The itunes has been digging the metal here lately, and who am I to argue?
Although, I have to admit a bit of sheepishness at this selection. I bought Slave to the Grind when it came out in 1991, when metal (as I mentioned in the Slayer post) was at its commerical peak. If I recall correctly, this album debuted at number one and took everyone by surprise, as it was the first metal album to do so. Sebastian Bach was on the cover of Rolling Stone. Nirvana was still a topic you learned about in your high school world history class. Life was pretty good for metal.
I was happy to buy this CD back then based on the strength of Skid Row's eponymous debut in 1988. They really weren't all that terrible of a band, and like Def Leppard, I hesitate to include them in the "Hair Metal" genre, despite Bach having srguably the most beautiful mane ever before seen on stage.
Skid Row always seemed to have a little bit beter chops than your average hair metal group. I believe bassist Dave "Snake" Sabo wrote the songs (which could be one reason I liked them), and while obviously never reaching the credibility of your Metallica or Slayer, they were tougher and more metal than shit like Warrant, Winger or Firehouse. I mean, this song is a fraction of a time signature from speed metal, but it got heavy play on mainstram radio and MTV back in the day.
One thing about them I always found interesting as well was their lyrics. Sure, there were the chick songs ("I Remember You"), the tough dude songs ("Piece of Me", "Slave to the Grind") and the "let's bang some skank songs" ("Get the Fuck Out", "Sweet Little Sister"), but I appreciate them for at least trying to rise above that. Although, if anyone can explain "They swallow their daggers by turning thier tricks / They tore my intentions apart brick by brick / I'm sick of the jive, talk verbal insecticide" (the bridge in this song), have at it.
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I just wonder what the response to Skid Row would have been if they had not opened for Bon Jovi on the New Jersey tour. I think that fact alone is responsible for their being deemed "hairband". Oh, and the hair.
Skid Row. They're no Dire Straits, eh? I like to think of Skid Row and Sebastian Bach as Guns 'n' Roses lite. They had thunder, true, but lacked the screaming guitar frontman embodied by Slash. Sebastian had attitude, but not to the degree of stupidity as the "Chinese Democracy" jackass, Axl.
And for some reason I associate Skid Row most closely with Ugly Kid Joe. Remember them? I don't either.
Did you know the Skidders released two albums after Bach left? Some Solinger guy at the helm. I had to look them up. Bach released a solo live album too.
Here's a Kevin Bacon/Six Degrees of separation for ya:
1. Scotti Hill is one of the guitarists for Skid Row.
2. -Scott- Hill is the lead singer/guitarist for Fu Manchu.
3. Scott Hill has often been compared to a young Ted Nugent (in sound, not statutory measures).
4. Ted Nugent played in that VH1 supergroup with Sebastian Bach.
5. Sebastian Bach used to be the lead singer of Skid Row.
6. Skid row was co-founded by Scotti Hill, guitarist.
That being said, as an unreformed metalhead, I am both ashamed and proud to admit that I liked Skid Row. At least in songs like "I Remember You" there was pain, suffering, and screaming.
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