hooker - Lead and backing vocals

Jay Pepper - all guitars & mandolin

Pepsi Tate - Bass

Ace Finchum- Drums

Writers: Tigertailz

Producer: Chris Tsangarides (Judas Priest including Painkiller, King Diamond (Conspiracy), Tattooed Millionaire (Bruce Dickinson), Black Sabbath (The Eternal Idol), among others)

I am very excited to discuss the undisputed greatest Welsh glam band of all time, Tigertailz. No it is not the latest & greatest in toddler's programming, these Welsh rockers put both the GLAM and the METAL in Glam Metal. I find a lot of glam metal bands lean too hard in one direction, but these big, multicolored hair metal maniacs found the perfect balance throughout Bezerk, their second album. 

My quick Tigertailz story is from my freshman year in college. I was in brand new surroundings and didn't know a single person. I became obsessed with discovering as many glam metal bands as possible. Imagine my exuberance when I discovered Tigertailz. Not only did they sound bitchin', they look even more BITCHIN'! Naturally, I needed to tell the world about this. So I am telling some dude at dinner at the cafeteria about this new glam band I found from Wales. He looked at me like how did I end up sitting next to this dork. Oh did I mention my freshman year of college was 2007. Yeah, I was a weird kid and I didnt make many friends. :P

Now let me tell kids nowadays have it easy. When I first heard Tigertailz, I could only find their music videos on Youtube, those being "Love Bomb Baby" and "Livin' Without You". The former is supposed to be that big saccharine, crossover anthem, It is not represented of how badass Bezerk is. It features the all time great, cheeze 'n' sleeze line "You're not a lady; You're a Love Bomb Baby!" which is delivered with such conviction it always makes me laugh. It is reminiscent of those fun bubbleglam numbers from early Sweet. I am a sucker for a big chorus. It may not be the greatest song Tigertailz ever produced but it big, dumb fun. "Livin Without You" is actually off the next album, Banzai. This song is a cross between a mid-tempo rocker and a power ballad, it sort of fits in that "Here I Go Again" region. It is too upbeat to be a power ballad, but deals with the usual power ballad lyrical content. Again, I just love how big the chorus is on this. I figured Tigertailz with their quintessential glam look and syrupy sweet anthems was a fun glam, little did I know they were actually one of the best sleaze bands there ever was. 

Then a miracle happened in my year of graduate school, I figured out how to use Blogs to download full albums. For years, I would stare at Wikipedia and I would think to myself, "Man I wonder what Sick Sex sounds like". :P

When I finally heard them, they exceeded my expectations! I was expecting a band that sounded very similar to "Love Bomb Baby", but instead I got a wicked sleazy Judas Priest with big gang Def Leppard choruses.  

Before we get into the song by song breakdown, lets talk about the overarching themes of the album. The production is phenomenal. Tigertailz may have had big hair, but they clearly wanted an even BIGGER sound and that was achieved on this album. It is easy to make everything sound too loud on an album like this, but that is not what happens. The mix is perfect with everyone working together to kick ass and it is a very song-oriented album. What I mean by that is the goal of each song is make the best possible song not to showcase the singer or guitarist or the rhythm section. It is very clear that Tigertailz love really big, infectious choruses and heavy metal riffing thats what they wanted to showcase. When you really want the song to succeed over an instrument, the whole album will succeed. 

I think it helps that there is no clear star on this album. This is not a guitar album. There is no wild shredding. The guitar riffs come out of the Judas Priest stacatto riffing playbook or from 70s glam rock with the big, catchy noisy riffs. Pepper plays short, melodic solos that either restate the melody of the song or are quick bursts of energy. The rhythm section does a great job grooving and the whole time they are laying down a beat that makes you want to bang your head or as I am writing this rock your head and shoulders back and forth. No one is going to be blown away by the technical ability of Kim Hooker's singing, he is no Axl Rose, but he does a great job bringing the sleaze to these songs. Sleaze metal is so much about attitude and Hooker has loads of it. You want someone that can preen, sneer, and scream. I think it is the total package that makes Tigertailz so unique. 

They have the big choruses of Def Leppard or Poison, but they are more metal. Then you say well Ratt is really just sleazy Judas Priest and I fucking love Ratt, but Tigertailz has way bigger choruses. Then on top of that Tigertailz bring the Second Wave of Glam sleaze promoted by Faster Pussycat and LA Guns so they are more cutting edge than the more mainstream glam acts. So when you combine the sleaze, the big choruses and the staccato heavy metal riffing, you get the quintessential glam metal band that also happens to look the part with the HUGE, multi-colored hair, all the makeup and jewelry. Besides Motley Crue, who fucking invented genre, I dont think there is a band that better encapsulates Glam Metal than Tigertailz and thats might high praise. 

"Sick Sex" lyrically opens with a "She's a barbed-wire baby with a broken glass heart", not only is this a sick lyric, but it is shockingly pretty deep for a dumb, glam metal band. No one ever tells you that you too can get cut by someone's broken heart, but hey it happens and it is life. The pummeling riff in this song is such a great headbanger. It is basic, but it is wicked catchy. Hooker's voice is perfect for the sleaze genre, a perfect combination of preening and sneering with a nice strain to it.  I love the gang chorus bark of "Sick Sex" by the band while Hooker sings the rest of the chorus over the top. This song along is quintessential sleaze metal similar to what was peddled by Faster Pussycat and LA Guns. As much as I love those bands, what I love about Tigertailz is they keep it very metal and marry it with the sleazy vocal stylings of the time. 

My other favorite song is "I Can Fight Dirty Too", Pepsi Tate is the most famous member of Tigertailz and sadly has died of Pancreatic Cancer at the way too young age of 42 back in 2007. This song is all him from that great bass intro that immediately hooks you in to the great groove that keeps you headbanging the whole time. The claws are out in this one as the scratchy guitar riff lets you know the boys mean business. Tigertailz really shows their aggressive side on this one. The preening is gone and it is just this nasty sneer. I really liked the used of gang vocal barking throughout the song not just on the chorus. As a pro wrestling fan, I really enjoy simulated danger and this song does a great job simulating danger. 

The second half of the album is the very glammy part of the album. You can really tell these guys loved the original Glam Rock movement of the 1970s, but they do a great job updating for the glam-sleaze era of the late 80s/early 90s. "Love Overload" has an excellent rumble to it and some great drumming. All the songs on the back half have huge choruses and "Love Overload" is no exception. "Love Overload" has this cool almost rap bridge into funk breakdown. Tigertailz always keeps you on your toes. "Action City" is a fun song, but probably what most would call filler, but I love their style and sound so much that really enjoy this too. "Twist & Shake" takes you back to a simpler times. It is an interesting contrast to a song like "Sick Sex". It feels wholesome and innocent ("Sha la la la" opening and the very dulcet chorus). Even though, it is clear that Kim just wants the mom distracted long enough so he can get into the daughter's pants. The last two songs are really phenomenal cuts. 

"Squeeze It Dry" begins with an outtake from Looney Tunes, but has such big electricity to it. One aspect I love about Glam Metal is the energy. This song is absolutely infectious. You pretty much can't go wrong with a gang chorus of "Woah Woah Woah". You definitely go wrong making an allusion to AC/DC's badass "Have A Drink On Me". The rhythm section in this is so damn good, so big and bouncy. The chorus of "Squeeze It Dry" is massive and the pounding drums behind it just make it one of the best choruses of the Glam Metal Era. Then you get this beautiful string arrangement with Hooker singing over it before going into a wicked fun double time breakdown.  

Now if you thought "Squeeze It Dry" had a great chorus, check out "Call of the Wild". If "Squeeze It Dry" was a ten, the boyz in Tigertailz figured out how to crank it to 11 on "Call of the Wild". You hear the pre-chorus and you think ok that's pretty awesome and then you hear the actual chorus and your mind is fucking blown. It is JUST MASSIVE! On just about every glam metal album, there is one speed metal song. I love when glam and speed metal marry. It may seem like an odd combination, but it can really kick you in the ass. The double bass from the drummer just sounds great. In my opinion, Jay Pepper saves his best solo for last as he really lets it rip on this song. 

I love this album top to bottom there is really no bad song. Even the token power ballad, "Heaven" is pretty solid. Like I said I think what I love about this album is Tigertailz really puts the GLAM and the METAL in Glam Metal. 

GODDAMN! Thats Glam! vol. 1 Vince Neil - Exposed (1993)

GODDAMN! Thats Glam! 

Vince Neil - Exposed (1993), #13 Billboard Album Chart

Band Members

Vince Neil - Lead and backing vocals

Steve Stevens - all guitars & Bass

Vikki Foxx - Drums

Writers: Vince Neil, Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Jack Blades (Night Ranger, Damn Yankees), Tommy Shaw (Styx, Damn Yankees), Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne)

Producer: Rod Nevison (Ozzy Osbourne, Damn Yankees, KISS, Heart among others)

I have been tossing around ideas in my head to start a blog that is focused on music for quite some time. I took a brief stab at it last year writing three articles for the Place To Be Nation (placetobe.com) on various artists such as Taylor Swift, Whitesnake and Guns N Roses under the title "Vivid Technicolor Radio", but then I was finding it hard to make time to keep writing. Well, COVID-19 sure has given me plenty of time. About two months ago, I started a spreadsheet of all the major hard rock and heavy metal albums of the Golden Age of 1978-1991 (Van Halen I to Nirvana's Nevermind). I have amassed a list of 350 albums that I want to give a listen and have been using a  random number generator to keep me on my toes. I could not decide what I wanted to do with the project whether it would be for my own amusement or if I would start writing about music. Then last night, I threw on one of my all-time favorites, Vince Neil's solo endeavor, Exposed and I was like GODDAMN! That's Glam! :p So I knew I needed to write and specifically I need to write about under-the-radar, obscure glam/hair/sleaze/pop metal that has been lost to the sands of time. 

Funnily enough this blog (ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com) started as a music blog as I counted down the Top 31 Glam Metal albums of all time during the Rocktober of 2011. I never finished and I really should revise the list. I 100% knew about this album and how badass it is and somehow I didnt list it. Also, I didnt put Tigertailz's Bezerk or Babylon AD's Eponymous debut on the list, but I did put cult classic Vain's No Respect on so it was not bashful about choosing oddball picks. Vince Neil's Exposed definitely would make my Top 31 glam metal albums of all time.   

So some background, the shit hit the fan really hard in 1991-1992 for the heavy metal scene. Now on one hand, you have the rise of grunge with the big four Seattle band, but on the other you had a ton of massive breakups. Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, Poison, and Whitesnake all had major personnel problems that led them to not producing albums after 1991 either at all or without key members. In the case of Motley Crue, it was that the temperamental Vince Neil had gotten too big for his britches and decided to fly solo. Motley Crue would record one album with John Corabi in 1994, which I have never heard. I am a huge Cruehead and I could never bring myself to listen it even though it has gotten rave reviews so I really should listen to it. However, the story of Vince Neil going solo is only half the story. 

You see the real key to this album being so shockingly amazing is that it was also a solo album for guitarist, Steve Stevens. Stevens was the guitarist for Billy Idol and was stuck playing pop punk/new wave dance guitar and he did a phenomenal job at that, but it is not necessarily a genre you can just go balls out and shred. Steve Stevens absolutely lets it fucking rip on this album. This is just one long extended 52 minute orgasm on guitar. If you love 80s metal-style guitar, you need to listen to this album pronto. There are a ton of guitar tracks on each song and all of sudden when you least expect it another one will come out of nowhere and kick you in the ass. The production and arrangement of every song is impeccable and it is all owed to Stevens. Go listen to the single version of Youre Invited, But Your Friend Cant Come and then go listen to the album version. It is night and day. The album version smokes the single version. The difference is that Stevens was not in the band when the promotional single was released and he insisted it be re-recorded with him for the album. Every blistering solo leaves your face totally melted. Every riff is a monster (Look In Her Eyes, Living Is A Luxury) and wicked catchy (Fine, Fine Wine & Edge). This is a guitar album through and through. It may say Vince Neil - Exposed on the marquee, but it should read Steve Stevens - Shreds. 

There are two reasons this album reminds me of Ozzy Osbourne album. Every good Ozzy album is really a guitar album. Randy, Jake E and Zakk are all monsters on the axe and Ozzy really lets them shine. Typically when a solo album is released the solo artist is way too high up in the mix. A lot of guitarist solo albums, the singer and vocals are afterthoughts buried in the mix. When a singer goes out on his own more often than not he wants to front and center and the guitar gets buried in the mix. Ozzy & Sharon were both smart enough to understand the music landscape of the 80s and that the guitar was king so it was mixed equitably. This album is also mixed equitably. The vocals and guitar coalesce and work together to make the song great. It is song-oriented production rather than instrument-oriented. The other reason it reminds me of an Ozzy album because Steve Stevens is giving Zakk Wylde a run for his money on guitar. This sounds like the follow-up to No More Tears. It is not all hooks, there are some serious chops and it is a similar shred style on display here. This brings me to my last overarching point about this album is that this a significant departure from Motley Crue. 

To the layperson, the sound of this album and a Motley Crue album and pretty much any 80s heavy metal album is probably indistinguishable. To someone who lives and breather glam/hair/sleaze/pop metal, this sounds radically different. The songs are way longer and way more complex.  I love Mick Mars; he is one of my favorite guitarists and is the highlight of seeing Motley Crue live. He is simple, but he is so raw, nasty, dirty, noisy and trashy. Mars is not there is compete with Van Halen, he is there to capture sleaze aesthetic of the 80s Sunset Strip. So when I say the songs are more complex thats not a diss but just an observation. The music found on Vince Neil's album is closer to Scorpions or Ozzy Osbourne than it is with Motley Crue's mixture of Sweet, Sex Pistols and Aerosmith. Coincidentally, Vince Neil does cover a Sweet song ("Set Me Free", that harmonized solo is fucking amazing and the best one on the album of a ton of great solos), which is so badass and love that he pays homage to one of his key influences. That's the thing that really made Motley Crue so unique is they actually are a GLAM metal in the truest sense of the word in that the band members (besides maybe Mick) really loved 70s glam rock. This albums strips away the glam and just leaves a real metal sheen that is more similar to Van Halen, Scorpions or Ozzy Osbourne. 

I will leave you with some commentary on the individual songs. "Look In Her Eyes" is such an insane song. It sounds like a maelstrom of sex & violence, the choppy riff, the Aldo Nova part, the blaring lead. Vince Neil sounds really inspired on this album. He is more full-throated here compared to when he was shrieking like a banshee on Shout At The Devil. He keeps up well with the complexity of Stevens, which is is surprising because these are not simple vocal melodies. He is being asked to sing through the music rather than with it. I currently have the song in my ear and the way Neil is singing it reminds me a lot of Dio. It is a very cool song and it is a real statement song. We are here to rock your balls off, melt your face and we are NOT Motley Fucking Crue. The solo in this song is a tornado of notes and effects that you just have to listen to appreciate.   

Skipping over "Sister of Pain" it has never done much for me, we go to another single "Cant Have Your Cake". I love how speedy this song is. It is typical metal riff, but it is one of those riffs you just love to rock out to. Stevens throws in a ton of fills and lead tracks from out of nowhere to keep you interested. Vince Neil does a great job on vocals. He is fun and you enjoy listening to him. Here's my one complaint on this album is that chorus are way too fucking long. "Cant Have Your Cake And Eat It Too" or the more painful "Youre Invited, But Your Friend Cant Come", who is chanting that? Nikki would have murdered him for having such bad choruses. All the songs sound really fun or badass, but the choruses are lacking. They do a great job making the choruses feel big and Vince is multi-tracked and harmonized well, but the words are so lame that it robs the song of some of its exuberance. 

I love "Fine, Fine Wine" that riff is just so good. I love how Vince launches into the song full force. The lyrics about describing each part of this woman's anatomy being a total knock out is great. I also think this is their best chorus. It is the most glammy, it short, sweet and sexual. The solo is so fucking awesome and comes back to multi-tracked Vince with no music singing the chorus. The arrangements on this album are so killer.  This is a really strong glam metal album cut. 

I really enjoy the ballad "You Cant Change Me" you can tell Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw had their hands on this one because this is right in their wheelhouse. It is fun and you really want to sing along with it. This is not one of those heavy power ballads about love lost. It is a song of defiance and independence. "You Cant Change Me" absolutely crushes the banal, trite power ballad at the end, "Forever".

There are two songs on this album that Motley Crue and no 80s heavy metal band would ever play those are "Edge" and "Living Is A Luxury". These are the songs that really make this album stand out more than a really, really great party album. On the "Edge", Steve Steven goes fucking crazy, there are Spanish Guitars, classical guitar, a MONSTER riff then this wild lead that plays over the riff. Vince sings this song about "glory" and "demons" which he would never sing in Crue.  There are so many crazy fills and guitar tracks. The solo is insane it goes from beautiful Flamenco guitars to blistering solo because Steve Stevens is a genius. "Living Is A Luxury" is also a wild song it sort of this fun, jazzy, dare I say Broadway number. I actually think this could be Vince Neil's best vocal performance since Theatre of Pain. He actually had to show some emotion and create a character with a little bit of sass on this song. The loud-soft dynamics are great and the addition of the horns in the middle song are exactly perfect for that part. The softness of the verses where Neil is allowed to shine and explain how dangerous it is out there and then they kick it in with big metal riff is great. The solo is my second favorite after the one on "Set Me Free" as it sounds like a harmonized Megadeth solo from the Rust In Peace era. 

There is a lot of reasons why this album is forgotten and why it should have sucked. It came out in 1993 and was already outdated and passe. It is the solo album by the second most famous member of Motley Crue. It is Vince Neil who is a drunk asshole and seems like he is about as dumb as a fucking rock. This album should have been a disaster, but instead it is fucking amazing. Vince gives a great performance on every single song, really putting his all into it and also working with some really challenging material. The real reason this album is a wild success is because of Steve Stevens. He did an excellent job arranging the music and really providing some unique sounds. Ultimately, this was a chance for Stevens to go balls to the wall and he delivers with a guitar-album that just smokes. If you love 1980s metal, you owe it to yourself to give this album a spin, you wont regret it.