Archive for 1980’s hair metal

Wanna See My JANI LANE Autographed Trading Card? It’s Really Cool…

Posted in classic rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Music, rock music with tags , , , , , on May 17, 2015 by Metal Odyssey

Jani Lane - Autographed UD card - front - Metal Odyssey - 2015

That’s it at the top! That’s my Jani Lane autographed trading card and it’s certified authentic (see photo below). This unbelievable piece of Rock ‘N’ Roll history was seeded into packs of Upper Deck Spectrum Of Stars trading cards, which were initially sold around 2008; that’s the date printed on the back of this card, anyways. I bought this Jani Lane gem a couple of years before he passed away. A sports card dealer in Allentown, Pennsylvania had this card for sale and was asking $10 for it; I offered $8 instead and the dealer accepted. Whoa! Two other of these autographed trading cards that I own are: Miljenko Matijevic (Steelheart vocalist) and Don Dokken. Whoa, again!

To this day, I am very saddened that Jani Lane could not find the strength to battle his addictions. Jani Lane was a bona fide vocal and songwriting talent; he was a huge reason as to why Warrant became so successful, back in the day. Jani Lane also released a solo album back in 2003 titled: Back Down To One.

In 2008, Jani Lane’s (supergroup) band, Saints Of The Underground, released their debut studio album: Love The Sin, Hate The Sinner. I don’t own Jani’s solo album; yet I do own his S.O.T.U. release and it’s pretty damn good. You can read my abbreviated review for this album, (which I originally wrote back in 2008), by clicking the link below:

SAINTS OF THE UNDERGROUND – LOVE THE SIN, HATE THE SINNER

Jani Lane - Autographed UD card - back - Metal Odyssey - 2015

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Kicking any addiction isn’t easy. I have been sober since September of 2014 and it is an inner struggle every day to overcome. Substance addiction is a disease. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Alcohol was never my buddy looking out for me. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, stay strong, find help at all costs and please remember you are not alone.  – Stone

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To read about my other Hard Rock autographed trading cards:

Wanna See My Miljenko Matijevic (Steelheart) Autographed Trading Card?

Wanna See My DON DOKKEN Autographed Trading Card? It’s Really Cool…

MetalOdyssey

REST IN PEACE, JANI LANE.

February 1, 1964 – August 11, 2011.

Stone.

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RECKLESS LOVE – HAIR METAL EAR CANDY, LOADED WITH GOOD TIME CALORIES!

Posted in glam metal music, Hair Metal, hair metal albums, hair metal bands, hair metal music, hard rock albums, hard rock bands, hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 5, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

RECKLESS LOVE – If it sounds like Hair Metal and looks like Hair Metal… it probably is… Hair Metal. That is my label for Reckless Love and I’m sticking to it! I was recently introduced to this Reckless Love debut album from Metal buddy – Rob Rockitt at Hard Rock Hideout. After reading the review Rob Rockitt posted on HRH about this Reckless Love album, (March 31, 2010), I became very interested in this upcoming release. Reckless Love is being released as an import, with the release date being April 13, 2010.

After listening to this Reckless Love album a few times, it’s almost as if the Arena Rock glory years of the ’80’s have busted down my house door and ripped my Metal soul apart, filling it up with good times Hair Metal. I understand that I am no longer 21 years old and a free spirit anymore, yet this Reckless Love album sure makes me feel like my old Cutlass Supreme is sitting in the driveway and I’m working a Summer job just to buy beer… and Heavy Metal albums. Ah, Metal memories. How they become ignited from listening to brand new Hair Metal in 2010! Hey, that’s the same Cutlass Supreme that Best Metal Buddy, Scott Coverdale, took a joy ride with one night… it was covered with mud the next morning and it never ran the same afterwards. Gee Metal whiz… now the Metal memories are making me anxious.

Oh, yeah, back to this Reckless Love album… it held my Metal attention from beginning to end. I’m not embarrassed to admit, I actually tried to sing along to the chorus of many of the songs. The last song, Born To Rock is one heavy duty Hair Metal anthem, almost like a call to Hair Metal arms. If a University of Hair Metal exists, then the members of Reckless Love have graduated from it… summa cum laude.

This Reckless Love band can play, with their melodic momentum carrying through all 11 songs, like a tsunami crossing the Pacific Ocean. I never once considered stopping this album from playing, each time I listened to it. Pushing the “stop” button while Reckless Love is playing, would be like throwing away half of a Charleston Chew candy bar, knowing the remainder is gonna be just as delicious.

Admittedly, Reckless Love is commercially accessible, only don’t worry… this is not Disney Channel or Nickelodeon stuff. I just wonder… could it have been possible, that these guys embarked in a time machine and travelled back to 1986 and learned directly from the Hair Metal masters of Motley Crue, Ratt, Poison and Cinderella themselves? Anything is possible. Regardless of how this band learned how to play, they learned to listen to Old School Hair Metal first and foremost, this only makes sense after a few listens to their debut album.

Copy cats are Reckless Love? Dated sound? I’m not buying into it. Rock and Roll history is never going to be boxed up and shelved. Any band of any genre has a right to be influenced by classics of the past. Is Classical Music dated? The only things I consider “dated” in my Metal life are calendars. Any fan of 1980’s Hair Metal and/or Hard Rock should give Reckless Love a serious listen. Heavy Metal fans may just appreciate the high octane of sound and energy that Reckless Love is really schooled at.

* Reckless Love are from Finland, signed to Universal Music.

Track Listing For Reckless Love:

Feel My Heat

One More Time

Badass

Love Machine

Beautiful Bomb

Romance

Sex

Back To Paradise

So Yeah!!

Wild Touch

Born To Rock

Stone.

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

Posted in 1980's hair metal music, 1980's hard rock, 1980's heavy metal music, Album Review, classic rock, cool album covers, Hair Metal, hair metal music, Hard Rock, hard rock album review, Heavy Metal, heavy metal album review, heavy metal albums, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal music, Heavy Metal Reviews, heavy metal vocalists, Metal, metal music, Metal Reviews with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 19, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

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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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Happy Birthday C.C. DeVille – Poison guitarist

Posted in 1980's hard rock, 1980's heavy metal music, concerts, current heavy metal music, glam metal, glam metal music, Guitar, Hair Metal, hair metal music, Hard Rock, hard rock guitarists, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal music, Metal, metal concerts, metal music, Music, rock celebrity birthdays with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 15, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

7901078It is Thursday, May 14, 2009 – C.C. DeVille, the talented guitarist for Poison celebrates his 47th birthday today. Happy Birthday C.C. Deville! It seems like it was yesterday for me, when I saw Poison live, at an amusement park in expensive Connecticut. It was the late ’80’s and Poison was hotter than a fresh loaf of bread out of the oven, back then. Poison for me, is a pretty cool Hair Metal band that can play. That live amusement park concert was quite honestly, the loudest Heavy Metal concert I have ever been to. I am not kidding and I have been to my fair share of Metal concerts throughout my life, both large and small.

Slaughter and BulletBoys opened up for Poison on that humid Summer night of Metal. (Slaughter played an entire acoustic set that evening, BulletBoys rocked). I give Poison a lot of credit, they still tour consistently and draw the crowds. In my Metal opinion, Poison has their popularity machine still running after all these years. C.C. DeVille gets my respect as a guitarist, he definitely has Lemmy Kilmister’s respect – C.C. appears on the Motorhead album “Kiss of Death” (released in 2007), playing the guitar solo on the tune “God Was Never On Your Side”. Anytime you can get a permanent link into the musical history of Motorhead is cool Metal stuff indeed. Just as a nifty trivia fact to throw out here, C.C. DeVille’s real name is Bruce Anthony Johannesson.

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