New music incoming! Stephen Pearcy will release View To a Thrill later this year. It's his fifth solo album. I just hope we get some songs half as good as those on Infestation. I was listening to that 2010 release again the other day and was just blown away all over again at the quality. "Best of Me" is just one hell of a catchy track.
It's really a shame, shame, shame. They sounded great last year at M3 and did a bunch of reunion shows (without Bobby of course). But now it seems it's all back in limbo with Warren allegedly out of the band. If these guys had just kept it together, they'd be openers for Poison or Def Leppard no problem, and have a nice long summer run, including all the festivals. Or play theaters, I'm sure they can draw a couple thousand with original lineup. But there is zero indication that's going to happen.
Stephen Pearcy is the George Lazenby of solo artists. I was going to say David Niven. But that would be unfair to Niven.
I agree steverox (and Allyson): it would be great if Leatherface, Mars Bars, Stanley Steemer, and Dancing Queen could get their act together. Seems, though, that Stanley and Leatherface agree on one thing: everyone in that band wanted to be a general. Add a dose of entitlement, mix in a bit of substance abuse, and three pinches of desperation and you get . . . well, you get Ratt.
It's hard to reach for the sky when you keep pulling yourselves apart.
I'll check it out, but from what I've heard, im not a fan of his solo stuff. It is pretty bad that they can't keep it together. So many lineup changes and drama. I wish they could of kept the Infestation lineup intact and recorded at least one more album because Infestation was a great album. Hope they can keep it somewhat together and tour.
Very funny, indeed, HIM! You and “Funny Gary” are on a roll!
Here’s the “INFRUSTRATION” ...
Some of ol’ Leatherface’s solo stuff is pretty good, particularly a couple cuts off his last album, “Smash”. But a lot of it IS generic fluff, as BK points out.
I keep thinking all of this stuff he’s putting out is cobbled together from ideas he should be bringing to the band for further collaboration to put out another gem on the level of “Infestation”. Instead, he winds up putting that kind of material out as a collection of well polished, yet half-baked ideas with lyrics even dumber than some the worst of any of the RATT or Arcade stuff.
Remember a few months ago, before everything blew up? The band members were all talking about how they were writing and in the studio recording a new album? Then, everything implodes and we wind up with another Stephen Pearcy solo effort.
Do we see a pattern here? THIS could actually be the reason Cavazo (who I believe, contributed at least two songs to “Infestation” as well as collaboration on others) was the first to quit. Then, DiMartini quits or supposedly gets fired. Makes you wonder if “Creative Differences” could be the REAL reason they keep throwing in the towel.
It’s just a theory because we don’t get to be flies on the wall watching all the RATT clusterf*cks, but this pattern could be revealing a potential ruse by Pearcy: Create more havoc than fully formed ideas during the band’s creative process of writing songs and recording demos, then pick through the bits and pieces of those rough ideas from the rubble, chop them together with terrible, halfa*sed lyrics and put them out as a new Stephen Pearcy solo album.
And I’ll take it one step further than Steverox, who is spot on in his assessment ... First of all, their egos probably wouldn’t allow them to open for POISON, which is understandable. Opening for Def Leppard would probably be a better fit in the RATTs’ minds. But I bet the promoters are skittish, thinking they can’t rely on RATT to make it through a tour because they are so prone to breaking up.
Instead of embracing an idea like opening for POISON as an opportunity to reastablish themselves by blowing POISON off the stage, they’d rather leave the money on the table.
And all we get is ol’ Leatherface instead of the killer RATT we really want.
the frustrating part, frustrates the coolest of the musicians. stop listening to mb's theory. Do the right thing in life and you will carry on and rock harder and better on that journey. #FU steel panther it's time. mb's favorite.
Whatever you are drinking, Fletch, it is obviously strong!
I think, again, that Blotz was right: provide an opening where Pearcy and Croucier could get back in and you create a problem in terms of voting on issues in the band. Drop Blotz, you have a majority. It isn't as if the now sober Pearcy acts like he has held the band hostage on numerous occasions. Nor is it any surprise that DeMartini drags his feet. Croucier is just happy to sit, nestled under Pearcy's wings. They see dollar signs. But signs point to a diminishing series of returns. Why go out solo if you have a viable band? Why tout big news for Ratt in one breath, and then bend over backwards to suggest that you need to stretch yourself with all the solo songs that just don't "fit" Ratt? It shocks me to think that Blotz is actually the one who cared about the band. But signs point in just that direction when you compare his actions to those of the other original members.
I will say this: Cavazo was a breath of fresh air, as was Robbie Crane. They genuinely seemed to appreciate the chance to carry the flag. If only the actual members were as gracious when it comes to their legacy and their fans.
You see what I did there, Him? This Atheist went all Religious and Hypocritical by thanking god (with a Capitol G) when it comes to a cause near and dear to my heart. Hey, I admit it. Too bad, Trump supporters won't.
Friday, May 11, 2018 at 07:29AM 
Reader Comments (14)
I agree steverox (and Allyson): it would be great if Leatherface, Mars Bars, Stanley Steemer, and Dancing Queen could get their act together. Seems, though, that Stanley and Leatherface agree on one thing: everyone in that band wanted to be a general. Add a dose of entitlement, mix in a bit of substance abuse, and three pinches of desperation and you get . . . well, you get Ratt.
It's hard to reach for the sky when you keep pulling yourselves apart.
It is pretty bad that they can't keep it together. So many lineup changes and drama. I wish they could of kept the Infestation lineup intact and recorded at least one more album because Infestation was a great album. Hope they can keep it somewhat together and tour.
Here’s the “INFRUSTRATION” ...
Some of ol’ Leatherface’s solo stuff is pretty good, particularly a couple cuts off his last album, “Smash”. But a lot of it IS generic fluff, as BK points out.
I keep thinking all of this stuff he’s putting out is cobbled together from ideas he should be bringing to the band for further collaboration to put out another gem on the level of “Infestation”. Instead, he winds up putting that kind of material out as a collection of well polished, yet half-baked ideas with lyrics even dumber than some the worst of any of the RATT or Arcade stuff.
Remember a few months ago, before everything blew up? The band members were all talking about how they were writing and in the studio recording a new album? Then, everything implodes and we wind up with another Stephen Pearcy solo effort.
Do we see a pattern here? THIS could actually be the reason Cavazo (who I believe, contributed at least two songs to “Infestation” as well as collaboration on others) was the first to quit. Then, DiMartini quits or supposedly gets fired. Makes you wonder if “Creative Differences” could be the REAL reason they keep throwing in the towel.
It’s just a theory because we don’t get to be flies on the wall watching all the RATT clusterf*cks, but this pattern could be revealing a potential ruse by Pearcy: Create more havoc than fully formed ideas during the band’s creative process of writing songs and recording demos, then pick through the bits and pieces of those rough ideas from the rubble, chop them together with terrible, halfa*sed lyrics and put them out as a new Stephen Pearcy solo album.
And I’ll take it one step further than Steverox, who is spot on in his assessment ... First of all, their egos probably wouldn’t allow them to open for POISON, which is understandable. Opening for Def Leppard would probably be a better fit in the RATTs’ minds. But I bet the promoters are skittish, thinking they can’t rely on RATT to make it through a tour because they are so prone to breaking up.
Instead of embracing an idea like opening for POISON as an opportunity to reastablish themselves by blowing POISON off the stage, they’d rather leave the money on the table.
And all we get is ol’ Leatherface instead of the killer RATT we really want.
I think, again, that Blotz was right: provide an opening where Pearcy and Croucier could get back in and you create a problem in terms of voting on issues in the band. Drop Blotz, you have a majority. It isn't as if the now sober Pearcy acts like he has held the band hostage on numerous occasions. Nor is it any surprise that DeMartini drags his feet. Croucier is just happy to sit, nestled under Pearcy's wings. They see dollar signs. But signs point to a diminishing series of returns. Why go out solo if you have a viable band? Why tout big news for Ratt in one breath, and then bend over backwards to suggest that you need to stretch yourself with all the solo songs that just don't "fit" Ratt? It shocks me to think that Blotz is actually the one who cared about the band. But signs point in just that direction when you compare his actions to those of the other original members.
I will say this: Cavazo was a breath of fresh air, as was Robbie Crane. They genuinely seemed to appreciate the chance to carry the flag. If only the actual members were as gracious when it comes to their legacy and their fans.