Tuesday Two-Fer, VI: RATT

From our friend HIM.
 
Where would we be without Ratt and the constant drama? I like to think we would be doing fine, reminiscing about how damn great these fellows were in their day. It wasn’t complicated. It wasn’t fancy. It was rock, stuffed with socks and amazing riffs and whatever it was that Croucier was doing.
 
First Pick: “Lack of Communication,” Out Of The Cellar (1984):

Out Of The Cellar [Explicit]

It would be so easy to pick the low-hanging fruit. But I won’t. Nope. I go with a song that just screams, from the first static-filled sound, “this is gonna melt your skull and you will smile while it does.” And I did. And I still do. Sure, they were talking about our inability to truly communicate with each . . . really? Was that what you wanted from them? Nah.
 
Second Pick: “Wanted Man,” Out Of The Cellar (1984):

Give Blotz his due. For as much of a liquor-inspired buffoon as he can be nowadays, this song is his to set up and he nails it. That is his sound. Full stop. We know it. So does he. He might not have contributed much else. But we know the Blotz when he drums and when he, well, shares with his fans. But this song is a straight-ahead dose of gun-slinging metal. The idea that these guys would last a day in the old West is laughable. Here is a test though: tell that to Crosby. I dare you.
 
Questionable-ish Mention: “Lovin’ You Is A Dirty Job,” Detonator (1990):

 
Not a bad late career (pre-Infestation and implosion) song from them. But “I’ve got the glue to glue it”? Really? That is all you guys could twist into a lyrical knot? What? Was Desmond Child sniffing glue when you penned that nugget? For some reason, that horrid line always trips me up.

Comments

[Kixchix]

Ratt had “it” and could never fully capitalize IMO. I’d put them above the Kix and LA Guns of the world. But below the Mötleys and Poison in regard to grabbing that brass ring as they went round n round.

They are still a clusterf***.

Kix and LA Guns though have still brought “it” in their own fashion for last ten years or so. Me believes it’s for some cash flow. Who cares. If you rock, you rock. They ROCK!

[Gary]

To this day, the opening riff from "You're In Love" makes me want to crank it that loud that it'd shatter the windows in my truck. Song just f@cking smokes. (DeMartini and Crosby doing the drop D tuning to perfection,long before it was de rigueur) That'd be my personal #1.

My #2 would be "Best Of Me" from Infestation. I stick to what I posted here when Ally posted it the first time way back in 2010, That if it wouldve been released in 1986,it would've owned MTV and AOR radio for months. To me at least, its that catchy.

My honorable mention would go to "Givin' Yourself Away", which is a monster power ballad I should've added to my list of faves the other day, but my brain cells suffer from 70's and 80's induced "Momentary Lapses Of Reason" lol. It's a shame these guys were basically 3 egotistical douche lords, a stoner semi-hermit, and a cool dude in Robbin "King" Crosby, (at least from everything I've ever read about them, which is a lot) They were a great band,and Robbin and the Warren were an incredibly cohesive twin guitar attack.

[JCD]

"Lay It Down" baby, one of the greatest opening riffs from the 80's. DeMartini was one of the technical guitar slingers back in the day that could probably play as fast as the best of them. His distinction was that he rarely showcased that ability and opted to play memorable solos that precisely fit the song. I love his bluesier stuff and he was one hell of a riff writer. For many years me and one of my best friends back in the day would argue about who was the better band-Ratt or the Crue. I was a Crue fan too but to this day still think Ratt is the best of the two that didn't have the image to propel them to Cruesque heights.

[Jeff]

My top 3 all-time Rat-n-Roll tunes:

1. I'm Insane
2. You Think You're Tough
3. Dance

Hoorable Mention: Body Talk

[Metalboy!]

Thanks, HIM, for the always great topic ... And now, without further ado ... My Best of RATT’n’ROLL Playlist (in running order but, please, any of you, please suggest another one to add if you think I’m missing something, just no “Way Cool Jr.” ... as much as I love it, it doesn’t make my “Best of” ...

RATT’n’ROLL Playlist:

1) City to City
2) 7th Avenue
3) Chain Reaction
4) Body Talk
5) You’re In Love
6) Dangerous But Worth The Risk
7) Slip of the Lip
8) Don’t Bite The Hand That Feeds You
9) Scene of the Crime
10) Heads I Win, Tails You Lose
11) Shame, Shame, Shame
12) What’s It Gonna Be
13) Best of Me
14) Scatter (Bonus Track from the Deluxe Edition of “Infestation”)
15) Intro to Shame
16) Round and Round
17) Walkin’ The Dog (Rufus Thomas cover popularized by Aerosmith, Metalized by RATT!)

As I’ve mentioned before, I saw RATT in 1989 POINT BLANK at Hammerjack’s in Baltimore, Maryland with KIX opening. It was one of THE BEST concerts I ever attended in my life for basically 4 reasons ...

1) RATT put on a helluva show!
2) I was sandwiched between a gorgeous blonde AND brunette, perfect strangers who didn’t even know each other, yet grinded on me during the whole performance!
3) Crosby came over to me at the end of the show and shook my hand!!! ... and no one else’s! (See #2 and the fact that I was egging him on with my full on Ratt’n’Roll screaming voice the whole show in a case of unabashed hero worship!)
4) KIX opened with resident genius Purnell firmly in place ... scratch that ... with Purnell twirling, spinning, flying around and rolling on the ground on stage!

I know, boyz! It sounds like I’m confabulating, but the above is all true!

p.s. JCD, I hear ya ... I’m going out on a limb with ya ... Any Given Sunday when it comes to who’s better between RATT or Crüe ... Yes, Crüe had a more viable image ... 3 dudes with Rockstar looks and one painted Gargoyle who happens to be a monster guitarist vs. 1 king sized dude and a monster guitarist both with Rockstar looks and 3 painted Gargoyles. But think about this ... When it all comes down to it, Crüe had “Home Sweet Home” and a cover of Brownsville Station’s “Smokin’ In The Boy’s Room” and RATT had “Round and Round”, perhaps the biggest most quintessential Hair Metal Anthem of All Time! Gary, I’m gonna jack your rationale, as well, to support my “Any Given Sunday” theory ... Kixchix, I hear ya but I’m gonna give more credit to RATT here. BTW, I also got to see RATT at their “reunion”
show headlining M3 several years ago, the first time they played with Croucier in 19 years and it was also unreal! Even if Pearcy knarled off key a few times, he still killed it! Granted no King but Cavazo was incredible, nevertheless. In the final analysis, I humbly present The Real Big Four: (1) Crüe (by a hair or, actually, “Livewire”), 2) RATT, (3) Cinderella, (4) Poison!

[crued]

I cant compete with metalboy's post which was dead on but i wanted to add this... i work in the service industry and i see this guy EVERY night who could be robin crosby's twin even down to the teeth. its uncanny. hes prolly 21 and 6'5 long hair.everytime i see him i think of Robin. i need to take a pic to show you guys!

[Shawn]

Wow - great post's one and all - Gary you nailed it and Metalboy your just on a whole different level..Nobody Rides for Free is still one of my must have RATT songs - I saw Point Break on deployment so that song really has a special spot with me. RATT is probably my number 2 behind the Crue then G n R and Poison! I did get to see RATT in 86 with Bon Jovi opening which was back when Jon and Ritchie were hungry it was a great show.

On a side note - Robin from what I have heard and read was a really great guy who was consumed by his demons. Much like Jani he had something eating away at him. My fellow guitar playing buddy had met Robin at a guitar shop in San Diego where he was teaching and repairing equipment. We were supposed to go hang out with him but it never materialized and then he was gone.

[Metalboy!]

Yeah, Shawn, inevitably these RATT posts seem to always turn into a discussion about what made Crosby do what he did to himself.

It’s one of THE most baffling Rock & Roll mysteries we always struggle with on here, probably because we want to believe, had Crosby survived, RATT would have kept creating music on the level of “Round and Round”, the same way we always ponder the genius that was Jani Lane of Warrant.

Like Lane, how come Crosby was incapable of realizing how extraordinarily gifted he was and ultimately allow himself to be proud of his achievements.

I just don’t get it and never will.

[Him]

If anyone could answer the million dollar question about what causes gifted people (not just musicians) to throw it all away, they would be wealthy. Unfortunately, you can't use money to chase away all the shadows and you can't drink or drug away all the pain. Too many life stories are cut off, mid-sentence.