Saturday
Apr102021
New One To Me: Julliet
Saturday, April 10, 2021 at 05:00PM
I swear I have never heard of Julliet before, but I came across them mentioned on the Hair Metal subreddit the other day. Apparently the band was signed to Enigma and released a self-titled album. I am truly baffled I have never heard of these guys before - or if I have, they did not stick with me. There is not a ton of info about them online, but all the comments I came across were pretty darn positive. A couple tracks follow:
"Eight Lives Gone"
"No More Tears"
Reader Comments (8)
With Julliet, it seems that timing was also a factor. 1990 was a rough year to put out AOR-tinged metal/rock (even a promo-sampler with the great title, _A Lick of Julliet_!), even if they formed five years prior. Tides (and times) they were a-changing. And not sure if having DuBrow helping you was a credit or a debit on their chances. I would love to hear stories about that.
Cool that 'McGee is still doing his thing. And also cool that Pecka was involved in those early Dokken days. Would love to hear his stories as well!
Thanks for sharing, Allyson.
I’ve got 2 copies of Julliet’s eponymously self-titled major label debut CD, one still sealed, and a copy of their posthumously released (by that I mean, it was finally put out decades after they broke up) first album, “Passion”, which was shelved when they couldn’t get signed with it.
As HIM points out, the latter is notable for Kevin DuBrow’s involvement as he worked closely with them in the beginning as a producer. One has to wonder if DuBrow was a help or a hindrance, considering his DuBious (see what I did there?) reputation in the L.A. record company orbit, regardless of his multi-platinum success with Quiet Riot.
The former is notable because it’s the better of the two, not to belittle “Passion”, by any means, as that album contains quite a few good songs.
But it is the self-titled “debut” on Enigma label that is the hidden gem in the Rock pile of very late 80’s (okay, it came out in 1990) Hair Metal - ahem, cough, cough - excuse me, I mean, 80’s Style Hard Rock.
Slickly produce and flawlessly performed, most notably demonstrated in the distinctly excellent vocals of Kenny McGee, the album is a solid example of one of the last stands of chrome sheened L.A. Glam Metal with a hefty dose of AOR thrown in. And while some like to always note, this style of music may have been in it’s death throes by 1990, let us not forget, that’s the year “Dr. Feelgood” was released.
The album’s got it all from hard rockers to de rigueur of the day power ballads. The only chink in the armour is their potentially cringeworthy (it is for me) rendition of Randy Newman’s “You Can Leave Your Hat On” (made popular by Joe Cocker) unless you consider a horn section “Metal” simply because that’s what the instruments are made of.
It would be interesting to know the story of how the h*ll this song AND those damned horns made it on this album. Can someone say, “executive decision”?
That aside, “Julliet” is a sugar coated Pop Metal confection that’s pure ear candy to those who wish to Bring Back Glam! like we do!
p.s. A VG+ / Mint copy of the original Enigma press of “Julliet” from 1990 trades on Ebay for an average around $55.
BBG! Forever!
As I have said before, I think a BBG! gathering of the tribe would be lovely, post-pandemic. But, Metaboy!, you still have to win the lottery so you can purchase that Metal Tank/Tour Bus you once talked about. We would all arrive off-site . . . but arrive in splendid fashion!