I think that WASP was just a legitimately good metal band and that a lot of people dismiss them because they dressed "hair" metal and had "hair" metal lyrical themes (sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll, baby).
Agreed...they never set out to change or save the world. Nor did they ever claim to be masters of their craft. Just a good time rock n roll band with hook- a- plenty and catchy tunes. And they put on a hell of a fun show back in the day... they gave fans a fun time and their moneys worth. They take a lot of crap, which in my opinion was/is unwarranted.
It’s funny younger people don’t have the bias of older generations. I remember Steve Vai played a Sammy Hagar benefit at the Fillmore. And I was talking to a group of young people they were disappointed he didn’t tear it up and tap the strings and go all metal. He was too tasteful and restrained. Some of the eras music will last. And be discovered in the future. Cause some of it was great. But the symbology of so many hair people moving to Nashville and having careers is perfect. LA moves to Nashville. And that machine of bottom line plastic surfacy hit makers. Also Gene Simmons current crappy quote about him wanting more money still, just perfect symbology. It’s all a cycle of styles. Something comes out original, people copy and beat it to death. Then it starts over again. Hair metal is just one of many.
Yeah. I would happily listen to Poison over 99% of the trash around today. So-called popular music has gradually degenerated over the years.
IMO The Crimson Idol was the first album where Blackie Lawless really opened up and discovered that he could pour his emotions into the music without sacrificing the essential W.A.S.P. elements, and he would continue do this on almost every album since. CI is a very deep and emotional album that really brought to light what a great songwriter Blackie Lawless is.
Since this is basically the catch-all hair metal thread, might as well post the new video by Crazy Lixx:
From the very tail end of the era also called the "try harder" period of the early 90's. Lillian Axe - Psychoschizophrenia from 1993.
I sold off most of my records from this era years ago - much to my regret now - but I could never bring myself to get rid of this one. It sounds dated in a lot of ways, lyrically in particular - it's cringeworthy - but melodically it's just so awesome still! Vain are another one that still hold out musically IMHO. And Hanoi Rocks are still one of my favourite bands of all-time, but I think they transcend hair metal - more of a glam punk band that preceded the era. "Musical merit" doesn't really come into it - the music was fantastic, but it was a soundtrack to life, rather than something that demanded respect on its technicalities.
I played this album to death back in the day, and still love this song today. Bought this album on my one and only trip over to the US, back when I was 16/17. D'Molls - Hi 'n' Lo
I’m not sure how to answer the question of how much musical merit there is. But I do know that White Lion’s Little Fighter is a super cool song. And my teenage kids think it’s cool too.
Yeah, according discogs they did just the one.. I don't really know a lot about them. I just saw the guitar player Jimi K. Bones comment on someone's Instagram post, and I was like how do I know that name...oh yeah Skin N Bones. I saw them once at the Ritz in NYC back in like 1990 but I don't think I heard their record at the time. Anyway, I looked up them up on YouTube and thought they sounded pretty good.
With the band being mentioned in multiple threads, I've been thinking about that lately. I think Poison is unfairly scorned. The hits' hooks were made as well as any. Titles such as "Talk Dirty to Me" and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" stick in people's brains, and many of them were sung with backing vocals, making them jump out even more. Also, the band name was easy to remember. But it and some song titles were on the crude side and probably pigeonholed the band as unserious about lyrics, even as the more serious subject matter varied enough that each song about that is distinctive. In addition, C.C. Deville as the one member with obvious musical talent changed up his guitar style regularly and kept the songs from sounding too formulaic. The production on the most successful albums wasn't as overdone as common in major releases from the time (for example, just one additional guy on some tracks from those albums).
Though I wasn’t ever into hair metal, I can appreciate their many times great guitarists and vocalists and how hair metal was a necessary bridge to death metal, goth/black metal and later nu metal. As I’m not a metal fan, I may have some of this sequentially off. I’m very impressed that rock has basically become old artists from the sixties and seventies doing oldies touring with probably a new album on the tour but that nu metal and probably other forms of metal continues and was very impressed by the Italian punk metal? Winner of Eurovision group.
I'll have my own copy of Noisy Mama in a few hours (a gift from a friend). Been looking for this one for many years! Here's a taster: Noisy Mama - Dirty Dogs
The new Crazy Lixx album, Street Lethal, is really excellent. Anybody who likes the style of music championed by this thread, will find a lot to enjoy, I reckon. Main man Danny Rexxon also wrote all the songs on Chez Kane's debut album, that came out earlier this year and that's a corker too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oZ6lx12QV4
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich Original album artwork by Mark Ryden Studio album by Warrant Released January 27, 1989[1] Recorded April–November 1988 GLAMS LAST GASP--Warrant's 1990 "CHERRY PIE" Album POLL:
