You've brought my world to an end Love takes its victim and leaves its remains My broken heart has died in vain Tell me why have we forsaken the dreams we had The pain makes it so hard to understand You're a lifetime ago but a memory away And I'll love you till my resurrection day Love kills the fire's gone Dying embers still remain Love kills and now you're gone Girl, I'll never be the same again
I'm going to be honest here, saying that I don't remember Vinnie Vincent Invasion's "Love Kills" is an understatement for me. It was released back in 1988 on the A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master soundtrack and pooped up in an episode of MTV Classic'sMetal Mayhem this morning. Vincent started the group back in 1984, after finding fame as a member of KISS. In 1986 he hired Mark Slaughter to handle the lead vocals and the group then had a few successful tracks.
Anyway, I stumbled onto this video this morning and was struck by just how good 22-year-old Slaughter (looked) sounded here. He later went on to find success with his own band, Slaughter, into the 90's. In the years since "Love Kills" the group obviously disbanded but the guys have continued rocking out individually. Check out the video below, do you remember this one?
Heartaches come and go and all that's left are the words
I can't let go
If we take some time to think it over baby
Take some time, let me know
If you really want to go
Don't know what you got till it's gone
Don't know what it is I did so wrong
Now I know what I got
It's just this song."
How can you not love a good power ballad? I mean, even if you hate hair bands, how can you not love a power ballad?? Aside from tugging at the heartstrings and connecting to people on a gut punch level, they were also a brilliant marketing tool back in 1980-something. Heavy metal bands already had guys liking them but women were often a tougher sell- until the power ballad came along. Love songs appeal to women and one 4 minute song could easily sell tickets to that demographic.
Picking a favorite is really tough because there were so many great ones. In the case of Cinderella, one of their ballads was their top charting hit of all time. "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" seemed to speak to our teenaged generation just as much as it still speaks to a fortysomething going through a divorce now. Up until that point, the Philly-born band was firmly rooted in the hard rock scene and their videos were loaded with big hair, bright lights and a string of half-dressed chicks. This time out Tom Keifer sat down at his piano and just poured his heart out and boy did it work. The video was in heavy rotation on MTV and the song reached number 12 on Billboard's charts.
More importantly, it's a ballad that still resonates to this day. Check out the video below!
"We've gotta hold on to what we've got. It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other and that's a lot. For love we'll give it a shot."
"Livin' On A Prayer" is most definitely Bon Jovi's signature song, isn't it? I mean if you could only hear them perform one song live, wouldn't that be the one? It was the second single off of the band's epic 1986 release, Slippery When Wet. It also was their second number one song in a row. Those are the facts and statistics, which are all secondary to what this song is all about.
Thirty plus years after "Livin' On A Prayer's" release it's not just about Jon Bon's hair and the story of Tommy and Gina. Instead it instantly walks so many of us back in time to when passing exams and dating the right person were the biggest concerns. It takes me back to tenth grade when I lived in my jean jacket with my Walkman shoved in the pocket. Back to when I only thought that my life was complicated.
This song also shows how timeless a great rock anthem can be. Sure Bon Jovi has made a zillion more albums, but nothing compares to the very first time that you heard "Living On A Prayer", right?
Heartaches come and go and all that's left are the words
I can't let go
If we take some time to think it over baby
Take some time, let me know
If you really want to go
Don't know what you got till it's gone
Don't know what it is I did so wrong
Now I know what I got
It's just this song."
How can you not love a good power ballad? I mean, even if you hate hair bands, how can you not love a power ballad?? Aside from tugging at the heartstrings and connecting to people on a gut punch level, they were also a brilliant marketing tool back in 1980-something. Heavy metal bands already had guys liking them but women were often a tougher sell- until the power ballad came along. Love songs appeal to women and one 4 minute song could easily sell tickets to that demographic.
Picking a favorite is really tough because there were so many great ones. In the case of Cinderella, one of their ballads was their top charting hit of all time. "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" seemed to speak to our teenaged generation just as much as it still speaks to a fortysomething going through a divorce now. Up until that point, the Philly-born band was firmly rooted in the hard rock scene and their videos were loaded with big hair, bright lights and a string of half-dressed chicks. This time out Tom Keifer sat down at his piano and just poured his heart out and boy did it work. The video was in heavy rotation on MTV and the song reached number 12 on Billboard's charts.
More importantly, it's a ballad that still resonates to this day. Check out the video below!
And the long night has left me back at somebody's side
It feels alright for a long sweet minute like hours befor
But it's more like looking out for something
I can't find anymore
Big city, big city nights
You keep me burning
Big city, big city night's
Always yearning"
1984 was really a fantastic year for The Scorpions. It was the year when the German band finally broke through on the U.S. charts with songs like "Rock You Like A Hurricane" and "Still Loving You". Believe it or not, they were already on their ninth album when they released Love at First Sting and it ended up being the highest-charting album (number 6 on Billboard's charts) in the states for the Scorpions.
The third single released, "Big City Nights" was an MTV favorite and it helped to put the rockers in the first flight of heavy metal artists that would eventually end up reigning supreme over the end of the decade. The Scorpions, Ratt, and KISS helped to usher in hairbands and glam rock with some really solid rock tracks. "Big City Nights" was one of them. Check it out below!
My kids have a really hard time imagining what life was like back in the 80's, when patience and waiting were both the order of the day. We're all so used to YouTubing whatever video clip that we want to see when we want it that's it's almost hard to think of life before the internet. Back in 1984 our lives revolved around MTV and the fact that they seemed to repeat popular videos every 4 hours or so. Believe me when I say that my friends and I did the math and would come running inside when we thought that a favorite video was going to air.
One of the first ones that I can really remember planning my life around was Ratt's "Round and Round". It was before hair bands and glam metal had really hit the mainstream so they were really different. Plus they weren't just playing their song onstage somewhere, there was actually a freaky storyline that included an attic dinner with real rats and Milton Berle. It was really just a taste of what was to come because a few years later hair bands like Ratt were ruling the charts.
"Round and Round", off of Ratt's debut Out of the Cellar album ended up being their most popular song. It climbed to #12 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1984.
"I'd like to see you in the morning light I like to feel you baby when it comes to the night Now I'm here and I'm all alone Still I know how it feels, I'm alone again
Tried so hard to make you see But I couldn't find the words Now the tears they fall like rain I'm alone again without you I'm alone again without you, I'm alone again without you."
I'm not even going to pretend that there is anything profound aboutDokken's "Alone Again" because there isn't. It is simply a solid power ballad that came before many of the standards of the late 80's. In a way, Don Dokken threw down the gauntlet on how to write and perform one with his 1984 release of "Alone Again".
The melody is good, the lyrics are tight and the song is performed well. What that means is that if this song should come on when you are having a bad relationship day, it might be exactly what you need to hear to feel less alone. Check out the video below,. Pretty awesome song, isn't it?
No pullin' teeth, she didn't want to fight, she said
Shake me, all night, she said
Shake me, shake it, don't break it baby
You already know that I've basically never encountered a hair band that I didn't eventually have a soft spot for, right? So why wouldn't I love Cinderella, still? I can't think of a single reason. Their first album Night Songs first dropped in 1986 and the boys made good use of their band name when it came to creative videos. "Shake Me", "Nobody's Fool" and "Somebody Save Me" all included a play on the Cinderella character and her evil step sisters. Back then it was a pretty clever move and all three videos were given a lot of play.
Sometimes even the best hair bands will feel just a tiny bit dated to me but never Cinderella. Tom Keifer's voice sounds as good today as it did thirty years ago. Here's their first video, "Shake Me". After you watch it then click through and watch the other two that followed it for the full effect!
"Darkness Imprisoning me All that I see Absolute horror I cannot live I cannot die Trapped in myself Body my holding cell Landmine Has taken my sight Taken my speech Taken my hearing Taken my arms Taken my legs Taken my soul Left me with life in hell "
1988 brought with it an onslaught of hair bands that took turns dominating the charts. If you weren't an actual fan then being able to distinguish between Whitesnake, Europe and Skid Row was probably damn near impossible. Each power group a lineup of hot men with better hair than most of the girls that I knew. Metallica had been toiling in the hard rock ranks for years but it was the final single off of their fourth album that was a total breakthrough.
"One", an anti-war song skyrocketed into MTV's heavy video rotation almost immediately with a video that alternated between scenes of a supposed war vet sent home to die and actual footage from the 1971 anti-war film Johnny Got His Gun. The strong lyrics along with the black and white visuals helped Metallica to win the very first Grammy in 1989 for a Best Metal Performance.
This is one of those songs that always gives me chills and it's beyond words live.
"I know you don't really know me I know you don't really care to see me I'm into total affection Not being scared if you never please me You know you really want to lay it down Right now And how"
When I was 16 I started to work at a fast food restaurant and crushed hard on a coworker. He was hilarious, creative and REALLY into Ratt. I was already familiar with Stephen Pearcy and the rest of the group (hello, Round & Round?!) but didn't realize just how much I loved them until Invasion Of Your Privacy came out. It to this day remains a favorite album. Not only do I like every song, but I want to hear it all in order. How often do you actually get to say that about an album?
"Lay It Down" was the first single released and it kind of threw down the proverbial gauntlet for the rest of the album. It was the second-highest ranking top 40 hit for the band and one of their best videos. Check it out below!
XYZ was (and is) one of those 80's hair bands that broke through at the same time as powerhouse acts like GNR and Def Leppard. They were heavy-duty enough to become the official house band for The Whiskey A Go-Go but never ranked quite well enough on the charts. Not that it matters anyway because lead singer Terry Ilous' band was produced by Don Dokken and their debut album was truly great.
It also holds up. I remember listening to "What Keeps Me Loving You" on repeat back in 1989 and I found myself doing it again just now. For me, it's the kind of power ballad the rivals the best. It's right up there with Whitesnake's "Is This Love" or Def Leppard's "Love Bites", in my opinion. Ilous just takes me there. You know, to that place where you just know you're in the wrong relationship with the wrong person? Of course, you know what I mean.
XYZ as a band, still to this day, rivals some of the best that the late '80s brought us. If you're really lucky you might catch them at a hard rock festival or on a rock cruise! In the meantime check them out below!
I can remember being in high school and everyone loving Ozzy Osbourne. Black Sabbath seemed to be a group that all of my friends worshipped at the feet of and I simply just didn't get it. I couldn't exactly climb aboard the crazy train, until "Shot In The Dark" started playing on my local rock station. Yeah it was probably a little more pop-ish than most of Ozzy's stuff and maybe that's why it appealed to me. While 80% of me lived in headbanger heaven the other 20% was dancing their ass off to club hits.
Weird I know.
Even today, "Shot In The Dark" feels a bit different to me. Ozzy's hair is bigger, his clothes are a bit glitzier and he has this look on his face that tells me that in spite of the booze & the drugs, he knows exactly what he's doing. This song was intended to broaden his appeal so that his fan base would grow.
Tell me baby all through the night That you'll never let me go Tell me baby cause I want the world to know Together we were one We found the place where dreams are made And hearts never broken We said we'd never leave You know we couldn't turn around And face that we had left behind
I remember when White Lion first broke through way back in 1987. I was a junior in high school and Mike Tramp was a hit from the moment my friends and I laid eyes on him. Being almost too pretty in the late 80's equaled major hotness. While that always helps a little, White Lion's Pride album was a solid effort with several truly great tracks. "Tell Me" has always been one of my favorites. Check out the video below, do you remember it?
Since Covid-19 has brought gigs to a screeching halt we are flashing back to some of the best of the best content here at DailyBOOM.
ICYMI
I think in many ways, Ace Von Johnson has to be one of the busiest guys currently on the rock scene. Aside from playing with a handful of rock and punk bands, you'll also find him currently splitting his guitar duties between two legendary bands, L.A. Guns, and Faster Pussycat. I caught up with him recently, as L.A. Guns swung across the east coast playing dates to promote their new release, "The Devil You Know". I encountered a clever man that is most definitely in charge of his current life and future destiny. What follows is an excerpt from my interview with Ace. The full podcast will be available on DailyBOOM and Boom Radio soon.
Photo: Anabel DFlux
Ace on L.A. Guns new album, "The Devil You Know":
Ace: "The Devil You Know" is doing really great. When they were recording that about a year ago, it was sort of the first time that they had approached me about joining the band. Scheduling-wise and for a multitude of other reasons it just wasn't going to work then. I'm not on the album performance-wise but Tracii Guns has led me to believe that on all the albums, even when Mick Cripps was in the band, he kind of did nearly all of the tracking. I think that's kind of common for him to not have the other guitar player play the stuff that he has written. As a show of good faith, they did put my picture on the album anyway to solidify me in the band, rather than just having me look like another plug in and play guy. It shows that I'm a real member and that's nice. It was a show of good faith and it's a bit of an honor to be considered a band member rather than, 'oh we needed a guitar player and this guy was available for the next four months so,'. I'm honored ya' know, it's a legendary band and so I'm happy to be playing with them. It's nice to be treated like one of the guys (laughing) and it's kind of flattering as well."
Ace on how L.A. Guns is a different kind of gig for him:
Ace: "There is definitely a level of professionalism in L.A. Guns that other bands that I've played with just don't have. There are rules within the band and with the crew and entourage that Faster Pussycat doesn't have and I don't think that's any secret. I've been with them for almost ten years now and Pussycat travels pretty light as far as crew goes. They're just two different gigs, it's like trying to compare an ex to another ex, one doesn't make the other less special. L.A. Guns in all forms tends to put out albums every 2-4 years whereas Faster Pussycat hasn't put out an album of new material in about fourteen years."
Photo: James Papaconstantine
Ace on the possibility of Faster Pussycat putting out a new album:
Ace: "I kind of get a little irked with being asked when Faster will put out another record because the only person that knows that is Taime (Downe). If someone asks me when L.A. Guns is going to put out a new record, even though we just dropped one, I'd be inclined to say two years. I've already seen Tracii write stuff and we've jammed on some riffs so I would imagine that you'll see another L.A. Guns record before Taime will put one out. I would love to see him do it and I've been trying to help facilitate that for several years now. I'm not really sure how interested he really is. I sense he is happy just getting out there and rolling with the legacy factor and there's nothing wrong with that. I will say this though, for me, being in a band for ten years and not having an album out is very frustrating for me. As an artist and as a guitar player I haven't done as much these last few years because I've been so focused on Pussycat, but in the years before Pussycat, I've probably been twice as productive in terms of putting out music. The band has just kept me so busy that I couldn't focus on other things and I'm not blaming Taime because it is a choice that I've made."
Ace on how L.A. Guns is inspiring him:
Ace: "Having a band like L.A. Guns, where the guys are really anxious to get out there and perform music or to put out new music and deliver a quality product, is really inspiring. It's nice to be around guys that are excited about having a new album out and maybe equally as driven as I am. The act of just getting on stage and being able to jump around and play some rock and roll is inspiring and cathartic as well."
Photo: Evil Robb
Ace on taking control of his career and how he brands himself:
Ace: "Well, this is my career so I have to be driven and smart with it. I learned a long time ago about branding and social media and interaction. It's not about capitalizing on those things per se, but you have to know how to sell yourself well enough to provide for yourself. I've tried to make the best of the opportunities that I've had. It's not like it used to be with bands being given thousands of dollars to do everything. In some ways, much of it is now self-funded, not that L.A. Guns doesn't have a great record label, but the money aspect isn't like it used to be. This is what I do for a living and so I feel like I have to help myself in any way possible. There are countless social media platforms and so I try to keep up with many of them. I think interacting with the fans who buy the albums and come to the shows is important and I think in the end it goes a long way in showing support to them as well.
I'm always checking out new products and testing out what might work for me. I recently posted about flasks that I saw and there were enough likes on that post for me to go ahead and start marketing those on my social media. I think that fans really appreciate unique merch and so I'm always on the lookout for ideas."
Ace on juggling both bands and the importance of balance in his life:
Ace: "I think there's a lot of speculation about whether I'll stay in both bands, or leave one or the other. I don't really have an answer for that but for now, I'm in both bands. I don't need to decide things now and I don't have any real conflicts. I already talked to both bands about subbing me out and it's nice to know that I'm sort of prioritized. I also had a conversation with both bands about not prioritizing my life by a tour schedule. I've been on the road since I was eighteen, for half of my life so I've already done that. There are relationships and family, weddings and births and deaths that are at least equally important. I've just kind of put my foot down, whether it's for my sanity or for creative purposes or whatever. I have to do other things whether it's playing on another album or doing some different live shows, or just turning my phone off for a week and going to the Bahamas.
Hopefully, everybody on all sides understands that there's going to be stuff that I can't do. It has nothing to do with the bands, it's all about me just trying to do what's best for me now. I've spent most of my adult life traveling in a van or a bus or a rickshaw (laughing) or whatever. It's tiring and it has cost me relationships and it has affected my health and that's just what we do as musicians. I would never change what I do but as I get older, I see things differently. I'm in a really healthy relationship at the moment and I don't want my stage persona or schedule jeopardize my personal life, so if I've got to bring her out on tour for a week then that's how it's going to be. Life can't just be about servicing a band; we all eventually need more than that and I think it's great when we realize that fact."
You've brought my world to an end Love takes its victim and leaves its remains My broken heart has died in vain Tell me why have we forsaken the dreams we had The pain makes it so hard to understand You're a lifetime ago but a memory away And I'll love you till my resurrection day Love kills the fire's gone Dying embers still remain Love kills and now you're gone Girl, I'll never be the same again
I'm going to be honest here, saying that I don't remember Vinnie Vincent Invasion's "Love Kills" is an understatement for me. It was released back in 1988 on the A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master soundtrack and pooped up in an episode of MTV Classic'sMetal Mayhem this morning. Vincent started the group back in 1984, after finding fame as a member of KISS. In 1986 he hired Mark Slaughter to handle the lead vocals and the group then had a few successful tracks.
Anyway, I stumbled onto this video this morning and was struck by just how good 22-year-old Slaughter (looked) sounded here. He later went on to find success with his own band, Slaughter, into the 90's. In the years since "Love Kills" the group obviously disbanded but the guys have continued rocking out individually. Check out the video below, do you remember this one?
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No pullin' teeth, she didn't want to fight, she said
Shake me, all night, she said
Shake me, shake it, don't break it baby
You already know that I've basically never encountered a hair band that I didn't eventually have a soft spot for, right? So why wouldn't I love Cinderella, still? I can't think of a single reason. Their first album Night Songs first dropped in 1986 and the boys made good use of their band name when it came to creative videos. "Shake Me", "Nobody's Fool" and "Somebody Save Me" all included a play on the Cinderella character and her evil step sisters. Back then it was a pretty clever move and all three videos were given a lot of play.
Sometimes even the best hair bands will feel just a tiny bit dated to me but never Cinderella. Tom Keifer's voice sounds as good today as it did thirty years ago. Here's their first video, "Shake Me". After you watch it then click through and watch the other two that followed it for the full effect!
Since Covid-19 has brought gigs to a screeching halt we are flashing back to some of the best of the best content here at DailyBOOM.
ICYMI-
Queensryche's latest release, "Dark Reverie", off of their forthcoming album The Verdict (out March 1) has the band's longtime fans dying to hear more. The buzz on this effort is nothing but positive and the guys are counting down the days until they get to hit the road to support their newest "baby". Steve and I had a chance to chat with Queensryche founder Michael Wilton this week and his excitement is more than a little infectious!
DailyBOOM:The last time we spoke you were finishing up work on the new Queensryche album and you were dying for everyone to hear it. You now have two singles out, "Man The Machine" and "Dark Reverie" and they are just beyond fantastic. How are you feeling now that we're actually hearing the new music?
Michael Wilton: My expectations have been flooded. The response is way more than I could have ever anticipated and it has taken off so much better than I could have ever hoped for. We knew we had something special and it becomes your baby, you just never know how people are going to actually perceive it. So it was released to the press and all of the interviews that I've done have just been filled with positive vibrations, which is just incredible. I'm just beyond words.
DailyBOOM: You said that you guys knew that you had something special, so take us back to the studio. How did this one come together differently?
MW: The whole beginning process was an arduous task because when we started pre-production with our producer Zeus there were only a couple of songs that were in demo form and near completion. Everything else was in scattered bits and pieces of riffs and everything so that in itself was a big challenge. It was also one of the most gratifying experiences that I've had since the early '80s. Going through each song, just pulling the deepest and most creative elements out of each individual and building each song with lots of thought. Getting it to the point where everybody was happy with the sound took probably the first two weeks of pre-production and then the next two weeks were spent learning the songs before finally recording the songs. It was quite a task.
Making things more challenging was the fact that Scott (Rockenfield) couldn't play on this album so we had to get a drummer. Todd LaTorre had to get the rust off his drumsticks and he had to write the album on the drums as well as the lyrics. You can imagine the organizational nightmare (laughing) but you know, we believed in it. Zeus was the guy kind of orchestrating everything and we had to get a midi drum kit into the studio so Todd could play along and learn or write the parts. It was just mind-blowing but during this whole process, the ideas and energy were fantastic. It was all of us at the top of our game just devoting so much of our own creative elements to this album. You don't realize until after you're done that these songs are turning into monsters. We're just so proud of them.
(Official Queensryche Promo Shot)
DailyBOOM: It sounds like Todd has really stepped up his musical game this time out.
MW: Yes! As a musician, he's growing like you would not even believe. He's more comfortable and it shows. Todd has definitely stepped up his game obviously because he had to write drum parts now too. He gets to really let loose (laughing). The writing process with everybody is amazing. I think the band as a whole believes in our own creativity and so we're really giving our all. It's crazy but when all is said and done we can sit back and say, 'Wow! We created that!'
DailyBOOM: Do you foresee Scott returning to the band?
MW: We don't know. He is on a different path right now and raising a child so we'll wait and see. The door is always open. People change and they want to do different things so they need some time and their privacy. Casey Grillo has been on tour with us for the last two years and he actually played drums on two of the extra songs included on our bonus cd. We did acoustic versions of "I Dream in Infrared" and "Open Road" and he did all of the percussion on both those. He's a great drummer, really well-rounded and he has a wide palette in his musical style. He's filling big shoes and he's doing a great job. The fans really love him and he is scheduled to be on the road with us again this year.
DailyBOOM: I have to say, "Dark Reverie" has us really excited. It just seems like every note is so perfectly placed and balanced.
MW: It's the same with everyone that I talk to! I've heard that the flow of the album is great and that listeners can really tell that each song has so much thought that has been put into it. So many different positive comments and it's just mind-blowing to think that we've actually accomplished exactly what we set out to capture with this. I think that on March first when The Verdict is released, it's really going to impact the fans just as it did us last year.
Check out Queensryche's official site for tickets, merch & more!
