Dee Snider ~ Leave A Scar (album review) ... Some of his best lyrics!

Style: heavy metal, power metal
Label: Napalm
Year: 2021
Home: New York City, New York

Members: Dee Snider ~ vocals
Charlie Bellmore, Nick Petrino ~ guitars
Nick Bellmore ~ drums
Russell Pzütto ~ bass
Charlie Bellmore, Christopher Beaudette, Howard Jones, Jamey Jasta ~ b. vocals

Guest: Corpsegrinder ~ vocals

Dee's 66 year old voice has really not changed. He's as much a powerhouse as ever. He likely knows this & demonstrates by opening the album with a big scream. The man also has as much energy as his younger make-up'd self. Dee is a living legend, not just for his breakthrough MTV moment, or the classic songs by Twisted Sister, nor the make-up, but for the energy he continues to have & for never resting on his haunches. The man is always moving forward & is inspirational. He's one of the few musicians I likely would be completely numb meeting. I remember seeing him appear on an episode of Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares" & I just about cried when he entered on his motorbike. That's how high I put him. This album is Dee turned up all the way to 11 & more. He has not let us down. I particularly love the lyrics on this album. They might be some of his best, & I don't casually say that. "It's that time again / did you think it would end? ... Gonna ride until I'm done / as long as I'm breathing" from "I Gotta Rock (Again)" is the anthem of an older rocker that any aging rock star might write, but you feel its from the gut when he sings it. He also sings it like its his last song ever & he's going out in flames ... twisting flames, of course. He also speaks to the feelings of the moment without referencing 2020/2021 explicitly & the depression so many are facing. He instead tells everyone to go after their dreams, being optimistic like nobody's business, really telling folks to reach in & pull something out & do something in their life. I wish more musicians sang songs like this, over x loves y, x fucks y. "You think the world is against you / you never had a chance / the bastards won't let you through ... reach beyond / you're always reaching / you're not done" he sings in "Down But Never Out". "What is your life / choose a path / decide what you will do / anger & strife / won't get you where you need ... All of the things you need / are inside you ... The rules are there for breaking" in "All Or Nothing More." From a guy who has seen some wicked lows, a career that has gone seriously up & equally down, it doesn't feel cliche but straight from the heart as he knows it & has experienced it. Also, having read his autobio & seen interviews with him, I get the feeling the guy might be one of the most optimistic folks in rock. Also, he speaks of individuality so much on this album, its a bit shocking. Its almost the same feeling when Lady Gaga sings to her little monsters in "Born This Way". Just do it, be yourself, be true to yourself. "You've given me a reason / to tell it like it is / its open season / I aim & don't list / no hidden meanings / my words are meant to burn ... You must have thought I was someone else / I don't give a shit about your love of self" in "Open Season." I don't know what inspired these songs, but there's a real emotional angst through the album that just grabs you. Maybe they aren't based on his own experiences, just the world he's seeing on the news, which might be the case listening to "Silent Battles" that seems to imply the heated temperature in America today, but dang, he's a great writer. Yet, based on my musical tastes, I have a problem with this album & its the same problem I had with his last album: the music. Every song sounds largely the same & its all heavy face pounding riffs that never leave homebase very much. One song sounds like another musically. If it wasn't for the vocals I think they seriously would just mesh together. There's no real melody that sticks with you, or what there is is thanks to Dee. Hooks are minimal. I miss the dynamics of Sister, or even Widowmaker, where years later I don't forget those songs. The music here has no real personality & could be any band out there, just playing as fast as possible. This is what I felt with the last album. While Dee is singing his heart out, I actually got bored musically pretty fast into the 12 songs. So, while these might be some of his best lyrics, I actually don't want to listen to the album to many more times due to the music. Oh, another solo with no real feel. Oh, another chunky riff that sounds so much like the last song. Oh, some more double bass. Double bass is used far too much far too often. See my reviews of Black Tongue for a band that uses double bass extremely well. I get the feeling Dee is trying to sound like what is on the radio, but I walk away feeling like I've heard everything before. Also, the screaming background vocals I could have done with out, as I'm reminded of all the music I particularly don't like. So, I'll keep the lyrics, you can have the guitars. Actually, I'll take an a cappella version of the album.

Taylor Dayne ~ Soul Dancing (album review) ... Tell it to my heart one more time!

Style: dance pop
Label: Arista
Year: 1992
Home: n/a

Members: Taylor Dayne ~ lead vocals

Additional: Keith Washington ~ lead vocals
Shep Pettibone, Tony Shimkin ~ keyboards/programming
David Cole, Rich Tancredi, Tommy Faragher ~ keyboards
Peter Schwartz, Louis "Kingpin" Biancainello ~ keyboards/programming
James Alfano, Ricky Crespo, Richie Jones ~ programming
T.M. Stevens, Neil Stubenhaus ~ bass
Al Pitrelli, Bob Cadway, Chuck Loeb, Michael Landau ~ guitars
David Foster ~ acoustic piano
Mark Russo, Richie Cannata, Charlie DeChant ~ saxophone
Joe Franco ~ drums
Bashiri Johnson, Babe Pace ~ percussion
Narada Michael Walden, Robert Clivilles ~ drums/percussion
Joe Lynn Turner, Tony Harnell, Warren Wiebe, Audrey Wheeler, Cindy Mizelle, Paulette McWilliams, Joe Turano, Karen Anderson, Monique Sorel, Eddie Stockley, Kenny Bobien, Lotti Golden, Jeanie Tracy, Kitty Beethoven, Nikita Germaine, Skyler Jett, Tony Lindsay, Claytoven Richardson ~ b. vocals

When Shep Pettibone is one of the producers on an album you know a couple things: it's gonna be radio friendly with a bunch of slick arrangements, dancefloor friendly & it's gonna be lots of synth instruments ... but, it's also going to be good! TD's third album saw her coming down from a big chart-topping high, something she'd not be able to rekindle, but that doesn't mean this album should be ignored or lost. It's lack of chart success compared to what came before might dink its reputation more than it should. With a mix of Pettibone electronic synth backgrounds & a few other producers such as Rik Wake and Civiles & Cole, aka C+C Music Factory, bringing in real instruments ... including drummer Joe Franco of Twisted Sister, T.M. Stevens, Joe Lynn Turner of Rainbow, Tony Harnell of TNT & Al Pitrelli of Alice Cooper, all in session mode for two tracks ... TD has crafted a pop album but not a plastic album. Though, its musically interesting. It doesn't have the extreme fast beats & pop keyboards that lace through her debut "Tell It To My Heart" but also doesn't have the rock edge that was tucked into her second album. It sounds more mature, still dance floor oriented but more a slow dancing than a crazy twist out. In some ways it feels like she's trying to rediscover herself for the easy listening charts in the 1992 world of grunge, or maybe trying to come more into herself as a singer, finding her own voice away from the flash. Removing some of the pop in your face feeling the ballads here might show her at a high that compares to anything before & definitely after. She's able to emotionally express herself with great skill & listenability against soft arrangements that don't overpower the ears or the feet (ie. "I'll Wait", "Send Me A Lover", "Dance With A Stranger", "Memories"). The music is a bit more generic than not, but the key is all in her distinctive voice. TD was certainly a smoky bar jazz singer in another life with a voice that always sounded older ... though here her age has caught up with her. She also uses the nuances of her voice here without becoming a Aquilera or Carey technique whore (for example, "I'll Wait"). She was one of the 80's pop dance girls with Tiffany & Debbie Gibson, much never sounded young or naïve like them & would soon find herself in the better class of Lisa Stansfield who also included R&B elements in her music. TD should really have an easy listening audience, not the teenybopper audience she had, but for some reason that was just out of grasp. She's got the voice to do so much more than what her albums offer in the end. TD would release another album in 1998 only to fade out of music & into other things including acting. A comeback album would appear in 2008 aptly titled Satisfied & one will be satisfied checking it out ... or, for that matter, any of her albums.

Kathy Troccoli ~ Pure Attraction (album review) ... Everything changes!

Style: Christian, pop
Label: Reunion Records
Year: 1991
Home: n/a

Members: Kathy Troccoli ~ vocals
Rich Tancredi ~ keyboards
Joe Franco ~ drums
Mark Russell ~ bass
Richie Cannata ~ saxophone
Al Pitrelli, Bob Cadway ~ guitar
Jim Hobson ~ drum programming
Tony Harnell, Joe Lynn Turner, Billy T. Scott, Brenda White King, Mary Davis, Tina Stanford ~ b. vocals

This is commercial pop rock with a real sense of passion, something missing from so many of KT's peers. It's a vocal album with a backbeat that pushes one to not so much dance but instead sing along with as much emotion as possible. It‘s easy to forget that rock can really be this tender. It doesn‘t hurt to have Diane Warren‘s always beautiful pen in the mix. Yes, it's by a renown Christian artist. But, KT is not singing Jesus this & Jesus that, or campfire church songs, which is how a lot of people mistakenly label Christian music, alienating themselves with stereotypes from great music. These are songs of passion, life & the heart. KT calls them Christian songs. Other bands might just call them love ballads ... KT is no more religious than Metallica in the end. As it is, a few songs are penned by the non-Christian artist Warren, who should be as iconized as much as Bernie Taupin or Jim Steinman having written chart-topping ballads recorded by Cher (i.e. "If I Could turn Back Time", "Just Like Jesse James"), Milli Vanilli (i.e. "Blame It On The Rain"), Aerosmith (i.e. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"), Michael Bolton (i.e. "How Can We Be Lovers"), Meat Loaf (i.e. "I'd Lie For You (& That's The Truth)"), Bad English (i.e. "When I See You Smile"), to name only a few. Right there one knows the material is strong, while KT's own pen brings out equal delight. With her strong voice, different than many female singers with a more husky tone that's often been criticized or equated to jazz not pop, the weaknesses of the album are risen over. Yes, there is a weakness in the album, but its one obvious only through hindsight, as at the time the album was considered her strongest. The music is flooded with a now dated Michael Bolton-esque reliance on synthesizers. Though, ironically, of note on the recording is Twisted Sister drummer Joe Franco, Megadeth guitarist Al Pitrelli & Shakira bassist Mark Russell, all who would soon join Dee Snider for two albums in the hard rocking Widowmaker, plus Beach Boys sax player Richie Cannato & backing vocalists Joe Lynn Turner of Rainbow & Tony Harnell of TNT. The troupe was led by producer Ric Wake & award-winning keyboardist Rich Tandredi, who helmed the same group, san Pitrelli, in crafting "Tell It To My Heart" for Taylor Dayne. It's no accident that the successful Dayne session group was recruited by KT. She was a backing vocalist on the album. Wake & company would appear on numerous albums throughout 1990 & 1991. Their inclusions would always be the only rock moments in heavily synthesized albums, making it a bit odd that the synthesizer would play such a prominent part here where they'd finally get a chance to do more than a track or two. Pitrelli gets a two bar solo in one song that's nearly lost & plays some rhythms tucked in the mix. The real highlight is Franco who drives the album with a strong beat, far more enjoyable than the electronic drums chosen by so many of KT's peers at this time. For those not familiar with Troccoli besides being a musician she's also an author & lecturer. She also auditioned for the role of Eva Peron for the film version of Broadway’s Evita. She was obviously beaten by Madonna, but not before three call-back auditions. Pure Attraction was Troccoli’s first album to wield a mainstream chart hit with the single "Everything Changes", peaking at 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, & marking a comeback after five years out of music.

Donny Osmond ~ Eyes Don't Lie (album review) ... But, the music tells a different story!

Style: pop, dance
Label: Capitol
Year: 1990
Home: Utah

Members: Donny Osmond ~ vocals
Carl Sturken ~ guitars/keyboards
John Nevin ~ bass
David Gamson ~ keyboards/drum programming

Additional: Bruce Dukov, Debra Price, Arnold Belnick, Isabelle Daskoff, Joel Derouin, Henry Ferber, Reg Hill, Brian Leonard, Gordon Marron, Don Palmer, Haim Shtrum, Bob Sushel, Mari Tsumura, Shari Zippert ~ violins
Fred Seykora, Ron Cooper, Larry Corbett, Ernie Ehrhradt, Dennis Karmazyn, Suzie Katayama ~ cello
Sam Boghossian, Ken Burward-Hoy, Myra Kestenbaum, Dan Neufeld ~ viola
Guests: Dave Koz, Michael Brecker ~ saxophone
Al Pitrelli ~ rhythm guitar
Rory James Collen, Paul Jackson Jr. ~ guitar
Paulinho da Costa ~ percussion
DJ Aladdin ~ scratching
Cornelius Mims ~ bass
Oliver Leiber ~ drum programming
Rich Tancredi ~ keyboards
Joe Franco ~ drums
Billy T. Scott, Jamillah Muhammed, Shelly Peiken ~ b. vocals

 

Once teen idol DO really needs no introduction. Though, anyone that might hear this album will certainly be looking for one ... if not at least an explanation. Imagine Rick Springfield or New Kids On The Block pop meeting a white boy's take on Quincy Jones or Prince-esque funk with all the electronic drums, light R&B backing vocals & splashes of keyboards. This may not be what you'd expect from boy scout DO, but its what he turned out in his only studio album in the 90's. The result is a pop album with a weak dance beat & a "syrupy" manner, as many critics have labeled it. A few guitars are thrown in with good measure, but its primarily a synthesizer affair. The result sounds as alien to the vision & music of DO as heavy metal jazz was to Pat Boone. The difference is Boone turned in something masterful. This is just cliched through the roof, shallow through the floor & as alien as Mars. Surprisingly, it's not the music that's the problem with this album. It sounds like DO was copying what he had in his music collection & he copies well. The George Michael-esque "Private Affair" is a lovely little ballad, written by Diane Warren, maybe the strongest track on the album, while some of the funky Prince-esque moments (i.e. "Eyes Don't Lie", "Sure Lookin'") aren't that bad. The problem is that since debuting on TV at age five, DO never really had a sound of his own. He's trying to find one here, but while all the little beats, funky lines & keyboard moments might be in their proper place the music never really rises to any climactic moment or to anything beyond imitation & DO's voice never soars to carry the album higher. This followed his 1989 self-titled release, his only album for that decade, that was a deliberately planned comeback co-engineered by Peter Gabriel. It spawned two singles that were originally marketed by a "mystery artist". The Osmond name & 70's tv star image had come to haunt DO & being broke & weary he was desperate to basically start over. The idea was to remove his reputation from his career. Thus, we return to the problem for Eyes Don't Lie & the 90's DO. He has no place to go without starting from scratch. He's not like Alice Cooper who abandoned the make-up of Killer Alice in the late 70's & 80's to find a new character & voice, only to return to what he did well with Killer Alice. DO can't return to the teen pop star nor The Osmond family singing troupe. He's now stuck in the predicament of all imitators. He may have written all but two songs, but the material isn't strong & the musical team on hand isn't pushing him to do anything individual, original or more than sub-par interesting. While an album full of day dreaming romance love songs isn't exactly showing DO at his most personal, considering his Mormon upbringing & getting & staying married to a youthful sweetheart. Today, the album reak of a world dominated by New Kids On The Block & sounds more dated then ever. At the time though, thinking back, one can see that it's not really an embarrassment. It fits its era, or at least one end of the spectrum. Of note is that the track "Just Between You & Me" was produced by Ric Wake & engineered by Bob Cadway with drums by Joe Franco, keyboards by Rich Tancredi & rhythm guitar by Al Pitrelli. Or, more properly that's Joe Franco of Twisted Sister & Al Pitrelli of Megadeth/Trans-Siberian Orchestra, here both during their session days. Tancredi & Franco are also on "Private Affair". But, all of the above names would also be found the same year on Kathy Troccoli's Pure Attraction, Expose's self-titled album & Henry Lee Summer's Way Past Midnight, while all but Al would be involved with creating Taylor Dayne's signature song "Tell It To My Heart" & her later album Soul Dancing. Producer Ric Wake was known for using the same set of musicians once a groove was found ... or a hit. Further, guest bassist on one track Cornelius Mims also did drum programming for Quincy Jones on Michael Jackson's Bad, while some drum programming here was done by Oliver Leiber who had produced Paula Abdul's debut & written some of the material. It certainly looks like DO was checking out the linear notes of the songs he liked in his collection & who played on them. The linear notes read "My sincere appreciation to everyone at radio, retail & the press for accepting a change." It can be said that whatever chart position this album didn't hit, his next act would be to spend six years starring in Broadway's Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat & the later movie. That's a real comeback.

Henry Lee Summer ~ Way Past Midnight (album review) ... Way past commercially slick for its own good!

Style: country rock, hard rock
Label: Epic Records
Year: 1991
Home: Indiana

Members: Henry Lee Summer ~ vocals/rhy guitar/keyboards/bass
Tim Pierce, Tony Bowles ~ guitar
Kenny Aronoff ~ drums
John Pierce ~ bass
John Cascella ~ sax/keyboards
Doug Sizemore ~ keyboards

Additional: Danny Miranda, Gene Boccia, Toby Myers ~ bass
Rich Tancredi ~ keyboards
Michael Organ ~ drums
Kenny Greenberg, Danny Torrell, Michael Landau ~ guitar
Kim Fleming, Vicki Hampton, Micky Thomas, John Batdorf, Myrna Matthews, Maxine Waters, Julia Water-Tillman, Joe Turano, Chris Rodriguez, Shaun Murphy, Terry Wood, Jean McClain ~ b. vocals

Guests: Joe Walsh, Al Pitrelli ~ guitar
Robbie Buchanan ~ keyboards
Joe Franco ~ drums
Michael Bolton, Stan Bush ~ b. vocals

There's a growing trend amongst musicians who either charge out the door with a modest hit or are seeking one ... & happen to be unlucky enough to know an L.A. producer ... they become incredibly more commercial & over-produced which kills their individuality along with their career in the eyes of many fans. This is particularly the case of acoustic focused rockers, such as Cheryl Crow, Jewel & Keb Mo' who all started as rough coffee house-esque folk rockers like nobody had seen only to be glossed up & lacking future hits. The third album with Epic Records found Mellencamp-esque heartland rocker Henry Lee Summer, famous for his mullet & his 1987 hit "Wish I Had A Girl" following the commercial route to find a bigger audience & in the process becoming less heartland, less HLS & more bland FM friendly rock. Way Past Midnight was essentially the beginning of the end for HLS who'd fall into heavy drug addiction & a complete collapse of his career for many years. Once described as having a "sandpaper voice" & the "homeless man's John Mellencamp" HLS always had a particular at ease passion in his music that made up for his lack of originality. He was always best with homespun ballads with the commercial gloss usually being his weakest moments ... given the poor response to Way Past Midnight the logic behind this observation becomes quickly obvious. It's one thing to sound like John Mellencamp but it's another to sound like Michael Bolton but without the soft croon. But, that's the transition that's occurred here ... considering the album opens up with a song HLS co-wrote with Michael Bolton. The clichéd outcome isn't so bad but it's a false high followed by a series of songs demonstrating that Bolton-esque keyboards don't always gel with sandpaper. Many of the songs (i.e. "I Don't Want To Live This Lie", "So Desperately", "Little By Little") end up becoming unrecognizable as part of the HLS catalog. They might be lyrically perfect for HLS but are transformed into sappy overproduced commercial songs. But, for those who can stick through half the album the 'side B' reverts back to the traditional HLS sound with "Anytime For You," "Medicine Man" & "Turn It Up", though none have the memorable flare of "I Wish I Had A Girl". Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around & Fell In Love" & the Rolling Stones Exile-esque "I've Got The Fire" are the two best tracks on the album, though few will have the patience to listen that far. On the album are guest guitarists Joe Walsh of the Eagles & Al Pitrelli of Alice Coooper/Megadeth, drummer Joe Franco of Twisted Sister, bassist Danny Miranda of Paul Rodgers & a reunited Queen, plus members of John Mellencamp's band & Los Lobos.

Sin-Atra (album review) ... A good try, but full of sin!

Style: heavy metal
Label: Armoury Records
Year: 2011
Home: n/a

Members: Bob Kulick ~ guitars/b. vocals
Brett Chassen ~ drums/b. vocals
Billy Sheehan ~ bass
Doug Katsaros ~ keyboards

Additional: Andrea Becker ~ b. vocals

Guests: Ritchie Kotzen ~ guitar
Devin Townsend, Glenn Hughes, Geoff Tate, Dee Snider, Tim “Ripper” Owens, Robin Zander, Eric Martin, Joey Belladonna, Franky Perez, dUg Pinnick, Elias Soriano, Jani Lane ~ vocals

Guitarist Bob Kulick, brother of Kiss's Bruce Kulick, has created a second career producing an ongoing series of cover/tribute albums, such as for Metallica & Aerosmith, featuring many of his musical friends in unusual one-time only line-ups. The talent has never been less than top rate though the results have been mixed. In previous efforts Kulick as set up a different band for each song making every song star-studded & unique, but in his newest tribute executive producer duties have been handed over to others, including Ronnie James Dio widow Wendy Dio, allowing him to front a band that is featured on every track with only the vocalist changing on each song. With a single band the sound is much more even from song to song than on past albums, which often ended up feeling like compilations with some line-ups stronger than others, but at the same time having a single band removes some of the unexpected diversity that previous tribute albums offered. Here each song is the same distorted guitar chugging. Even the inclusion of keyboard created horns, however odd at times, doesn't really make much of an impact though it's an interesting inclusion & when songs do stand out for their arrangements its often due to this inclusion. Sadly, the great Billy Sheehan is on bass but there's not much space given over to him to play in the upfront quasi-lead style he's known for, let alone giving the arrangements any breathing room. The songs themselves are untouchable classics, so essentially, the success of Sin-Atra lies wholly with the arrangements & singers. The vocalists, culled from the metal world, are under particular scrutiny as they are all performing in a musical style & with a band that doesn't match their known styles/bands. At times the result almost feels like an audition recording where everyone is straining to let their musical personality shine in the best way. Sadly, it's quickly noticeable who is straining, who has the pipes & who doesn't & who should stay within their usual musical context because their weaknesses become incredibly obvious. Not every voice is suited to every musical context, though one might want to think otherwise to be fair. Highlights include Devin Townsend of Strapping Young Lad (i.e. "New York, New York"), Eric Martin of Mr. Big (i.e. "Lady Is A Tramp"), Tim "Ripper" Owens of Judas Priest/Iced Earth ("Witchcraft") & Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple (i.e. "I’ve Got You Under My Skin"). The lesser known Franky Perez of Scars On Broadway puts in a real highlight with "High Hopes", probably because the album itself is a bit of a joke & Perez is one of the few to not take his rendition too seriously. More of the songs should have been treated with the same attitude & the highlights would have outweighed the lows. The worst songs suffer from over-the-top singing &/or poor arrangements, witnessed in "It Was A Very Good Year" with Dee Snider of Twisted Sister that sounds uncannily like an industrial version of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir". What might have made this better would be more melodic arrangements offering something behind the singers outside of just a rush of chords & muddy riffs. The album also features "Fly Me To The Moon" with Robin Zander of Cheap Trick, "Love & Marriage" with Elias Soriano of Nonpoint, "Strangers In The Night" with Joey Belladonna of Anthrax, "Summerwind" with Geoff Tate of Queensrÿche, "I’ve Got The World On A String" with dUg Pinnick of King’s X & "That’s Life" with Jani Lane of Warrant & the one outside guitar solo with Ritchie Kotzen of Poison/Mr. Big. Thankfully, no sign of "My Way". If you're a Sinatra fan will you like this? Probably not. Metal fan? You'll love the playing which is good if not always interesting & if your favorite singer is here - probably, though you may also find yourself laughing ... but, kudos to Bob & company for at least trying.

Twisted Sister ~ Still Hungry (album review) ... Yet, never thirsty!

Style: glam, hard rock, shock rock
Label: Spitfire
Year: 2004
Home: New York City

Members: Dee Snider ~ vocals
Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda, Jay Jay French ~ guitars
Mark "The Animal" Mendoza ~ bass
A. J. Pero ~ drums

 

 

   When I was first in school, while mom was getting ready to walk me, I would spin 45s on my little plastic record player ... which was often the first thing I did getting home. My small collection included Hall & Oates, George Harrison, Whitney Houston, We Are The World & Twisted Sister. Which one of these seems out of place? Later I got the full length "Still Hungry" by Twisted Sister, considered the climax of their output & I can't count the number of times I've listened to it ... & sang along to every word. Over the years the album has always stood up well. It's heavy, in a pre-death metal way & doesn't fall into the now dated sounding power ballad trap that later hair bands are plagued with. This is a must album for any metal collection. By the time my family got cable & thus MTV Twisted Sister was already out of the scene, so my primary approach to them has always been the music. This is probably a good thing, because you don't necessarily expect good music from a band that looks like clowns gone bad. Twenty years after "Still Hungry" was relegated to 'classic 80's discount bin' status, a reunited Sister went into the studio & re-recorded it nearly note-for-note. They also said that the original album was too glossy for their tastes, so taking advantage of new technology & musical trends they re-recorded the album (to quote allmusic.com) "to improve upon perfection." These are pretty much the same arrangements. On initial listen it might just sound like a remastered version, but there are slight differences that come out if you truly compare it to the original. It is heavier & darker, while the solos are a bit Slash-inspired & Dee's voice has changed so he doesn't hit the high notes like he did. It's still a great album, but it reminds me of the Cream reunion at the Royal Albert Hall some years ago. Cream was great because they were musically a little rough & unpredictable, so when all the musicians reunited & showed they were better musicians 30 years later, it didn't improve the music. It just made all the songs sound more slick & less drug-inspired & raw. "Still Hungry" is supposed to sound better but I really don't see the improvement & can only wonder if this was done to help revive the T.S. franchise & Dee's music career. If you haven't heard TS this album is the best of their output & this version won't put you off, if you're an original fan this is a nostalgia trip & not necessary to get. The album includes 7 bonus tracks of material written for the original album but never recorded which are in some ways better then the 9 songs that proceed them as they sound like TS today & not TS trying to sound like yesterday. This is the reunion TS we want to hear, tucked away in obscurity. "Sgt. Pepper" is considered a pivotal album & a classic, I wonder if the remaining two Beatles have plans to re-record it? They haven't had a hit in years, maybe it's time. It's can't hurt, though it would probably be better to just make some new music.