Drive, She Said: Glam or Not?

Drive, She Said recently released a new album called Dreams Will Come (via Metal Heaven). I always put them more in the AOR category but last night, I came across a few websites where people were throwing the New York band into the Glam category. Of course, that often happens when a band has long hair and was from the mid-80s to early nineties.

In fact, Drive, She Said released their self-titled debut in 1989. The band is lead by Mark Mangold and Al Fritsch, the former being a big time songwriter. I actually didn't know the band even had a new record until I started clicking around online last night. I don't even remember what it was that made me think of Drive, She Said but off I went, on a virtual wild goose chase for information on the quasi-obscure band. I say "quasi" because Drive, She Said has released something like six albums. Still, I'd argue they are not a household name.

Back to the original question at hand: Glam or not? For those wondering, the band is still active live. They played Firefest last year. I guess it doesn't matter if they are Glam or not - you like what you like of course. Still, I'm putting Drive, She Said in the AOR category. Also, I think their name did not help them - not great from a marketing perspective, but I digress.

"Think of Love"

Comments

[Tony]

Drive, She Said are 100% AOR, following on from Mark Mangold's earlier bands American Tears & Touch.
Shame the new album is apparently crap! An almost industrial feel to the new tracks & Al Fritsch sounding terrible.
Glad I saw them in their prime.

[MEWIZEMGIC]

Agree AOR - in the vain of TOTO of Jefferson Starship. NOT GLAM. Nice 'stache!

[Metalboy!]

All dressed up and nowhere to Rock!

AOR! Melodic Rock! Hate those terms, but alas, that's where these guys fall, no matter how they dressed or wear their hair.

But they are a just a teenie, weenie bit more rock and by-the-numbers than the more unique yet still mediocre approaches of Toto and Journey (who had the worst wardrobe that may have just single handedly given the 80's the bad name it has never really been able to live down no matter how hard Chanel, Gucci, Prada and Versace have tried to recycle it, for real!). Drive, She Said certainly have the stage moves. Look at all that jumping around they're doing for no reason in that NYC loft.

One thing for sure... That blonde babe has certainly been immortalized properly in this video. Check out that "bathing suit", er... um... or whatever it is.

Having her in the Drive, She Said vid also keeps the whole thing from driving off a cliff and taking the audience with it!

This song is a desperate (but in no way, lame) attempt to chart and it probably worked. These guys charted a little, as I recall and they did have a major multi-record deal for years.

Still, it looks like bad artistic direction is what killed these guys. Talent to burn. Not too weird looking. Great hair. Great clothes. Great guitars and stuff. Lousy name, though (in all their attempts to be different, like having an unusual name, they still wound up sounding similar to so much of the corporate rock of the day)...

And I LOVE it!

Al! Thanks for egging me on (intentionally, or not), to add this to the list. I was not really sure which song of theirs to add to it and now we have it! It may not be that Glam. It's AOR/Melodic Rock with the customary dragging chords underneath the keyboards, way too far down in the mix, that, had they been pumped up a little more out front, could have possibly put this into a more Glammified arena (and we do mean "Arena")...

... except for the 'stache.

p.s. Tnanx, Me Wise Magic for flaggin' that touch!

p.s.s.t Do you think Drive, She Said is the only band with a comma in it's name? There's Life Sex & Death, but they don't use a comma. Now there's Glam in disguise if I ever saw it. And LSD were doing STP before STP, but far more Glamourously. Check out there vids if you don't know them, including the interviews with Stanley, their lead singer. I got to see 'em live at CBGB's, one of the best shows I've ever seen, as I have written about here before, I believe.

You are really in for a treat if you have never seen these vids and interviews of LSD, for real! Talk about mind-blowing, yuk-yuk... (Here's an "obscurity" worth investigating, Al...

"Hello, boys and girls, we're here now! We're here now!"

-- Stanley, 1993

[Jackie]

Why is it American's don't know what Glam is? Glam is not from the mid '80's, It's from the early '70's and the majority of Glam bands where British. Having long hair, wearing tight clothes and make-up doesn't make them glam.