Customer Reviews

Danger Danger

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Recently I began tinkering with 90's-00's rock/metal, buying and borrowing CDs so that I could get an idea for various bands, and see just what it is the dudes and chicks in my generation (I'm 20) are in to. I figured I'd come away from the experience at least a bit converted to the opinions that today's music is where it's at. WRONG. I thought I disliked today's stuff before I experimented with it. Now I hate it that much more. I think today's bands get all their songs from a Music Supermarket, where all the sounds and guitar work is canned and bottled with childproof seals. Then they throw it in a mixer, dub their own vocals over the canned ones, and voila! a new "Incubus," "Fuel," "Nickelback," "Jimmy Eat World," "Hoobastank," "Static-X," or "Goo Goo Dolls" CD is produced. PLEASE.

So I turned my ears, having taken a battering from today's ... nu-metal, to my VAST 80's metal collection (Priest to Vinnie Vincent Invasion to Def Leppard to Slaughter), and I was soothed. One of the first I popped in was Danger Danger's debut album. I already liked the album, but comparing it to today's stuff, I appreciate the album even more.

The album is solid throughout. The lead track, "Naughty Naughty," is by far the album's best song, but that's saying a lot, considering that most of the material on this release could be on Danger Danger's "best of" album someday. "Naughty Naughty" is nicely followed by "Under the Gun," which has the same feel to it that the Top Gun soundtrack does (another recommended purchase). "Saturday Night" is probably the only track on here that just sounds more like Def Leppard to me than Danger Danger, and while that's NOT a bad thing, the song doesn't fit on this album.

This album has a number of semi-ballads and ballads that demonstrate this band's musicmanship as well as their top-notch production talents. "Don't Walk Away" is a very good semi-ballad, (boy the keyboards are added nicely in that song-- just enough, just the right sound); "One Step From Paradise" is the only true "ballad" on this album, but it belongs up there with Firehouse's "Love of a Lifetime" (1990), Warrant's "Heaven" (1988), and Dokken's "Alone Again" (1984). The vocals on "One Step From Paradise" are top-notch, reminding me of Steelheart (1990). A very good ballad. And finally, the semi-ballad "Feels Like Love" is the other in this category of slower stuff on this album, but nonetheless solid material. "Feels Like Love" has a nice rhythm to it, and a nostalgic feel to the lyrics and vocals. "Feels Like Love" is one of my favorite songs on the album.

Finally, the rest of the rock tracks on the album are "Bang Bang", which has some really good guitar work on it; "Rock America", probably the second most solid rocker on this album after "Naughty Naughty", and a very upbeat song; "Boys Will Be Boys", which has 80's-rockstar attitude much like "Naughty Naughty",; and "Turn It On" and "Live It Up" close out the album with pep and kick.

Overall the album has a good deal of keyboards, much like Europe or Autograph, though I think the album is more fun and more solid as a whole than anything either of those two bands did, save maybe for Europe's "The Final Countdown"-- a TIGHT album. The guitar work varies in intensity from song to song, but it's definitely there, and I think the keyboards actually compliment the guitar riffs, chugs, pings, and squeals very nicely throughout the entire album.

Anyway, I've said enough. If you aren't convinced to shell out ten bucks by now, you probably won't be! But this party album is fun, and well worth a listen (or two, or three...). Rock on!

A great debut for a young and hungry rock band. There are a lot of keyboards on this album, almost reminiscient of Quiet Riot's "QRIII" or anything Night Ranger put out. While keyboards leave a bad taste in your mouth on some songs, the majority of these benefit from the keys particularly the GREAT power ballad, "One step from paradise" one of my all-time favorites and the great rock anthem titled "Rock America." The hits from here were impressive as well "Naughty Naughty" and "Bang Bang." And as good as this is, their future cd's rocked, too! However, this is the only D2 (Danger Danger) cd that keyboards are noticeable, the rest of them focus on the voice and guitar. These players, as a band musically, are tighter than a duck's ass, they got everything down pact THAT DAMN GOOD, and on EVERY album no less. No mistakes. Steve West really pulls some heavy duty drumming on 'Rock America' and singer Ted Poley nails high notes in that same track and 'One step from paradise.' Buy this cd for the 2 tracks I just mentioned, they beat out the 2 hits 'Bang Bang' and 'Naughty Naughty' and guess what? They got a new cd so they aren't done yet.

But Danger Danger debuted with a fantastic one. Their self-titled debut is filled with great, catchy tunes from beginning to end. Out of the eleven tracks on this record, there is only one I don't like. "Saturday Nite" lacks originality moreso than the other songs; it sounds too much like a Def Leppard song. My personal favorites on this album are "Don't Walk Away", "Rock America" (that is a wonderful anthem; it should have been played all over the radio after the September 11th tragedy), "Feels Like Love" and of course "Bang Bang" and "Naughty Naughty" are great, too. Actually, as I said before, ten of the eleven tracks on this album are very enjoyable to listen to. The artists that 'Danger Danger' would most closely relate to on this album are defintely Europe and Night Ranger (personally I would prefer this cd over any of NR's or Europe's material). This is a great hair metal record and while the lyrics have nothing new to offer, all of the music is extremely enjoyable to listen to, Ted Poley's voice sounds great and the album is very consistent throughout. That is why I rate this cd with five stars.

This is a must if you are a fan of dokken, slaughter, winger, etc. Now let me tell you all i wasn't even around in the 80's really I was born in 85 . but this is all i listen to is glam rock and hair band stuff. i love it. i just purchased 10 cd's off of here and this is by far one of the best i have ever heard.. "Naughty, Naughty" is an unbelievable track! "Bang, Bang" is one of my all-time favorite songs from this era. "One Step From Paradise" is a great ballad. This whole album is awesome! This might be one of those albums that you don't want your friends to know that you have. Well all of my friends think i'm stupid cuz i listen to all 80's rock. but this is one of my top 10 picks for greatest albums. DANGER DANGER!!

In the 1986/87 era, bands like Motley Crue, Bon Jovi and Def Leppard laid the groundwork for the wave of hair metal bands that would crop up in the next few years, until grunge killed it off around 1992.

At first, close sounding bands like Whitesnake and Poison dominated the charts alongside them. In the 1988-91 era, though, the amount of power ballads and less heavy hit rockers increased, as did many good, but second-rate bands which may have only had a few memorable songs.

Unfortunately come 1989, Danger Danger got lumped in with that category. At first, I can see why. Many of the songs do sound the same, it's pop and not very heavy at all (for metal standards). However, that said, I also think the wrong songs got picked as singles, as many of the non-hits are actually WAY stronger.

1. Naughty, Naughty -- The leadoff medium synth hard rocker is good but a bit generic of this style. Loud but not threatening guitars, dirty lyrics about a 'naughty' girl. They were probably playing it safe by releasing this as a single.

2. Under the Gun -- This fun but midly serious tune is far better. Starting out a little dark and becoming an uptempo pop/hard rocker.

3. Saurday Nite -- Hard rocker about partying and cruisin'. Lyrics are very typical of this style, and sounds like a heavier version of a 1985 Loverboy album track, coincidentally called "Friday Night." I guess they moved it up a day after a few years.

4. Don't Walk Away -- A keyboard heavy slightly uptempo power ballad about telling a girl to not 'walk away' and give their love another shot. Even though this kind of song has also been done a million times by these bands, this is superior to many of them.

5. Bang Bang -- These guys sure seem to like double titles! If I recall, this may also have been a minor hit. A less heavy rocker, now about one of the guys catching his girl cheating. Sequence-wise, it might sound wrong coming after the previous song, but no matter, it's still great fun.

6. Rock America -- Extremely anthemic and keyboard driven fun tune. Though the "I wanna rock/don't try to stop me"-theme has been done to death, they sure do it good! A little soft to even be pop/metal. In fact, the opening vocals remind me of Mr. Mister's "Kyrie!" But I like that song too, so I'm not complaining. The rest sounds like Night Ranger.

7. Boys Will Be Boys -- Yet another lite metal tune similar in theme to the previous song, but much less better this time around. Not bad, just less catchy.

8. One Step From Paradise -- The softer power ballad. Nice, romantic tune about falling in love. Similar to "Don't Walk Away" but a bit happier.

9. Feels Like Love -- Mid tempo poppy soft metal tune which is another in the line of shoulda been hits. Not very deep, but has a nice sound to it and very sing-a-long.

10. Turn it On -- An energetic, 'in-love' song which is fairly catchy. If Survivor was a big hair band, I can visualise "Is This Love" sounding like this.

11. Live it Up -- The quality dips a bit for the closing track. The pace is a little slower, but it's still hard rock, with the self-explanatory title.

In short, there's a few songs that aren't as good, and to the casual listener, it might be hard to tell some of them apart. However, I think the problem with the lack of success is that the vocals sound tailored for a big hair metal band, whereas it seems that this material would've done better sung in a typical pop/hard rock style such as Loverboy.

Also, if this had come out 5 or 10 years earlier, it could've been huge, especially on AOR radio. It actually sounds like it could've come from 1983 or so - resembling more of a Loverboy, Survivor and Aldo Nova sound. However, arriving toward the end of the hair metal craze, having more generic vocals, as well as a couple too many tracks sadly sealed this album (and band's) fate as being in the Slaughter/Trixter category.

I also missed this album when it came out in '89 but i was over a friends house a couple of weeks ago and when he put on "Bang Bang,it reminded me of my teenage years in the 80's.After I left his house i went right to the music store and bought a copy.It's not a very hard album but its that kind of music that makes you feel good when you listen to it.I am a fan of the more harder stuff such as Megadeth,Ozzy,etc.But when I heard this I was blown away.My personal favorite tracks are "Bang Bang","Naughty Naughty",and "Saturday Night".Overall,its a CD that you won't put away for a while.

i have ALL the major bands' CDs from the 80's - Dokken, Slaughter, Crüe, Great White, White Lion, Whitesnake (OK, enuf with the WHITE thing, eh?) and THIS CD has to be in the top 10. There aren't enough good things to say about this CD.

This debut release from Danger Danger (D2) is good. It is more soft-sided and ballad-ish, but good. They're second release, Screw It! is just plain better than this one. They let their "big hair" down on Screw It! more than here.

On this release, Naughty Naughty and Bang Bang (funny that these two songs "echo" the band's double moniker) are the best, and the rest are decent. Feels Like Love is pleasant and Rock America is good, too. Nothing on this release is hard - it's all pretty soft stuff.

I really like "discovering" these hidden gems! I'm a fan of Hair Band Metal, and this group doesn't disappoint. Excellent CD!

One of the last "hair metal" bands to achieve mainstream success, MTV prettyboys Danger Danger took the Hollywood hair metal sound and systematically stripped it of anything remotely dangerous, leaving behind catchy pop hooks, saccharine sweet ballads, sixth-grader lyrics and plenty of hairspray. Honestly, they had as much in common with New Kids on the Block as they did with Motley Crue.

For some reason, Danger Danger is pretty highly regarded in AOR/melodic rock circles. I'm not entirely sure why. Aside from a couple of catchy singles, Danger Danger couldn't hold a candle to bands like Tyketto, Giant or Von Groove. Still, it's hard to deny some of the insanely melodic songs on the band's 1989 self-titled album. "Naughty Naughty" and "Bang Bang" were the big hits from the album, but I'll take the keyboard-laden, Night Ranger-sounding "Rock America" or the rockin' "Boys Will Be Boys" over those juvenile anthems any day. Slower songs like "Don't Walk Away" and "Feels Like Love" are also pretty good for what they are.

I suppose this qualifies as a guilty pleasure. I know why it's silly and why I shouldn't like it, but it's pretty hard to resist. I'll give it 3 stars for nostalgia and sheer fun. It's the metal equivalent of cotton candy, but hey, it's still better than the Bulletboys debut!