{"id":28313,"date":"2013-03-18T15:16:10","date_gmt":"2013-03-18T20:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=28313"},"modified":"2014-02-08T08:34:10","modified_gmt":"2014-02-08T13:34:10","slug":"ratt-original-album-series-box-set-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2013\/ratt-original-album-series-box-set-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Ratt | Original Album Series [Box Set]<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Alissa Ordabai<\/span>
\n– Senior Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"RATT\"A collection of Ratt\u2019s first five albums not only sums up the spirit of the Eighties, but also reminds us how much originality and sheer musical brilliance never received proper recognition from the industry. Ratt may have been multi-million selling MTV favorites some 25 years ago, but even at their peak they remained in the shadow of plainer, simpler bands. <\/p>\n

The reason? Where others on the glam metal scene banked on in-your-face brashness, Ratt stayed more subtle. While other lead singers projected on full scale, Ratt\u2019s Stephen Pearcy often chose deliberate detachment. And when bands such as Motley Crue were regularly hitting the headlines with stories of drug abuse and liaisons with famous women, Ratt\u2019s drug-related tragedies remained more private, just like their marriages. Instead the band showed the value of songwriting and musicianship over hype. Never labored or pushy, their songs stay with you effortlessly \u2013 not as obnoxious ear worms, but as uplifting and welcome companions. <\/p>\n

From powerhouse scorchers such as “I’m Insane” to atmospheric incantations such as \u201cBack for More\u201d Ratt immediately give you everything traditionally expected of hard rock \u2013 the drive, the instant-grip riffs, the impeccable guitar leads. But behind the seeming simplicity of the formula, Ratt never come through as too eager to please and never fully declare themselves, even on their most strident songs. Instead you are always left wanting to hear the next song in the hope to unravel their secret, which makes this entire box set flow in what seems like minutes. <\/p>\n

All five classic albums put together remind us that apart from gold-plated super-hits such as \u201cRound and Round\u201d and \u201cShame Shame Shame\u201d each one of these records brims with lesser known gems. \u201cLay It Down\u201d makes you imagine what Led Zeppelin would have sounded like have they survived into the Eighties, and \u201cGiving Yourself Away\u201d shows how laconic treatment of the subject of heartbreak makes a more striking impact than all the wailing in the world. <\/p>\n

But despite their perfect influences and their reserved elegance, you can\u2019t mistake this band for anything else but the creation of the Eighties. To stay unique while relaying the essence of their time with such spot-on precision is no small feat for a glam metal band. Much of it lives on as Warren DeMartini\u2019s achievement, as well as the magic of his dual guitar interaction with Robbin Crosby. Virtuosity coincides with DeMartini\u2019s inner truth so precisely, there remains no place for gratuitous notes or for imaginary feeling, and each note sounds not only important, but absolutely vital. <\/p>\n

Tags and categorizations aside, the collection on offer is a textbook example of how brilliant songwriting and A-grade musicianship still don\u2019t guarantee you good luck or fortune. What such excellence does ensure though is dignity for the artist \u2013 something that can be neither taken away, nor calculated in figures.<\/p>\n

Genre: Glam Metal, Hard Rock<\/p>\n

Line-up:
\nStephen Pearcy \u2013 vocals
\nWarren DeMartini \u2013 guitar
\nRobbin Crosby \u2013 guitar
\nJuan Croucier \u2013 bass
\nBobby Blotzer \u2013 drums<\/p>\n

Track Listing:<\/p>\n

Disk 1
\n1. Wanted Man
\n2. You\u2019re in Trouble
\n3. Round and Round
\n4. In Your Direction
\n5. She Wants Money
\n6. Lack of Communication
\n7. Back for More
\n8. The Morning After
\n9. I\u2019m Insane
\n10. Scene of the Crime<\/p>\n

Disk 2
\n1. You\u2019re in Love
\n2. Never Use Love
\n3. Lay It Down
\n4. Give It All
\n5. Closer to My Heart
\n6. Between the Eyes
\n7. What You Give is What You Get
\n8. Got Me on the Line
\n9. You Should Know by Now
\n10. Dangerous But Worth the Risk<\/p>\n

Disk 3
\n1. Dance
\n2. One Good Lover
\n3. Drive Me Crazy
\n4. Slip of the Lip
\n5. Body Talk
\n6. Looking for Love
\n7. 7th Avenue
\n8. It Doesn\u2019t Matter
\n9. Take a Chance
\n10. Enough is Enough<\/p>\n

Disk 4
\n1. City to City
\n2. I Want a Woman
\n3. Way Cool Jr.
\n4. Don\u2019t Bite the Hand That Feeds You
\n5. I Want to Love You Tonight
\n6. Chain Reaction
\n7. No Surprise
\n8. Bottom Line
\n9. What\u2019s It Gonna Be
\n10. What I\u2019m After<\/p>\n

Disk 5
\n1. Intro to Shame
\n2. Shame Shame Shame
\n3. Lovin\u2019 You\u2019s a Dirty Job
\n4. Scratch That Itch
\n5. One Step Away
\n6. Hard Time
\n7. Heads I Win, Tails You Lose
\n8. All or Nothing
\n9. Can\u2019t Wait on Love
\n10. Giving Yourself Away
\n11. Top Secret<\/p>\n

Label: Rhino Records<\/p>\n

Online: www.therattpack.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 9\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Alissa Ordabai – Senior Columnist — A collection of Ratt\u2019s first five albums not only sums up the spirit of the Eighties, but also reminds us how much originality and sheer musical brilliance never […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8704],"tags":[2317,1094,1103,503],"class_list":{"0":"post-28313","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-arcrvws2013","7":"tag-cd-review","8":"tag-glam-metal","9":"tag-hard-rock","10":"tag-ratt"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28313\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}