Archive for September 19, 2009

TWISTED SISTER – “Love is for Suckers” has made a sucker out of me

Posted in 1980's hair metal bands, 1980's heavy metal albums, 1980's heavy metal hits, 1980's classic rock, 1980's hair metal music, 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's heavy metal songs, 1987 heavy metal music, Album Review, classic heavy metal, classic heavy metal albums, collecting music, cool album covers, essential heavy metal albums, essential heavy metal songs, feel good stories, hair metal music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal album review, heavy metal albums, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal music, Heavy Metal Reviews, heavy metal vocalists, Metal, metal odyssey, Music, old school heavy metal, rock and roll, rock music, vintage heavy metal albums, vintage heavy metal bands, vintage heavy metal songs with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 19, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

Twisted Sister "Love is for Suckers" small picTwisted Sister – Love Is For Suckers was released on August 13, 1987, on Atlantic Records. Back then, as a Metal fan, I was totally engulfed with Thrash and Speed Metal. To make a Metal confession, I never bought this Twisted Sister album, after owning their first four albums. I was not overly impressed with Come Out And Play, (released in 1985), I guess the first three Twisted Sister albums really spoiled me. So, I took in whatever songs MTV or the FM stations were playing from Love Is For Suckers. Seeing the video for Hot Love and hearing it played on FM radio very frequently, back in 1987-1988 was, I thought, the coolest extent of this album. I always liked Hot Love, this song reminds me of some cool times back in 1987-88… and there isn’t anything wrong with that. Hot Love is upbeat and (gasp), commercially catchy in it’s unique Heavy Metal way. A few years ago, I bought Twisted Sister’s Big Hits and Nasty Cuts: The Best of Twisted Sister, it contains several cool live bonus tracks that enticed me… unreal great songs at that. The Metal kicker here, is that there are no songs from Love is for Suckers on this Best of album… I smell controversy. Therefore, my continuation of never hearing more than Hot Love from Love is for Suckers continued… Fast forward to September 18, 2009… Twisted Sister – Love is for Suckers has for all Metal intents and purposes, made a sucker out of me.

Understand, that I could never financially afford or find the time to listen to every Heavy Metal and Hard Rock album that has been created in the last forty years. For me, that is impossible, I would have to be able to do nothing at all but listen to Heavy Metal/Hard Rock every hour, around the clock, with an endless flow of cash available to buy every album out there. Step in my best buddy Scott… a copy of Love is for Suckers arrived in my mail today, thank you Scott. This album was just an unfortunate victim of being overlooked by me for over two decades… today I repent this Heavy Metal error and I am a better Metalhead for it. I now hereby declare, that Love is for Suckers is incredibly better than Come Out And Play, in my Metal opinion. Plus, all of the professionally paid Rock critics who have bashed and trashed this great album over the years should be embarrassed for never listening to it in the first place.

My favorite song is the album opener – Wake Up (The Sleeping Giant), not to sound like a lame television talent show judge here… Dee Snider on vocals is not just powerful, he is electrifying, in my Metal opinion. Whoa, do I wish I listened to this album years ago. I honestly will put this song at the top of my favorite list for Twisted Sister songs and Heavy Metal songs period. Me and the Boys and Yeah Right are two other stand out songs for me as well. Suffice to admit, there is not one song on Love is for Suckers that I would fast forward through ever. A wise Metalhead once told me… great Metal comes to those Metalheads who wait. Well, this Metalhead unbelievably waited twenty two years to finally listen to Love is for Suckers in it’s entirety. I’m sure Dee Snider will forgive me. I am Metal thankful to my best buddy Scott for making me realize… I am a sucker for Love is for Suckers after all.

Twisted Sister as they appeared on Love is for Suckers:

Dee Snider – lead vocals

Eddie “Fingers” Ojeda – lead guitar

Jay Jay French – rhythm guitar, backing vocals

Mark “The Animal” Mendoza – bass, backing vocals

Joe Franco – drums, percussion (credited as Joey “Seven” Franco)

* Obviously, the legendary A.J. Pero was not the drummer on Love is for Suckers.

* Kip Winger supplies backing vocals on Love is for Suckers… cool.

Twisted Sister "Love is for Suckers" large pic


My Heavy Metal Favorites List – Part 1

Posted in 1960's acid rock music, 1960's classic rock music, 1960's rock music, 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's metal music, bigfoot mystery, classic heavy metal, classic rock, classic rock music, everyday social experiences, favorite heavy metal topics, feel good stories, Heavy Metal, heavy metal favorites, heavy metal music, heavy metal television shows, hollywood comedians, hollywood stars, list of talking points, lists, Metal, metal odyssey, Motorhead, Music, old school heavy metal, Ozzy Osbourne, people, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music, thrash metal bands, thrash metal music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 19, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

MetalOdysseyI think about Heavy Metal a lot. I listen to Heavy Metal… a lot. I buy Heavy Metal Music… very often. (Alright, that is a down right lie, I buy Heavy Metal Music – constantly). When I refer to Heavy Metal, just to simplify things here, I am incorporating all the Metal Music Genres in one. Heavy Metal… all things Metal Music. As I sit around towards midnight on this, September 17th going on the 18th… many Heavy Metal thoughts have crossed my Metal mind. Heavy Metal favorites have drifted around my head this late evening, uh, early morning, some unusual ones at that… here they are, enjoy:

Favorite Heavy Metal:

Decade1980’s… however, this decade were in now hasn’t been too shabby either for Heavy Metal. 

Television ShowHeadbangers Ball… it was the best thing happening on the tube that time of night, uh, early morning. Watching it stewed or sober, it kicked butt period. 

Fashion – worn & torn blue jeans, high top sneakers (untied and dirty), sleeveless black concert shirt (faded) and no belt. Tattoos, hair style, fingerless gloves and body piercing optional. A denim/leather vest or denim/leather jacket makes for a nice touch. O.k., a belt is cool only if the buckle is bad ass. Please note: for Metal chicks, they can wear this too and add their own personal touches… just as long as they do not look like they are going to the prom, a high school reunion or job interview.

MovieEscape From New York – this film did not need Heavy Metal Music… John Carpenter’s dark mind, imagination and music score… was enough. 

Super VillainDoctor Doom, enough said.

Super HeroJudge DreddAnthrax says so and I will not argue.

Restaurant – any drive thru window open after midnight.

Beverage – this one’s easy… beer, uh, keg beer.

MessiahLemmy Kilmister of Motorhead– it used to be Ozzy Osbourne but Sharon ruined the ambiance.

Food Doritos… they were always there to save the night.

ComedianSam Kinison (RIP)… again, Anthrax liked him, even had his patented scream in their song I’m The Man.

Race – beer run.

Non Heavy Metal BandThe Doors… C’mon, were talking Jim Morrison here. The Lizard Kinghe could do anything. Cool.

Band named after a continent – uh, Europe.

Magazine from the past – RIP

High School ClassMetal Shop… for me it was, really, I made an ice pick and a screwdriver too. I still have them, technically they are now considered antiques.

StoreWasteland… the name says it all. This place, well, it had it all.

MysteryBigfoot… the dude is huge and famous, chills out in the wilderness, answers to no one and pays no taxes. Plus, as a bonus, he does not have to pay outrageous prices for milk and toilet paper.

Holiday Halloween… this is the one night of the year where you can put on a costume, act nuts, eat a ton of candy and deliberately scare people. The rest of the year, I would never even consider doing any of those things… except act nuts.

Yup, that is my list of Heavy Metal Favorites… for now. Maybe sometime down the Metal road, I will come up with a Heavy Metal Favorites List Part 2. Here’s hoping this list enlightened or frightened you, either way, thanks for reading it and visiting Metal Odyssey!

Headbangers Ball Logo - large