Attention hard rock fans: a hilarious new show called Z-Rock debuted last night on IFC.com and I already know I’m going to be watching it for the next ten weeks! Z-Rock stars the amazing Brooklyn based hard rock trio, Z02, who I’ve been fortunate to see live a couple times. Considering the fact that I hate almost everything, I must tell you this show is just as awesome and entertaining as the band is ass-kicking. The basic premise of Z-Rock tells a “real life” story of a rock band that has to play kids’ birthday parties during the day to make a living.
Last night’s episode featured an appearance by ‘80s Hair Metal casualty, Sebastian Bach, playing himself as a dad who’d brought his kids to a party that Z02 were booked to play. Hilarity ensues, of course, but man, I gotta ask, have Bach’s former pretty boy looks taken the Bullet train to Hell or what? The guy looks like he barely survived a co-starring role in Fight Club. Ow! Previews of upcoming episodes indicate they’ve got all sorts of other special guests lined up for future adventures in rock and, oh yeah, besides Z02’s great fun music there’s lots of nudity and swearing and stuff, so you’ve got many reasons to tune in to IFC on Sunday’s at 11:30 PM for the next few months!
Warrant, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich
Original Release Date: March 1989
Re-Released: August 2004
(Columbia)
Hair Metal bands were often distinguished by singers who could actually sing, and few vocalists of that era had a set of pipes rivaling that of Jani Lane. Warrant’s debut, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich draws heavily from the members’ blues rock influences while thoroughly wallowing in pop-metal excess. The mindless pursuit of hedonism rarely sounded as beguiling as it does on the rousing “Down Boys,” while the ultra-schmaltzy ballad “Heaven” was probably the theme song of every metalhead wedding in 1989. Buttressing the excellent vocals and tight, catchy tunes are guitarist Joey Allen’s solos, which are flashy without succumbing to self-indulgent wankery. Achieving platinum sales and number-one chart status shortly before Grunge buried ‘80s Metal forever, D.R.F.S.R. closed out the final decade of Rock ‘N’ Roll decadence in high style.
– Gail Worley
Track Listing
32 Pennies
Down Boys
Big Talk
Sometimes She Cries
So Damn Pretty (Should Be Against The Law)
D.R.F.S.R.
In The Sticks
Heaven
Ridin’ High
Cold Sweat
Only A Man (Demo)
All Night Long (Demo)
This article was originally written for Metal Edge Magazine. With the magazines’ dissolution, the article has been added to the content base of The Worley Gig for our readers’ enjoyment.
Check out the May issue of Modern Drummer, with Mesuggah’s Tomas Haake on the cover, for my Rad updates on Ben Gillies of Silverchair and Sean O’Shea of Orgone.
Also, look for my retro-reviews of classic albums by Warrant and Quiet Riot in the article “25 Essential Hair Metal Albums,” found in April’s edition of Metal Edge.
Another One Bites The Dust: Me with Kevin Dubrow, Frankie Banali and Donnie Vie, Summer 2001
Okay, seriously, I’m wondering if it is some kind of cosmic ’80s Metal joke that both Ricky Parent of ENuff Z’Nuff and Kevin Dubrow of Quiet Riot have passed away within one month of each other. As a tribute to Kevin, who died on November 25th, 2007 of a drug overdose, I’ve decided to re-run my review of the re-release of Quiet Riot’s immortal, genre-defining 1983 album, Metal Health. Read on and be enlightened.
(Originally published on Ink19.com, Fall 2001)
Quiet Riot Metal Health (Portrait/Epic/Legacy)
I’ve got a story for you about Quiet Riot.
On a gorgeous summer day this past July, I spent about eight hours hanging out at this big outdoor 80’s metal revival arena rock concert where Poison, Warrant, Quiet Riot and Enuff Z’Nuff were the featured bands. Now, everybody knows I’m a total idiot for that kind of music and, being a journalist, I’ve become pretty good pals with Poison’s drummer Rikki Rockett, and Warrant’s drummer, Mike Fasano. Thus I found myself, Ms. Headbanger’s Ball of 2001, back stage with an All Access Pass. There was no question that having the run of an arena’s back stage area would prove to be a curious thing, but I digress. When I was walking around unsupervised, I met Quiet Riot’s front man, the infamous Kevin Dubrow, when he accidentally caught me checking out his ass. Kevin is amazing-looking up close and has transformed himself from the scrawny, balding speed freak you remember from those 80s Quiet Riot videos into this full-on rock Adonis with a killer six pack and arms to die for. He smells really good too. I felt a little giddy meeting him because – I mean, I’m a fan and everything – but I didn’t expect him to be so handsome. Hair weave or no hair weave, the guy looks 100% better than he did when he was in his 20’s. I’d do it.
Anyway, Portrait Records re-released Quiet Riot’s best album, the multi-platinum selling Metal Health, last fall, but it took me awhile to get around to reviewing it. Sorry.
When I think of Quiet Riot, their venerated cover of Slade’s “Cum On Feel the Noize” leaps to mind immediately. I just can’t help but sing along.
“Cum on feel the noize/Girls rock your boys/We’ll get wild wild wild/Wild wild wild…” lather, rinse, repeat.
Talk about inspired lyrics! How can anyone who was ever young and in love not worship that song? Carlos Cavazo’s guitar solo on the bridge has got to be right up there with anything Eddie Van Halen ever laid down on tape and I’d even put it up against the solo from “Wait” by White Lion!
But Quiet Riot was always about so much more than just big guitar noise and epic macho posturing. I mean, Metal Health, was the first metal album to reach #1 on the Billboard charts! And this was back in the 80’s when the charts were actually an indication of music being any good. Quiet Riot rocked, and they still do.
My favorite Quiet Riot song is “Slick Black Cadillac,” which is from way back when Randy Rhodes (RIP) was in the band. This song was originally recorded for an album that was only released in Japan, but the band loved it so much that they re-recorded it for Metal Health – and thank God for that, because the song just rocks hard enough to crack skulls wide open. I love the lyrics, which are so simple, but paint such a rich picture: “Driving in a slick, black Cadillac/It’s got solid gold hubcaps/It makes me feel like a King/I only need one thing/and that’s a Slick Black Cadillac.” It’s great use of language, where Kevin is as involved in the physical sound of the words as he is in telling the story. No shit — here’s a song about a big black car that sticks with you. A live version of “Slick Black Cadillac” is included here as a bonus track. I could listen to it again and again.
Hearing Quiet Riot’s hard-driving, melodic, anthemic, life-affirming, joyous, crazy party rock amid all the shitty false metal and mind-numbing idiot rock that passes for pop music these days is like oxygen in a vacuum. Metal Health is a sentimental journey connecting the attributes of commercial rock with the sonic muscle of heavy metal, which is what catapulted LA Sunset Strip glam metal to the top of the charts in the first place. This album is perfect. Go out and buy a copy right now.
