A Ratt In Trouble

Last September, I picked up the first Ratt EP. When I grabbed that record, I was completely obsessing over that 1983/1984 time period...those days when I was first starting to discover heavy metal...and I loved finally adding those old classics to the collection. When I was digging around Discogs on the Ratt EP, I discovered that there was another pressing with a different cover, and like a fool, I needed to get a copy.

The Ratt EP was originally released in 1983 on Time Coast Communications, and then reissued in '84 when the band signed with Atlantic. Somehow Target Entertainment was able to get their hands on the rights to the EP and release their pressing of it in 1985, including a bonus track of an early recording of You're In Trouble (that was only previously available on the original UK pressing), renaming the record and slapping a quick and rather boring cover on the package.

At the time of my obsession, I was buying US and UK pressings of Twisted Sister albums because of the difference in album artwork, so of course I had ride that wave with this Ratt EP as well.

Man, that puffy jacket on Stephen Pearcy is...umm...well, it's a look.

Side by side photo of both the original cover and the 1985 Target Records reissue. Funny that I've been dropping out of the multiple pressing game for hardcore records, but for these early 80's metal records, I have no problem adding them to the collection.

Back For More

Ever since I picked up that Ratt and Dokken vinyl during my Record Store Day haul, I've kind of been obsessing over both bands. Seriously. I think that I've listened to Ratt and Dokken more this year than I have for the past 20 years combined...add to the fact that a German pressing of Breakin' the Chains is currently at the top of my mental Want List, and that is saying something about how deep I've gotten myself.

I've seen the first Ratt 12 inch in the record stores around town over the years, but I've never really been drawn to grab a copy...until now. As I was killing some time in Portland recently, I stopped into a small used record store. I really wasn't planning on buying anything, I was just using it to fill some time until I met a friend for dinner. As soon as I saw the Ratt EP, I knew that I was going to walk out of the store with it.

This record is some pretty solid early 80's Metal. Goddamn. I might never get out of this hair metal hole I've dug for myself. I can see why they were picked to be included on the original Metal Massacre comp from Metal Blade Records. 80's forever.

RSD 2018 - Part 2: In My Dreams [The 80's]

The week before Record Store Day, an old friend reached out to me, pointing me in the direction of a live bootleg video on youtube of Dokken's set during the Monsters Of Rock tour in 1988. The video was from their set at Oxford Plains Speedway, which was the show that we were at shortly after we had graduated from High School. I hadn't really given Dokken much thought, outside of the occasional spin of Tooth And Nail, but watching this video brought back memories from that day. The show was about a one hour drive, but I hadn't traveled much at that point, and at that age it seemed like such an adventure to journey so far from home. We stood in line in the immense heat for hours just to get in through the gates, and after getting tossed around and being afraid for my life during Metallica's set, the rain came down and drenched us for the rest of the day as we braved lightning storms through sets from Dokken and Scorpions. By the time Van Halen took the stage with Sammy Hagar, I was chilled to the bone, our group of friends had splintered, and a few of us headed to the cars to get dry and warm. We spent the night sleeping in our cars, since all the campgrounds were full, and it was pretty much the defining moment of our Summer. Fuck, I miss those times.

With this nostalgia kicking into high gear, I was listening to lots of Dokken, Ratt, Twisted Sister and Quiet Riot...and pretty much had a Record Store Day mission to pick up a bunch of mid-80's Metal albums from those teen years as I could.

[1985] One of the first records that I found on Record Store Day was Dokken's Under Lock And Key...still fucking sealed. Goddamn, it was going to be a good day. Well this didn't stay sealed for much longer, and soon I was dropping the needle to the vinyl. It's funny, I don't even remember if I ever owned this album as a kid...when I think back to other albums I picked up in '85, I don't have any strong memories of Under Lock And Key...I mean I know the hits from this record, but none of the other songs are all that familiar. Either way, I'm loving it in 2018.

[1985] I know that I loved Ratt's Out Of The Cellar when I bought the cassette in '84, but a year later, after moving on to stuff like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Dio...that stuff seemed more heavy and intense, and some of those bands that first introduced me to Metal were starting to feel a little weak and limp. Ratt was one of those bands, and by the time Invasion Of Your Privacy was released, I wanted nothing to do with it. It's funny how much difference a year can make when you are fourteen years old...and even funnier how much I'm digging this album today. There is some great heavy stuff on this album, but I was too busy trying to be hard and edgy at the time to appreciate how good this album is.

[1985] Another band from the mid-80's that I loved back in the day, but had not really paid much attention to over the years, was W.A.S.P. When I saw the Blind In Texas 12 inch single in the used bins, and that the b-side had an exclusive song that didn't make it on to The Last Command album, I quickly snatched it up...and in a case of record collector kismet, as I was holding it in my hands, I received a message from Doug, who had just picked up the shaped picture disc version of the same single.

[1986] I remember buying Queensryche's Rage For Order when it first came out back in '86, and it was a big departure from The Warning. I don't think that I would hang with a change in sound like this today, but back then, I stood by my bands no matter what. I was undying in my devotion, and even something like Gonna Get Close To You was not going to turn me off. Could it be that I was more open minded when I was sixteen?

[1986] I didn't care at all about Ratt when 1986 came around, and I paid no attention to Dancing Undercover. I vaguely remember the Dance video, but really, when I had Slayer's Reign in Blood cassette, Ratt was not going to cut it at the time. Still, this is a fun album to revisit, and remember those few friends that were really into it.

[1987] I was really happy to find Dokken's Back For The Attack on Record Store Day. While I might not have remembered much about Under Lock And Key, I do recall having the Back For The Attack CD, and being surprised with how heavy it sounded to my ears. While Tooth And Nail remains my favorite Dokken album, this one is only a notch below that. So good.

[1988] The final album from my 80's shopping spree, isn't really that impressive. I'm not that big a fan of Frehley's Comet, but there are some pretty good songs on this live EP, so I grabbed it. Listening to these live songs, I started to think that maybe I needed to revisit some of their albums, and then the one studio song comes on, and I'm like "Nope...I'm out". I'll just stick with live version of Rip It Out and Rocket Ride.