Music Review: VH1 Classic Presents: Metal Mania – Stripped, Vol. 2: The Anthems

Monday, June 11th, 2007 at 12:55 pm

If you like to read reviews and hear about new bands and artists then you are in luck. I am going to start doing at least one album review per week. I have been doing some advertising on a few other sites and I am pretty sure it will produce some content for me to review. Many bands and artists out there are looking for exposure and I want to give it to them if they are good.

To get the ball rolling, I am going to review a compilation. Besides being out for a few years now (and having the longest title in the title in my collection), this album and its tracks incorporate a lot of what Musicgoat music is all about. It almost doesn’t matter what your taste in music is with this cd. Metalheads, Indie, Acoustic and Blues fans alike will appreciate many of these cuts.

Let me start with the highlights. Cinderella really surprised me on “Shake Me.” I almost didn’t recognize it at first. They took a relatively straight forward rock song, slowed it down and painted on some cozy blues texture. The harmony’s, the riffs… yummy.

I was literally addicted to LA Guns acoustic version of “Sex Action.” The song is almost sleazier in acoustic. I like.

“Here I Go Again” is a great strummer and really highlights David Coverdale’s vintage 70’s howling-hard blues vocals.

With a guilty pleasure factor of 15 on a scale from 1 to 10 there is just something about Jani Lanes version of “Cherry Pie.” A tip for the guys; careful how loud you have this one up when the windows are down in your car. Trust me!

Not sure how I feel about “Rock You Like A Hurricane” by the Scorpions. The song has been brutally overplayed for years now but I guess it was nice to hear another version. It is alright but I’m not sure if the arrangement goes well with the theme. It doesn’t really rock like a hurricane, more like a very mild thunderstorm.

Everything else is pretty decent, except the following. Listen at your own risk.

I have always been a fan of Ratt but don’t even waste your time with this unrecognizable, disappointing and almost confusing version of “Round and Round.” What the hell?

Poisons Talk Dirty to me doesn’t do anything except beg for distortion. Nelson “Love and Affection”… no comment.

All labels aside, this CD has a little something for everyone. This was quite a surprise and an adventure for an old metalhead like myself. Check it out – VH1 Classic Presents: Metal Mania – Stripped, Vol. 2: The Anthems

P.S. Have something you want me to review? No problem! Just fill out the info using my Contact page and let me know what it is. I will see what I can do.