Enough Already! Cover Album Cop Out

I admit it! I am tired of the "album of cover songs" trend that bands have established over the past few years. Vince Neil's latest Tattoos & Tequila is just the most recent example of this, but off the top of my head, there is also Poison's Poison'd, Def Leppard's Yeah!, (Phil Lewis') L.A. Guns put out both Rips the Covers Off and Covered in Guns, and Stryper and Pretty Boy Floyd have both announced that their next efforts will be albums of cover songs. However, nothing tops the Kiss My Ass album put out by KISS a few years ago (an album that was simply other bands covering KISS classics...an example of KISS getting paid for doing next to nothing). In my opinion, a cover album is nothing more than a band taking a lazy approach to putting out a new product and it is always done under the guise of "paying tribute to the songs and music that influenced their careers."

Let's be honest...an album of covers is a cop out. The most difficult aspect of creating an album is removed from the equation, as there is no 'writing' involved. Now, this becomes a much more stream-lined approach to putting a product out. The bands simply have to walk into the studio and recreate works that others have already made famous. Sure, some artists will make some creative changes to the songs, but ultimately, the framework already exists. I am not against a band putting one or two cover songs on an album. In small doses, I think that it can definitely enhance an album. But, an entire album's worth of songs (or two in the case of L.A. Guns) not written by the band is just not something I am interested in, and I have to believe that overall, most fans agree with me. Sure, you may buy the album when it is released and you may initially think it is 'cool,' but after a month or so, do you really keep listening to it? How many of you listened to the Poison'd album this week? My guess is not many. Really, would you rather hear Grand Funk Railroad sing "We're An American Band" or Poison? To me the answer is clear, and that is most people want to hear songs performed by the bands that wrote them. In this regard, my hat goes off to RATT, who just put out an album of all original songs that were written in the true spirit of the songs that initially made them famous. They could have taken the easy route and recorded some classic rock songs, but instead they put some time and effort in and made an album that their fans will appreciate and enjoy. I will take Stephen Pearcy's goofy lyrics (i.e. "Rock steady/ your lost weekend/ I'm ready for big fun") over another re-recorded version of "Rock n Roll All Nite" any day.

So, what do you think? Are you sick of the cover album cop-out?

The Value of a Reunion

Not long ago, Warrant played a free show at a casino near my house, but it was Warrant without Jani singing. I did not attend, but did talk to someone who went and I was told it was maybe half-full, and the crowd just wasn’t into the show. Same venue a few months later, I went to see the Scrap Metal band (the Nelson Brothers, Mark Slaughter, etc.), and one of the special guests that night was Jani Lane. The place was packed that night, but Jani just didn’t get a big reaction from the crowd. I couldn't help but think of a possible third scenario: put Jani back in Warrant. Had this happened at the same venue, I have no doubt that the place would be packed and the crowd would be going crazy. This got me thinking about the value of reunion tours.

Bottom line is I really believe that reunion tours offer added value for two main reasons: (1) synergy (definition - The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects). Sebastian Bach solo is okay, Skid Row without Baz is passable, but put those two back together and the results are extraordinary. The sum of the individual members, when all working together, are greater than the individual parts; and (2) We want to be reminded of the time when 80s metal ruled the world. When I go see these bands, there definitely is a sense of nostalgia (whether they want to believe they are nostalgia acts or not). I want to hear the bands play the songs I love as I remember them. Reworking the songs and constantly changing band members simply reminds me of the fact that the times have changed, and when I am at these shows, I want to fool myself into thinking that the years have not passed.

My first concert ever was in 1988 and the line-up was Poison, Lita Ford and Britny Fox (during the Open Up and Say...Ahh! tour). But nowadays, if the same line-up was to come to town, the show would be a lot different. Until the recent announcement, Britny Fox would consist of only the original bass player from the band, and then some other replacement musicians, Lita Ford would be doing her new "Nine Inch Nails" type songs with husband Jim Gillette in tow. Then I’d be lucky if it was Poison, and not the Bret Michaels Band, and Bret would be surrounded by his Rock of Love girls and plugging his various reality television appearances and milking sympathy for all of his medical woes. It's just not the same...

I understand that as artists, bands need to continue to evolve and this will naturally include band members leaving and other various changes. In my humble opinion, nothing could possibly be better than seeing the original line-up of a long-standing band performing the songs you love live in 2010.

Lizzy Borden Rocks Small Crowd

Back on May 30, 2010, I finally had an opportunity to see one of my favorite artists from the 80s: the incomparable Lizzy Borden. Lizzy and Co. played a show at Club Hell in Providence, Rhode Island and the performance the band delivered was worth the wait. The songs, the musicianship and the stage show all impressed, and I left tired (at 2:00 a.m. with an 1.5 hour drive home ahead of me) but happy that I made the trip down for the show.

The show itself was poorly attended, probably due to the fact that it was on a Sunday night during a holiday weekend. At the most, I would say there were 100 people present for Lizzy's performance. However, what impressed me most about the band was their level of professionalism.

I play in a local band, and over the past few years, have played to my fair share of empty rooms and I can say firsthand that it is tough for the band to keep the energy up when the crowd is thin. I am certainly guilty of "phoning it in" on nights like these. Despite the fact that the club was not even 1/4 full, Lizzy and crew put full effort into their set.  The show was not compromised in the least, as we got the costumes, theatrics, blood and scantily clad "victims." Basically, it was an over-the-top show that met all expectations that I had walking in the door that night.

Perhaps this is the reason why Lizzy Borden is a national recording act and I am just in a local band (and it may have something to do with the difference in levels of talent as well...), but nonetheless, I give all of the credit in the world to that band and know that if I ever have the opportunity to see them live again, there is not a chance that I would miss that show.

My First ‘Metal’ Memory

Back in the day, MTV used to do a daily top ten show of videos at about the 5:00 hour, Monday through Friday. The videos were chosen by votes called in from viewers earlier in the day. I am sure most of the readers of this site remember those days, and probably even remember what the show was called. Odds are it was hosted by Adam Curry too!

I remember watching the videos one day with my older sister, who was already a fan of the Glam metal scene, and the RATT "I Want A Woman" video came on. I can still remember watching the video in awe of the band: the music, the stage show, everything. Then, at one point in the video, the camera cuts to a couple of girls holding up a homemade banner that read "Eat me, I’m cheese." My sister started laughing, but I didn’t get the joke. I asked her, "Is it because they are called RATT, and the sign says that they are cheese?" Her response was simply, "Someday you’ll get it."

Of course, eventually I got the joke, and to be honest, I still think it is funny as hell. I know RATT gets a lot of grief from fans about the Reach for the Sky and Detonator eras, but personally, those are my favorite albums by the band. Both of those albums take me back to the time when I first really discovered the music that, many years later, I still cannot stop listening to. Great stuff.

Who the Hell Am I?

My name is Brian, and I have the distinct honor of having been asked by Allyson to be a contributing writer to Bring Back Glam! So before submitting my first real post, I thought I’d take a brief moment to introduce myself. I am a 35-year-old married father of two that that lives in central Connecticut. I am also a huge fan of metal, of course including Glam.

By day, I am an attorney for an insurance group, and by night, I am the drummer of a relatively successful cover band (though we did write and record a few original songs), Jive Miguel. While we are presently on an extended break (perhaps permanent? who knows), we did have a great five year run.

Additionally, I have also been a contributing writer for DRUM! Magazine, and for several years, I contributed the monthly "Legal Eagles" column, as well as a few feature articles for the publication. I have to say, it never got old to me to see my name and picture in print in the same magazine as Tommy Lee.

So that’s me in a nutshell. I don’t claim to know any more or less than anyone else about metal or Glam, but I do have my own thoughts and opinions about this genre that we all love. Allyson is now providing me with a platform from which I can express those opinions. I am happy to be part of the BBG! family and you guys are now stuck with reading my opinions: please be kind!