Style: hard rock
Label: Atlantic
Year: 1990
Home: Los Angeles, California
Members: Stephen Pearcy ~ vocals
Robbin Crosby ~ rhythm guitars/b. vocals
Warren DeMartini ~ lead guitars/b. vocals
Juan Croucier ~ bass/b. vocals
Bobby Blotzer ~ drums
Additional: Guests: Jon Bon Jovi ~ b. vocals
Michael Schenker ~ guitar
Myriam Valle, Desmond Child ~ b. vocals
Steve Deutsch ~ samples/programming
David Garfield ~ keyboards
If you're not tired of Ratt by the time you get to their fifth album, Detonator, weren't put off bored by the lackluster hits & filler on its predecessor Reach For The Sky, then this will likely be a great listen. Personally, I think it might be one of their best albums, & its criticisms are unmerited. Its one I often come back to. As much as their debut actually. Its chock full of hits, some of their best in my ears, to the point where its nothing but hits to me. I don't mean hits that are good songs but forgettable, like Reach For The Sky had, but stuff that stands up with no embarassment alongside "Round & Round." Proof is that the songs here continue to be crowd pleasers. I say that having seen Ratt in 2019. Detonator has a slightly heavier feel than earlier releases, or more glam-like depending on one's view, but essentially is pretty much the same thing Ratt has always done. They came out the door with a sound & never went far from it. Growth by them is measured in minor ways rather than in huge creative jumps. Even AC/DC has more musical changes over albums than Ratt. They just got better at playing what they always played & never promised many surprises. Though, "Given Yourself Away" comes out of nowhere with Pearcy singing in a baritone. Its good, but power ballads are really not Ratt's thing. Its sounds out of place, though its a good song. You either like Ratt or don't. If you don't, then getting this far in their catalog will be painful. On the other hand, if you don't know Ratt & just want to hear or sample their best albums, I would put this album on that short list without hesitance. I don't give it that position because the band have necessarily become better musicians or better composers, but Warren DiMartino shines behind the guitar on this. Parts of this album might be called guitar porn. Though, to be fair, there are moments when these songs might sound like other songs you've heard from them. While, like always, Pearcy has nothing to say as a lyricist. Bringing in songwriter Desmond Child for everything but an instrumental introduction to "Shame, Shame, Shame" doesn't help change that. He writes memorable songs, but not emotional or personal ones. While Child's thumb print is clearly on "Given Yourself Away" which sounds more like him than the band, a common accusation of his writing where the bands mold themselves to him versus him to them. It would be seven years before they released an album after this. The music scene would be irrevocably changed by grunge, women singer/songwriters & hip-hop, while the band would lose two members. For me, this is a final nice hurrah of the original run of Ratt. They bow out with a high doing what they do best.
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