“Are you ready to go wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiild?” Yes, you are. Skid Row’s on! The madness of heavy metal of the late 80’s, which went on to take over the world for years to come was not much better than Skid Row. The Jersey dudes had the dripping energy that was the shout through Bach’s way of singing, the rhythm of Scottie, the distinguished bass of Bolan, those guitar solos of Sabo and the heavy drums of Rob !
You, die hard fans of the rhythms that never die will love this – a Box Set, of five albums, including the 180 gram vinyls ! Madly explosive, to rock you for a long time to come! Out on December 3rd, the package includes what is the flirty way they introduce their attitude to the world; a heavy metal serenade, to an unknown girl.
As the sped up songs go on, they didn’t know about the album sales, about the effect they’d have, opening for Bon Jovi – the Dons of New Jersey, getting ready for the huge event that would bring down communism in the Soviet Union….
Most of you might not know what I’m writing about, but being born ‘n’ raised in a third world, communist country, the effect that concert had on every soul that wants to be Free, is just indescribable !
Their debut album, now part of the package you are gonna buy, the CD box set that will include other surprises for sure….
As we continue with their songs, at one moment, we stop to sing about night life that only happened in America, but hey, you’re a metal fan, that means you got it everyday of your life; and as “Piece of Me” takes you to the loudness of trips, then, a life ballad takes place, making you see the world differently, even if you’re way past the age of the dude in the lyrics; it’s truly a life anthem !
Now, everything you’ve read about those songs, can’t match what the soul challenge has, every time we even think of how we will be forever young, reckless, crazy, extremely ruthless ! Why ? Just play “Youth Gone Wild” and that will be your life addiction ! Something you won’t ever get tired of, dancing and singing like you’re at the Budokan or Wembley performances…but it can wait for a while, ‘cos we ain’t over the debut album yet…..
What can you expect, it’s an album by guys in their 20’s , the beginning of true living ? But yet, there’s a ballad that for each of you ever fallen in Love, means a whole lot, more than what I can write or what the lyrics say…..Michael Wagener producing the multi-platinum album, gave them the superstardom very fast, having huge acts as a support, before the 80’s chapter would be replaced by the turbulent, yet fantastic 90’s….
“I remember you”…………….
And the “Midnight Tornado’, that you can listen with my words about it, ‘cos the ballad is too heavy for the brain, too painful for the heart, too beautiful to be true…. !
The infamous bottle incident, other problems for Bach, their 1990 tour video, the madness of fans all over the world, they’re still on tour, before the other big day; June 11th, 1991…… Slave to the griiiiiiiind !
The album that debuted on top of the charts, another classic, considered like that since then, with a better ability to develop their craft, as they slowly grow up. Again, Bolan and Sabo take care of the lyrics, they include everyday life conflicts, discussable morals, the savageness inside the man…
I remember the video and that intro that is like nothing else, as he is fully dressed up in leather, while the railroad is the background of that grey drama that has a drum beat that you wanna hear every time you forget you’re getting older. Sebastian has this way of singing that still makes hundreds of thousands of fans go salute him by being part of every tour he’s on.
A time of clear gender differences, with girls goin’ nuts about these American guys who had the ability to change a lot in between the 2 year album gap that had a lot of events for the boys that were now a lot more than those who had won the 1990 American Award for Favorite Heavy Metal / Hard Rock New Artist.
‘Monkey Business’ is not a speed metal song, that’s maybe why the fan base grew bigger. But we have another surprise, that shockingly heavy intro guitar lick on “Slave to the grind” that makes you head-bang, long before you see them live. Bach in this album takes writing credits along with those who wrote everything on the first, the variety of the subjects is more colourful, as his darkness is heard in every word in “Slave to the grind”, the captivating pre-chorus that just doesn’t stop, but you wanna hear it again, as soon as the song is finished.
You want the irony of what’s wrong in the world, related to the politicians ? You want a modern version of “Jailbreak”, as you are still headbanging ? Here, “The threat” !
The album’s got other hits and other unknown songs, yet they’re what you want; let it out, your rebellion, your attitude against every one, while they dance to their guitar licks and you proudly scream “Get the fuck out” !
And it’s not a Love/ Hate song, not the lyrics of Alice in Chains for sure, but “Livin’ On A Chain Gang” is what the 90’s are somehow about; the party is not done, but transformed. And the crisis of America made them think they wrote it only for that continent, but politicians distribute it, just like they distribute the poverty and the Devil’s intentions, making it possible for everyone to buy the album, yet most can’t understand why, cos’ they don’t read…..talking about the lyrics and beyond ! Its solo only should make you think. Listen to it again !
What happens in the suburbs of people’s minds is what happens downtown of every big city, filled with crime and what looks okay only on a song, not lived. But they lived every lyric, that’s why you learn to understand their world better by payin’ attention to “Creepshow”.
How is “I remember you” related to “In a darkened room” ? When you have that big of a love drama, you end up not even knowing who you are in a transition that includes everything you wanted to live in the reckless lifestyle that makes you feel alone, as the chorus is louder everytime but not quite loud to match your burning thoughts that can’t be helped, cos’ your dark corners describe your life in the extended version that will be how you want it to be in this Box Set, Out of The Box !
That guitar includes the religion words you never thought you’d read through the decade that made them poetic, heroes, writers, junkies and whatever helps you not kill your soul !
But after your heavy breaths, it’s time to remember Sex Pistols in “Riot Act” and of course, in what looks like the continuation of it, “Mudkicker”.
Before you play the CD again, while you are not focused in the artwork of the Box Set, you’re listening to that written about Adler, “Wasted Time”, an appeal against drugs, which took many lives and still do; the Devil’s there to seduce you so you can give up your talents and joy, going towards the unpleasant and unknown death. You can’t die, the accoustic is too sweet and they had planned other albums. If you do, the girl will be even more lonely, while she thinks, yet doesn’t have the guts to play “I remember you”…..
Time for an EP now, grunge had taken over, they needed to pay tribute to their heroes, while the album sales were still up and in Japan, they were the new flavor of the year ! Budokan was exploding, while in the studio, a few tracks had been recorded.
“C’mon and love me” of KISS, a different version is what you can hear on this one, but before that, the “Psycho Therapy”is a bridge between the Ramones fans and those who have Skid Row posters still on their walls .
But what will truly impress you is the song, for which they had a simple video but it don’t matter, cos’ the Hendrix legacy served them right, to play and record it like it was theirs, for those who didn’t know. It’s the 60’s, decades later, yet it only adds up to the sweetness of the world-changing revolutionary generation !
Years go by and conflicts are growing, differences now more clear, they have the superstardom problems their predecessors had, also cos’ one of my favorite genres, alternative rock, had shifted the global attention to those suicide and inner problems that can be seen in what Bob Rock produced, “Subhuman Race”.
The last song is what you will love forever, but let’s start with how you feel when the word “Enemy” comes up.
“Your genocide , my genocide
Life’s getting shorter
……………………
………………………………………..
You can be my enemy and I don’t care”
This is the transformed Skid Row, continuing the album with something that might be a love song, cos the ways she kills , they thrill him !
Their change is felt in the other tracks, that are not Offspring but I’d go for a change, also to see how their talent develops, at war with the music industry going to fade away the way we grew up knowing and loving.
The ballad – starting song, towards the middle, reminds you of Cobain but it’s not, even though sometimes only Bach can make the difference between a Seatle record and the New Jersey party dudes.
“Remains to be seen”, that;s truly something that has a lot more to do with what would happen to them the following year, rather than only a chaotic description of a temting, yet only in America reality.
Madonna, did she get inspired by this, or “Frozen” is just Bolan and Sabo writing about a reality they had no idea about, in the first album ? Doesn’t matter.
‘Into Another’ – truly beautiful !
Underrated !
Scars that walk with your troubled mind…..
An intro that sweetens your 90’s pain.
Sing it, sing your life battles and close ur eyes when the guitar riffs only, are the alternative version of the song.
Let the solo take you to heal in the darkness, with the darkness.
“Inside of you
There’s a view
That sees me there…… “
Dedicated to your past loves with blackened hearts !
Ray Cook, European MTV and then the video, 1995………
The last is what I wrote about in the beginning, a love anthem; a battle of your roughest survival mode, while she is going to what she doesn’t have a clue about, but your soul can’t dive in that black sea, cos’ she wants you to sing the song, as the needle or the psychotic mind already left the building, but love is about saving the girl you love !
But Skid Row are about concerts, live gigs that have them first class plane transported, before Bach is fired, before KISS start their world conquering tour, as the 90’s are the unknown of the last millennium, the lads’ punk attitude is not only in their lives, the tribute songs can’t really give the idea of how they lived like they did. 1991 is in this live album, with other versions of their classics that scream through the mists of time “You are not the slaves to the grind, you’re the YOUTH GONE WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILD”
8/10
This box set marks the first time that all of these important and definitive releases will be available in one limited edition collection. The collection includes 180-Gram Audiophile B-Side Ourselves EP and thelive EP, Subhuman Beings on Tour!!, which previously only available on CD in Japan. It is now being made available globally and on vinyl for the first time ever. All five albums are also newly remastered.
The five-album, 7LP side-loading box set includes:
Skid Row
Slave to the Grind (2xLP)
B-Side Ourselves
Subhuman Race (2xLP)
Subhuman Beings On Tour!!
This five album, 5CD side loading box set includes:
Skid Row
Slave to the Grind
B-Side Ourselves
Subhuman Race
Subhuman Beings on Tour!!