12 Great Bands Plus 3 More

This is a list of 12 great bands. None of the 12 bands listed below are new to this blog - there was an existing label for each and every one of them so I have included an appropriate link in the list. I think it's interesting that Motley Crue and Guns-n-Roses have so many pages.

1. Quiet Riot (15)
2. Bon Jovi (9)
3. Motley Crue (62)
4. Cinderella (8)
5. Twisted Sister (11)
6. Poison (19)
7. Europe (4)
8. Guns-n-Roses (35)
9. Dokken (34)
10. Winger (4)
11. Ratt (18)
12. Warrant (9)

In contrast, when asked, I often will say that Metallica, Bayside, and Count the Stars are my 3 favorite bands. Here's how many labels for each of those bands exist on my blog:

• Metallica (1154)
• Bayside (241)
• Count the Stars (19)

 

This Album is 13 Years Old!

I never saw Ratt in concert. As of this moment, I predict Infestation will be their final album. From Wikipedia:

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Infestation is the seventh studio album by American glam metal band Ratt. It is the band's first original effort since their self-titled album in 1999, and the first album since the death of Robbin Crosby in 2002. This is the only album to feature guitarist Carlos Cavazo, formerly of Quiet Riot. The band would enter a turbulent time after the edition of the album, and by 2018 all musicians in it had left the band, except lead singer Stephen Pearcy. It was released by Loud & Proud via Roadrunner Records, a then-sub-label of their longtime home Atlantic Records.

In a February 17, 2010 interview with the Artisan News Service, Stephen Pearcy said of Infestation: "We wanted this to be like something that we would have written right after [1984's] Out of the Cellar. We definitely went back to basics with the mind set of a band with a lot of excitement and some great songs to get out."
In a March 18, 2010 interview with Metalholic Magazine, guitarist Warren DeMartini said of Infestation: "It really exceeded our expectations. Conceptually we kind of wanted to revisit the period of Out of the Cellar and Invasion of Your Privacy. We were sort of loosely trying to shoot for something that could fit between those two records. We were looking for more uptempo ideas and the double leads that Robbin Crosby and I started doing back in 1983."
In the US, the album debuted at No. 30, selling around 14,000 copies, making it Ratt's highest charting album since 1990. The album has since gone on to sell over 50,000 copies in the US.

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https://youtu.be/ 28V_JSIb8-I - Ratt - Infestation - released in 2010

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Ratt & Roll Baby II

I remember hearing this album *before* their major label debut Out of the Cellar came out.

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https://youtu.be/ Lm9Q2N82hnc - Ratt - EP

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Ratt & Roll Baby!

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https://youtu.be/ J45Cg9G3quY - Ratt - Detonator

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Bobby Blotzer Interview

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The Closest This Comes is to Chicago on a Saturday

From RATT, TOM KEIFER, SKID ROW And SLAUGHTER Join Forces For 'The Big Rock Summer Tour' comes the news about a massive tour this summer. It features Ratt, Tom Kiefer (vocalist for Cinderella), Skid Row (without Sebastian Bach), and Slaughter.
While I won't go to Chicago to see those bands, I would go to see them if they were playing at, say, the Riverside Casino.

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The Grunge Gold Rush Followed the Hair Metal Gold Rush Part II

This post is a continuation of Part I.
The point is, that when the author of this article about the "Grunge Gold Rush" wrote "Mike Gitter, a punk-rock specialist who was starting out as an A&R man for major label Atlantic Records, home of hair-metal veterans White Lion, Ratt and Mr. Big", he is too dismissive of an entire movement. White Lion, Ratt, and Mr. Big came out in different parts of the 'hair-metal' movement. Ratt came first, then White Lion, then Mr. Big. In fact, with Mr. Big, I can't call that band "hair-metal" with a straight face. Read the WikiPedia article here.

Maybe I should have sat down and formulated an outline to my arguments in this post because I've rambled quite a bit, all because I read this article: The Grunge Gold Rush Is there a lesson here? January 12, 20186:38 AM ET Steve Knopper

Editor's Note: An article relevant to this post lists the Top 10 Metal Albums of 1988.

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10. Metallica, '...And Justice For All'
9. Napalm Death, 'From Enslavement to Obliteration'
8. Testament, 'The New Oder'
7. King Diamond, 'Them'
6. Danzig, 'Danzig'
5. Death, 'Leprosy'
4. Helloween, 'Keeper of the Seven Keys, Part II'
3. Iron Maiden, 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son'
2. Slayer, 'South of Heaven'
1. Queensryche, 'Operation: Mindcrime'

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In general, #10, #2, and #1 belong on the list, but unable to make a credible judgement about the other 7. Unlike other Internet music writers, this blog's editor has self-control! Read the entire article here. Also worth noting is the fact that the following labels were created for this post:

• Napalm Death
• King Diamond
• Danzig
• Death

which means these 6 bands have been mentioned elsewhere on this blog:

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1. Metallica
2. Testament
3. Helloween
4. Iron Maiden
5. Slayer
6. Queensryche

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60% is a passing score!

Someone's Being a Jerk

Over the last year, maybe even back two years, I've wrote about how ex-bandmates need to shut up when asked about their ex-bandmates. Specifically, I remember how Dave Mustaine (ex-Metallica) is always asked what his opinion of Metallica is and Kirk Hammett was asked what his opinion of Megadeth is. Instead of saying, "they are a great band" and ending it, Hammett had some weird / odd opinion that ignited a conflict that was carried forward through the press. I remember writing that there needed to be a canned response so that all these things ex-bandmates say in interviews are not blown up. It's not just Metallica & Megadeth that have fallen into this trap. Off the top of my head, current & former members of Dream Theater, Slayer, Black Sabbath, and Sepultura have fallen into this rut.

Add White Lion to the list as Blabbermouth posted this article just under a week ago - 9/20/17 - about how the former lead singer would not play with the band's guitarist for anything in the world. Vocalist Mike Tramp comes across as a guy who desperately WANTS to play with Vito Bratta, despite his words. Why would I say that? It seems as though he's trying to distance himself from the material he created with Bratta in White Lion as a means to heal himself. I think the best way to heal himself would be to play with Vito Bratta.

As I wrote about the other aforementioned bands, Mike Tramp needs to be quiet and say that he hasn't spoken to Vito Bratta in a long time and doesn't know where his head is at as far as playing together, which would be a much nicer way of respecting the past. Read the article here: Ex-WHITE LION Singer MIKE TRAMP: 'I Would Not Wanna Play With VITO BRATTA For Anything In The World'.

While I'm on this subject of bands that flirt with the idea of reuniting, I have this to say. There will come a day when a band's "classic" lineup cannot reunite. I'm thinking about

1. Slayer, due to Jeff Hanneman's death
2. Pantera, due to Dimebag's death
3. Audioslave / Soundgarden, due to Chris Cornell's death*
4. Alice in Chains, due to Layne Staley's death
5. Linkin Park, due to Chester Bennington's death
6. Quiet Riot, due to Kevin DuBrow's death
7. Stone Temple Pilots, due to Scott Weiland's death
8. Led Zeppelin, due to John Bonham's death
9. The Who, due to Keith Moon's death
10. Ratt, due to Robin Crosby's death

Right there are 10 bands that I like who cannot reunite, due to death. Then I think about these 10 bands:

1. Black Sabbath
2. Sepultura
3. White Lion
4. Dream Theater
5. Queensryche

who COULD reunite, but have not or will not, for various reasons which all can be boiled down to being human. The members are alive, today, unlike the first list of 10 bands. What I wish would happen is for the members of the second list of bands to realize that they are unlike the first 10 and that someday, they will join that list. Thus, wouldn't it be great to reconcile whatever issues separate them now, before they have to do it at a grave?

* After publishing this post, came across this article: http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/tom-morello-reveals-abandoned-audioslave-reunion-plans/

Must be Buried

Sepultura is another band that has members going their separate ways and waging war in the press. In this video, guitarist Andreas Kisser fires a shot at former bandmates Max and Igor Cavalera and their plans to perform the entire "Roots" album with the declaration that they 'are not doing anything new' in this article on Blabbermouth.net.

Sepultura is just like Kiss which is just like Ratt which is just like Metallica which is just like Megadeth which is just like Dream Theater. Instead of resolving differences in-person, each of these bands makes less than flattering comments to sites like Blabbermouth.net, thinking it will somehow resolve their issues. When a band member leaves a band, it's similar to a divorce where fans feel they have to pick a side. Are you on Andreas Kisser's side or Max Calavera's side? I mean, my God, it was 1996, the year Megan was born, when Max left Sepultura after the rest of the band fired his wife Gloria as their manager. That'll be 21 years in August and yet, the questions are asked of Kisser.

Life is too short. All these bands with former members still active in the music business need to adopt a code. The code is this. When you are asked by the media, "What do you think of your former member's current music?" you need to answer one of two ways:

1. If you've heard the music, you say, "I think [name of former member] is doing what he/she needed to do and I'm happy they found an outlet. I respect their time in our band and I wish them nothing but the best."
2. If you haven't heard the music, you say, "I haven't had a chance to check it out yet. I respect their time in our band and I wish them nothing but the best."

Here Kisser break that code in the video below.

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1986: The Year Thrash Metal Exploded, Thanks to Three Now-Classic Albums

For the record, I didn't like Metallica or Megadeth or Slayer. In fact, when I first heard them, I thought they were too fast and too far removed from Ratt, Poison, and Quiet Riot. Now, looking back through this article - 1986: The Year Thrash Metal Exploded, Thanks to Three Now-Classic Albums - I realize I was behind the times, behind the curve. All three of these bands are alive and releasing new material whereas Ratt, Poison, and Quiet Riot are shambles of what they once were.

This is a Good Sign

It's 8:15 AM.

My second interview for a Senior Technical Writer position is today at 9:30 AM.

My preparations are incomplete. I need to go shower, put on my suit, and remember that all of the praying I have done, all the daily masses I have gone to, and all the Christian music on Life 101.9 with their "positive and uplifting" messages has not been done by me in solitude. I have asked many to remember me in their intentions to God. I've asked strangers or people I barely know to pray for me, like Jeff, my career coach, who boosted my spirits yesterday during our conversation, and like Mark & Susie, who were here last night for a short time and left not before they told me they would remember me in their prayers.

And it's not only the people I can actually talk to. God's amazing power is everywhere, in the lives of those I possibly thought were beyond hope. For example, I have thought for several years that one of my favorite bands - Dokken - would never reunite their classic lineup. Sure enough, perhaps as a sign of the power of God, I just read that the classic Dokken lineup is at least trying to find a time in everyone's schedule to reunite. I have always hoped that George, Don, Mick, and Jeff would reunite because, to me, they are "good" and to those who believe in God, the "good" happens in their lives. I also believe that it could have been any other band talking about a reunion, such as Ratt or Van Halen, but today, it was Dokken, a band I have always cared about, as opposed to my indifference about the Guns-n-Roses classic reunion lineup. It may not be a "rainy Friday" - I have thought since I can remember that "good things" happen on rainy Fridays - but I'll take it. Here's the article about Dokken.

In conclusion, I think all things are possible with God, including being hired for this position, when the focus is not on "holding on" to something, but on "being held" by God's grace. Armed with the knowledge that God loves me and will hold me during the next few hours and knowing all my friends are joining with the angels and saints to look over me, and with Mom's spirit dwelling within me, I'm going to begin my final preparations for my final job interview.

FALSE ADVERTISING!!!

Karen told me that Ratt is coming to the Riverside Casino in January, so I looked up how the concert is being marketed. Here's what I found:

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RATT’s 2016 Re-Invasion Tour with special guest FireHouse
Performance Date: 01/23/2016, 8:00 pm
Saturday, January 23, 2016 - 8pm show
As the story goes, RATT helped pioneer Hollywood’s legendary Sunset Strip sound and scene in the 1980's.
Signed to Atlantic Records in 1984, the band’s debut album Out of the Cellar went Multi-Platinum behind the hit single "Round & Round".  Additional hit singles on the album included "Back for More" and "Wanted Man".
Since 1983 to present, RATT has sold in excess of 15 million records in the US alone.  Their first four records went Platinum, and they sold out arenas around the country.
In 2014, RATT celebrated 30 years of keeping Ratt N’ Roll alive.

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My jaw is on the floor.

Where does it say, in the above description, that only Bobby Blotzer remains of the five original members?!? I am a drummer, but he's the drummer! The drummer is the only one carrying on the name of Ratt because of all the legal crap going on with members suing each other and touring under a mashup of names that all try to get a piece of the Ratt trap - bassist Juan Crouier and Stephen Pearcy are both out playing songs that were made popular by the members of the band during the "Out of the Cellar" / "Invasion of Your Privacy" / "Dancing Undercover" / "Reach for the Sky" era.

I've yet to do any research as to who is in the current lineup in Firehouse, who are the opening act.

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FireHouse has been rockin’ for over a decade. Their music has taken them all over the world and has produced Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum records in the United States and countries abroad.
In 1990, their first album, entitled FireHouse, was released.  The band released “Don’t Treat Me Bad”, which became their first Top Ten hit. This was followed by “Love of a Lifetime”, which also entered the Top Ten, reaching the #3 spot on the United States charts. This string of hits vaulted their first album to double platinum status in the United States.  At the 1991 American Music Awards, FireHouse found themselves standing before the nation accepting the award for Best New Hard Rock/Metal Band, chosen over Nirvana and Alice in Chains.

The band’s second album, Hold Your Fire, was released in 1992. It produced the hits “Reach for the Sky” and “Sleeping with You”. Another Top Ten hit, “When I Look into Your Eyes”, peaked on the United States charts at #5.

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And the prices they are charging!?!?

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Tickets are $45, $35 & $25 plus tax and an online/phone ticketing fee (this fee is waived when tickets are purchased in the Gift Shop).  Tickets in the ADA section are for patrons with mobility disabilities and up to three companions.  If companion seating is not available because the ADA section is sold out, RCGR will offer other seats as close as possible to the accessible seat, if available, at the purchase price of the other section.   Tickets will go on sale at 8am on Friday, October 23rd in the Gift Shop and online.
Hotel packages will be available by calling 877-677-3456.  Packages are $260 and include a one night stay in a deluxe king or double queen room, two tickets to the show and two dinners at Robert's Buffet.  There are a limited number of hotel packages available.
Doors open at 7pm for the 8pm show.

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Ratt Poop

I love Ratt. As an impressionable drummer in 1984, I listened to "Out of the Cellar" so many times. Drummer Bobby Blotzer, with this massive Ludwig double bass kit, inspired me. Now, years later, the band members can't get their shit together. The members are feuding with each other about who gets to be called "Ratt" and lawyers are involved. Read a summary of the drama here.

This is NOT That

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/revamped-ratt-to-embark-on-re-invasion-tour/

Always a Bobby Blotzer fan, but to say that this group of musicians can accurately be called "Ratt" isn't right. It wouldn't be right for me to start a new band and call it Lou's Classic Ride. LCR  is ONLY Joe, Brian,  and Matthew.

Drum Hero Tommy Aldridge

First in a series of 4 - Drummers that Inspired My Independence as a Musician

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When I discuss drummers that shaped my perspective about playing drums, Tommy Aldridge is a name I always mention. Aldridge caught my attention when he played drums on a Tony MacAlpine project called "Project:Driver" on Shrapnel Records.

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I'm still mesmerized by what I hear! The first time I actually saw Tommy Aldridge play was the Whitesnake video "Still of the Night" on MTV. It was mind-blowing because I realized what a drummer could do with visuals could go beyond Rikki Rockett (Poison), Tommy Lee (Motley Crue), and Bobby Blotzer (Ratt). They had been influencing me with this idea that drummers could incorporate visuals into their drumming. When I write "visuals", I'm specifically thinking about stick twirling and raising the stick high into the air prior to striking the drum. Upon seeing Tommy Aldridge in the Whitesnake video, though, I remember being captivated by him. I had gone back to his recordings with Ozzy Osbourne when I heard "Project:Driver" so I already knew he was a powerhouse drummer. Watching this video below inspires me to try to incorporate similar visuals into my drumming.

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Some New Old Files

During the process of fine tuning my music collection, I had to download the following from youtube.com because the original files I downloaded were corrupted.

1. Dream Theater_Octavarium full album
2. Exodus_Bonded By Blood full album
3. Fastway_Trick or Treat full album
4. Iron Maiden_Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son full album
5. Kim Wilde_Kim Wilde full album
6. Megadeth_Rust In Peace full album
7. Megadeth_So Far, So Good...So What! full album
8. Mercyful Fate_Don't break the Oath full album
9. Mercyful Fate_Melissa_25th Anniversary Reissue full album
10. Motley Crue_Too Fast for Love full album
11. Motorhead_Inferno full album
12. Ratt_Invasion of your Privacy full album
13. Shinedown_Us And Them full album
14. The Damned_Damned Damned Damned full album
15. Vanilla Fudge_Vanilla Fudge full album
16. W.A.S.P._The Last Command full album

Negative Resolution

Two of the bands I grew up listening to - Ratt and Queensryche - have now ended any hope I have ever had of seeing the bands in concert. It seems like every time either band would come to Cedar Rapids, there was a reason I couldn't attend. Back in April 2014, Ratt vocalist Stephen Pearcy left the band and more recently, Geoff Tate has ended a dispute with his former bandmates.

What I Missed... and Idiots and Texas Hippies...Ship Rocked and other stuff...

There was a point in time where I considered driving up to the Twin Cities to see Metallica in concert, with Lamb of God opening. If I had gone and got tickets prior to the show selling out, this is the show I would have seen last week:
10/13/09 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
That Was Just Your Life
The End of the Line
Ride The Lightning
Holier Than Thou
One
Broken, Beat & Scarred
Cyanide
Sad But True
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
All Nightmare Long
Kirk Solo #1
The Day That Never Comes
Master Of Puppets
Fight Fire With Fire
Kirk Solo #2
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman
Encore Jam
Die Die My Darling
Motorbreath
Seek and Destroy

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And in other news, I found this:

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My friend Phil shared this video of the Texas Hippie Coalition on his Facebook page:


I LIKE that one and I like this one too!

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SHIPROCKED NEARLY SOLD OUT: DON'T MISS THE BOAT!

FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA (October 15, 2009) - Been thinking about a vacation? Love rock n' roll? Want to try a cruise? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then ShipRocked is for you - but act fast because cabins are nearly sold out! ShipRocked is the hardest rocking floating festival of 2009 featuring Queensryche, Tesla, RATT, Skid Row, Lynam, Endeverafter, Broken Teeth, Stereoside, Stonerider and the Niki Barr Band. The cruise sets sail from Ft. Lauderdale on November 15 and returns you to reality five days later. Along the way, ShipRocked ports in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Georgetown, Grand Cayman. For more information, visit http://www.getshiprocked.com/
Worried about the economy? Who isn't?! If you book now, you'll get in on special pricing for the last few remaining cabins. From now until they are gone, cabins will be sold on a "guarantee basis" which means you are guaranteed an interior, ocean view or balcony stateroom with a chance of an upgrade - without the extra cost! All cabins are subject to availability, and start at only $749 (per person, double occupancy). The prices include your cruise (room and board), all the concerts, meet and greets and other exclusive events during the trip. For booking and more information, please visit www.getshiprocked.com, or call 877-855-5502. Remember - once all cabins are booked no more can be added, so don't delay. You don't want to miss the boat on the year's biggest music event.

During ShipRocked, you'll be entertained by Queensryche, Tesla, RATT, Skid Row, Lynam, Endeverafter, Broken Teeth, Stereoside, Stonerider and the Niki Barr Band. You'll also have time to relax on the beach while in port, rock out in clubs around the ship, express yourself during heavy metal karaoke and dress up like it's 1989 during the 80s Prom Night!

ShipRocked sails November 15 -20, 2009 on the beautiful MSC Poesia. The Poesia is the third vessel in the MSC Cruise Line's "Musica" family of ships. This ship features MSC Cruise Line's signature Italian inspired decor, impeccable service, sumptuous cuisine in multiple restaurants, beautiful swimming pools, hot tubs plus a full-service spa and fitness center.

ShipRocked will truly be the ultimate rock and roll vacation and backstage pass!