Skid Row - Skid Row [Archive]

rocketcharlie

3-24-02, 05:19 PM

One of the most hard hitting and powerful heavy metal releases of 1989, has to be the debut album by Skid Row. This album shows a surprising amount of diversity and talent from a group that was all burst out of nowhere.

Although a band that did finally succumbed to the trappings of the MTV mentality, this band did produce some of the most entertaining and solid heavy music of the time. Even when they went the ballad route, there music still had an edge that was absent from so many other bands that came and went during this period of rock history.

Skid row consist of:

Sebastian Bach - vocals
Dave "The Snake" Sabo - guitar
Rachel Bolan - bass
Rob Affuso - drums
Scotti Hill - guitar

This line-up produced some of the most intelligent rock and roll imaginable. Too bad that they could not get along with one another. We might have had this band instead of Metallica at the top of the metal heap!! (As a side note, there is a version of the band that opened for Kiss on their last tour. Replacing lead singer Bach and drummer Affuso. This group was only a shell of the real band!)

There journey to the top started when Dave Sabo's old friend, Jon Bon Jovi helped them to get a recording contract with his label. Then after the release of this first album, they were plugged in as the opening act for Bon Jovi on the 1989 tour. This exposure surely helped to fuel their rapid climb up the charts.

Their stage act was, to say the least, wild even by rock and roll standards. The main problem was trying to keep Bach fully clothed for a whole concert! Many a concert came to a screeching halt when Sebastian would show more of the band then legally allowed!! This also had to help with the record sales. I know it couldn't hurt!

The first album by a group, will define who they are and what they are going to accomplish. That is usually the way and it holds true in the case of Skid Row! There debut album unleashes a furious heavy metal assault upon all that dare to give them a listen. The thing that sets them apart though, is the ability to write intelligent lyrics to go along with the pounding melodies! This is like a breath of fresh air in the sludge pit of heavy metal at the time. Even when they are doing a number about one of their "conquest" they are able to inject a touch of humor and smarts into the lyrics. Kudos for daring to take a step away from the rest and doing something different!

This album starts off with a rebel rocker called "Big Guns." This ode to a woman that I would love to meet, takes you on a wild guitar ride with the dual six string attack in full battle dress for this one! They fire at will...and often during this 4 minute barrage that leaves nothing but rubble in it's aftermath! Add to that, Bach delivers a stellar performance as the man who meets the girl of his dreams in the subway. I would love to be shot by the "big guns" that he is talking about! This song is a hard rock injection of what could be called libido rock!

Next we again blast our way down the path of sexual satisfaction with the powerful song "Sweet Little Sister." This song has some of the best tongue in cheek lyrics that show just what these guys can do when put to the test. One of my favorite lines:

"Had a hip with bad habits and
a shake that was a bit obscene."

This is just a small example of the type of work that they use throughout their songs. Great lyrics that paint a very vivid picture! Another great bit of rock and roll with some absolutely astounding guitar work.

From there we get to one of the songs that received a lot of radio air play. "Can't Stand The Heartache" starts out with a Bon Jovi style chorus singing the title of the song before taking off into an anthem rocker of very loud and blaring proportions. This song fits the mold of many other songs of the time period. This is the most formula song on the album but still it holds up as well as many others of that age. A good tune but not their best.

The next song sounds like it is inspired by KISS. A very heavy song that has Bach almost growling the chorus, Piece Of Me" is as dark and brooding as these guys get. A thoroughly enjoyable change that shows that these guys can be more than one dimensional rockers. Solid work by all, with a fiery guitar solo besides! A good tune all the way around.

The song that brought Skid Row to my attention is the next one, "18 and Life." It must be classified as a power ballad, this piece, a slice of life on the wrong side of the tracks, shows how powerful this medium called rock and roll can be! A very sad story told in such a manner that it puts you right in the story next to our "hero" Ricky. This is the standard by which I judge the so called, social pieces, put out by so many bands. Few come close to putting as much emotion into their music as demonstrated here. When Bach sings: "Bang, bang, shoot 'em up, the party never ends," you know that Ricky has just done something that he is going to regret for the rest of his life! This is a great song that has somehow become all but forgotten.

We next head back to meet another of those women that are so prominent in the world of rock and roll, the woman that none of us seem to meet in real life. "Rattlesnake Shake" introduces us to Juicy Miss Lucy. A woman that has everything that a man could want....and if you were lucky enough to run into her, you would probably get just what you want too!! This tune is pure, energized rock and roll. A blast of electric guitar mayhem that should do wonders for those with a sinus problem! Great R&R again.

Taking off with some of their heaviest guitar riffs, "Youth Gone Wild" is a song that shows all that is good about this group. A great lyrical piece set to a crunching rock melody. One of the songs that you know is a show stopper in concert. From the great guitar solo to the anthem like chorus where it is a given that the whole audience is pumping fists into the air and singing along with Sebastian.

"Here I Am" is another classic bit of rock and roll. Nothing out of the ordinary but still a fine piece of guitar rock! This song is the weakest on the album but that just shows you the quality that is on here! Some really great solo work by both guitars highlight this piece. Just kick back and hear what real rock is all about!

We next get another dose of social commentary in the next piece, "Makin' A Mess." The band sends a clear message about spousal abuse in this song that is one of their hardest rocking tunes. They show that you can talk about real issues and not have to do so in a boring way. This is one solid dose of heavy metal with a message! Few have been able to combine the two but Skid Row is in a class by themselves when it comes to this. They deserve a big salute for the guts it takes to do a song like this!

When I think of power ballads, one song comes to mind as to what one should be, that is the song "I Remember You." A true love song that still allows the band to retain their toughness. A song that shows that these guys can mellow out but at the same time, never forget just who they are! If you want to hear the ultimate song in this vein, this is it! A great combination of styles is put into this piece that shows both a great willingness to play whatever is needed to make their point and also a grittiness that reminds you this band has a rock and roll heart!

The last song on this album is all out rocker "Midnight/Tornado." This song, dark and mysterious, is well placed at the end of the record. Here it makes you long to hear more from this group. As the whole band really digs deep and delivers a quality, high energy rocker that will leave you breathless by the end! One of the pieces that makes Skid Row a band to be reckoned with! Another one that will clear out the cobwebs when played even at half volume!

I never had the chance to see Skid Row but I still hold out hope that this band can patch up it's differences and regroup as they have the ability to make some very worthwhile rock and roll!!!