After putting "Appetite For Destruction" in the JHO Hall Of Fame yesterday, I thought I'd throw in a six pack of Hair Metal "rockers" that benefited from the Guns 'n Roses release. The 1989 ultimate hair metal six pack is, in my opinion, the creme de la creme of big hair and just feel good raucous rockers. This time frame is officially where I went everywhere on the musical map needing to hear everything (Top 40 Radio, Classic Rock, Headbangers Ball when I got home on Saturday nights, 120 Minutes on Sunday nights, wake up grumpy Monday morning and head off to school) and have kept a similar pace since (minus the top 40 and hair metal).
Also, if you want to keep up with Hair Metal memories, look for posts from Adzilla and his Hair Metal Closet. I put links to volume one and two below with more coming through the year.
Your 1989 Six Pack of Hair Metal Goodness..ready for consumption:
1. Cinderella-Gypsy Road
A strong guitar line and a great sing along chorus, "Gypsy Road" has a bluesy feel running through its energetic romp of just simply having a good time on the road. Lead vocalist Tom Keifer's shrilling voice was immediately identifiable and unfortunately he screamed to a point where he couldn't sing anymore and in 1992 had to have surgery on damaged vocal chords. If I was to take one song away from this Philadelphia band during their prime, it would easily be "Gypsy Road".
2. L.A. Guns-Rip and Tear
Sure they were thought of as minor league Guns' N Roses (Tracii Guns connections aside), but the guys from L.A. Guns had enough sleaze to scatter though a few albums. Remembered most for their ballad "The Ballad Of Jayne" L.A. Guns had a few rock songs "Sex Action", Never Enough" and "Kiss My Love Goodbye" that took the boisterous glam to a rocking level. My favorite of the bunch was "Rip And Tear" with a simply good, filthy guitar lick running through it and Guns having a blast at the guitar solo and ending coda. Good fun for a road trip.
3. Faster Pussycat-Poison Ivy
Wow. Listening to this one of the first time in a loonnnggg time, the guys from Faster Pussycat really wanted to be the next Aerosmith. Lead singer Taime Downe hangs spits every syllable like he's Steven Tyler's younger brother. Nonetheless, "Poison Ivy" is a good romp boasting slide guitars, cowbells, a horn section and a memorable chorus. Really, what else could you want from a song from any genre?
4. Bulletboys-Smooth Up In Ya
Photo Courtesy: metal-temple.com
A song as blatantly titled as "Smooth Up In Ya" was a Billboard Hot 100 hit in 1989. Could that fly today? Is that a phrase you want to use on a first date? Sure Marq Torien had the looks of a new David Lee Roth and pipes that rivaled Steve Perry from Journey, but there most memorable moment was this dirty ditty about...well the title sums it up. And you hear it right off the bat. By the time you hit your "4th" from your six pack, you need something to ferdiculuos to pump you up. And the Bulletboys are here to provide.
5. Badlands-Dreams In The Dark
A band that borrowed more from classic rock like Rainbow but threw in the late eighties hair metal flare, Badlands didn't have the success that a lot of bands did at the time. But "Dreams In The Dark" has ex Ozzy axeman Jake E Lee shredding his guitar, Ray Gillen showcasing some gold vocals, and a really good chorus. And I'm a sucker for a good chorus. Their promise quickly turned sour as they went on to cover James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" on their second and last effort "Voodoo Highway" and Gillen died from AIDS complications in 1993.
6. Motley Crue-Kickstart My Heart (1989)
There is probably no better way to finish off the 1989 six pack of Hair Metal goodness than with a Motley Crue song. "Dr. Feelgood" was a huge hit that year and every single they released got play over the next twenty four months. Out of the six, "Kickstart My Heart" didn't necessarily benefit from "Appetite For Destruction" (these guys had been big for years) but that album's popularity certainly didn't hurt Motley Crue's momentum. With it's intensity and energy, it rivaled anything released from this time period as the best hard rock song of the year.
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