I drove my neighbors nuts with Ratt – “Out Of The Cellar”


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It was the Summer of 1984, Ratt “Out Of The Cellar” was the Heavy Metal/Hair Metal album that took me and my neighborhood Metal buddies by storm. Yes, this is going to be a middle aged Metalhead reminiscing about 1980’s Heavy Metal, therefore, you have been forewarned. Now, back to Ratt – this album for me, is catchy, melodic, fun, groove laden, riff laden, party all night, good times, brand of Heavy Metal. In other words, I have always put Ratt “Out Of The Cellar” on the Heavy Metal pedestal. Hey, this is my personal preference. If you research and surf around the internet, well, you will find many positive reviews regarding this album and it’s significance to the total Heavy Metal genre of the 1980’s. This album did peak at #7 on the Billboard top 200 album chart in 1984. Stephen Pearcy on lead vocals, Warrn DeMartini & Robbin Crosby on guitar, Juan Croucier on bass guitar and Bobby Blotzer on drums were Ratt, circa 1984, the band that made me like Hair Metal.

Now here is why this great album drove my neighbors nuts, back in the Summer of 1984. You see, I did have quality neighbors next door, they were like family to me. The only thing about these neighbors that I did not dig was, they never, ever, invited me (or my family) over for their countless picnics or to swim in their pool. Other than that, I could honestly count on them for anything else, (except monetary handouts). So, I rebelled, I lashed out, I cranked up Ratt “Out Of The Cellar” so damn loud – every stinking day, of every hour I was home, that Summer of 1984. I would open my bedroom windows fully, then I strategically placed my stereo speakers on top of the window sills, aimed right at my neighbors. I made certain to do this especially when they had their daily picnic and swimming pool jamboree. The nervous looks I would get from my neighbors relatives, as they were gorging on picnic meats, was worth its weight in Metal gold. My neighbor who was the dad (God rest his soul), had the single loudest voice I have ever, even to this day, heard on a human being. He would bellow: “Turn that crap down or turn that crap off”. I turned it up LOUDER.

You see, I was really blessed to have had parents that accepted and liked Heavy Metal, (once I got into high school they realized they could not stop Metal, they could only accept and like it), plus they did not care in the least as to how loud I played my Metal. I would smell the sweet and tender aroma of the steaks cooking on the grill, hot dogs and hamburgers giving off the sensational smells as they cooked away, tantalizing me, making me hunger for an invitation to at least one lousy picnic next door. Dream on, so my only way of expressing my disbelief and let down was to blare my Ratt album as loud as the stereo system could tolerate. A sassy, stuck up, green turtle neck shirt wearing, niece of my neighbors was always at these daily backyard picnic spectacles. I forget her name now and she was my age, yet she acted like she was 55 years old in high school. This bothersome girl was unfortunately in a couple of classes with me in high school. One day, in the Fall of 1984, she turned to me and asked me why I played the same Ratt album over and over. She said: “I am so sick of that album, it is all you play”.  Well, because of that mindless comment and thoughtless attitude, when the Summer of 1985 came around, well, I introduced my neighbors to Mercyful Fate and Slayer. I did not hold back any longer. I turned it up a Metal notch. 

To this day, I enjoy immensely the “Out Of The Cellar” album from Ratt, it is not just due to it’s enormous Heavy Metal power that it instills in me, it is also due to it evoking such bizarre memories that make me laugh at myself.

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4 Responses to “I drove my neighbors nuts with Ratt – “Out Of The Cellar””

  1. Ha Ha! That is too funny bro.

    Well really those neighbors were all “closet RATT lovers”. You know they watched Milton Berle in their video on MTV and thought he was in the band or something!

    *I think you had a “secret” crush on that sassy, stuck up, green turtle neck shirt wearin chic-o-la-la!!! 😉

    Wait, what about the hottie RATT cover girl – Tawny Kitaen (supposedly a High School sweetheart of Crosby)?

    My old-age RATT story:

    I was High School when this came out and I played sports, so we listened to this in the locker rooms EVERY day for the longest time. Plus I must have recorded about 25 cassettes for all of my friends!

    I heard that RATT are back together (with Pearcy) and Carlos C. (ex-QUIET RIOT) is joing forces on guitar.

    *Demartini is a great guitarist still….

    Great post – brings back mucho memories for me too!

    Curt King
    Demolish Mag
    http://demolishmag.wordpress.com/

    • metalodyssey Says:

      Uh, nope, I could not ever give that turtle neck girl a tumble back then… again, she acted like she was 77 years old. However, I did have an eye out for her mom… she looked years younger than the darned daughter.

      I bought a Milton Berle autographed photo at an antique store, just this past year, for 7 bucks. He will have a Heavy Metal connection for eternity. So, upon purchasing this Uncle Milty autograph, the lady working the cash register was thrilled to talk to me about Milton… then I brought up the story about his appearance in a Ratt video… she abruptly ended the conversation, gave me a stare and just wanted her money. Very suspicious behavior she bestowed… I’m thinking she might belong to the PMRC.

  2. Great story, great band (probably my fav “hair metal” band) and great album.

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