TRACK FRAGMENTS:
1.) “Midnight Ride” -The intro to this track opens with a hi-hat and cowbell count off. Spanky’s drum rhythm for the intro section consisted of a tom-tom/snare/double bass drum pattern. This is by far some of the best tom-tom work I have heard in a very long time!!! The rhythm guitar riffs of the intro section consisted of a very simple strum riff that was attached to an echo. Just the intensity of this intro alone will cause old peoples ears to bleed. There is a small minor lead guitar solo that connects the intro to the musical verse. Underneath this musical section Spanky switches from a tom-tom pattern to a standard drum rhythm. The musical verse consisted of the lyrical arrangement came from an eighties glam metal fake book!!!! There is a small lead rhythm riff connecting the first chorus with the second verse. The musical bridge consisted of about three different musical sections!!! The lead guitar solo was set up and written in a very classic eighties heavy metal.
2.) “Hot & Heavy” – This intro opens with a drum rhythm. About two measures into the intro the bass line and rhythm guitar kick-in. There is a rhythm guitar build-up section that connects the intro to opening chorus. The lyric arrangement of the opening chorus re minded me of early Autograph stuff. After each vocal line of the verse there is a small backing vocal section. Because there are backing vocals in the verse it causes the chorus to be a little over shadowed. There is a small lead guitar rhythm lick that connects the second verse to the third chorus. The lead guitar solo for this track was a lot shorter than expected!
3.) “Push Comes To Shove” – This track opens with a classic Kiss intro section. There is a small rhythm guitar change underneath the vocal line of the musical verse. Producer Johny Lima changed the vocal sound of Binge’s vocals for the pre-chorus. For me the bass line and double bass rhythm of the verse and pre-chorus has made the song so far. The chorus lyrically and musically had a very laid back eighties glam metal feel. After the second chorus there is a sixteenth-note rhythm change that leads into the lead guitar solo section. The lead guitar solo was actually overdubbed to give a twin lead guitar effect.
4.) “Runnin’ Wild” – This track opens with a classic glam metal intro section. The band used the same rhythm guitar rhythm for the verse as the intro section. There is a small pick slide that connects the musical verse to the musical chorus. Like all the songs so far the band kept the chorus very short but with huge hooks. There is a small lead solo lick that connected the first chorus with the second verse. After the second chorus there is a small drum fill that leads into a drastic musical change. This musical change comes out of nowhere! This musical change is actually the outro section of the track.
5.) “Sleeze Disease” –There is a small minor lead guitar solo that connects this intro section with the opening musical verse. This minor solos last lick runs underneath the opening vocal line. The main instrumentation of the verse was drums and bass. The rhythm guitar really does not kick-in until the pre-chorus. The chorus was very reminiscent of some of the stuff that L.A. Guns has written. There is a small acoustic guitar section connection the first chorus with the section verse. This acoustic guitar section was probably there the whole time. You just can hear it more at this point. The lead guitar solo is in between the second and third chorus sections.
6.) “Take A Bite” –This track opens with a very simple rhythm guitar riff. About two bars into the intro there is a rhythm guitar change along with a band kick-in section. This rhythm change was also used for the musical verse. There is a small musical change underneath the musical pre-chorus. The choruses were arranged in a very classic eighties glam metal style. There is a small lead guitar solo section after the second chorus.
7.) “Black And Blue” – This track opens with an Angus Young influenced rhythm riff. There is a minor lead guitar solo that connects the intro section with the musical verse. The musical arrangement of the band added a small harmonica section. This harmonica really gave the song an older Aerosmith sound. There is a small rhythm change underneath the musical chorus. The lead guitar solo section is in between the first chorus and second verse. After the second chorus there is a music intro repeat that consisted of the major lead guitar solo section. There is a small musical bridge/outro section were Spanky switched from a standard drum rhythm to a rhythm done with his tom-toms.
8.) “Scream And Shout” –The intro to this track consisted of a backing harmony section. There is absolutely no doubt that my good friend Johny Lima, who also produced and engineered the release, not only set-up the backing vocals however also sang on them as well. I have heard this sound just too many times to say it is not Johny doing some of the back-up! This backing vocal section continues over the top of the entire intro section. The main musical instrumentation underneath the backing vocals is the bass line along with the bass drum and tom-tom fills. There is a small rhythm guitar rhythm however; it is overshadowed by the backing vocals. For the musical verse Spanky changed the drum line just a little by incorporating a hi-hat opening and closing along with a tom-tom pattern. In fact I do not believe the rhythm guitar changes much between the musical intro and musical verse. There is a small lead guitar harmonic lick that connects the musical verse with the musical pre-chorus. There is a backing harmony section that connects the first chorus with the second verse. After the first chorus there is a small musical bridge that consisted of a small spoken vocal line over the top of it. This leads into the lead guitar solo section.
9.) “Vendetta” – This track opens with a heavily eighties hard rock rhythm guitar arrangement. The drum line of the intro consisted of a few cymbal crashes along with a fills. There is a small musical rest connecting the musical intro with the musical verse. Binge’s vocals are very laid back for the pre-verse. Instead of a musical change to connect the pre-verse with the verse Lima more or less just turned the volume up on the soundboard. Binge changed his vocal sound for the verse to give the verse a different fill. While mixing the song Lima incorporated a small vocal echo. I FUCKKIN’ loved the way the band connected the verse with the chorus. In fact, it is probably one of the top things that make the song!!! There is a small echo trailing off the end of the vocal line of the choruses. “…Put the barrel to his head an pulled the trigger now his dead….” Eighties hard rock lyric writing 101!!!! The lead guitar solo started a little on the draggy side however it picked up as the song progressed.
10.) “No. 1 Thriller” – This track opens with a cowbell count off before going into a fairly standard intro section. There is no musical change between the musical intro and pre-verse. At times through the musical verse Spanky switches from a hi-hat rhythm to a rhythm on his tom-toms. This song was very very basic which, is ok in consideration to the other twelve tracks.
11.) “Rock” – In many ways the rhythm guitar riff of this intro reminded me of early Kiss Stuff. About two bars into the intro section the bass line and drum line kick-in. There is a pick slide that connects the intro with the musical verse. For me, the vocal line is what made the verse. There is a small lyric arrangement change for the pre-chorus. The backing vocals of the chorus gives the song an early eighties sound. There is a minor lead guitar solo that runs underneath the second verse. The lead guitar riff that leads into the lead guitar solo section was heavily influenced by Jerry Dixon of Warrant.
12.) “Sleeze Disease” (Acotustic) – This blew me away!!!!!!