10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Decent rock; but is this really Bad Company?, May 14, 2003
This review is from: Dangerous Age (Audio CD)
This album got some decent airplay in the late 1980s on rock stations; understandable, since it fit the sound of the times with that polished, melodic guitar rock sound. Certainly not the best of that genre, but pretty decent. However, it is not at all like the Paul Rodgers-era Bad Company. Brian Howe is now on vocals, and the style is totally different.
"One Night" is a solid rocker to lead off the album that got some airplay. "Shake It Up" is generic and a marginal song. "No Smoke Without A Fire" is a fine rocking song that got a lot of airplay. The title track is catchy and a lot of fun. "Rock Of America" is a good melodic anthem. "Something About You" is a nice ballad--the only one on the album.
I do like this album and its follow-up "Holy Water" of a couple of years later. (The rest of the Brian Howe Bad Company era is marginal in my book.) Just don't expect that classic sound of the '70s but simply some decent late '80s polished rock and roll.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bad Company's second wind, June 5, 2008
This review is from: Dangerous Age (Audio CD)
I know I'm in the minority here, but as much as I enjoy the early Paul Rodgers albums, the late 80's/early 90's albums with Brian Howe on vocals are my favorite Bad Company releases. They were just completely slick, catchy, melodic (and yes commercial) AOR albums, and Howe's voice was perfect for that style of music. The AOR/melodic rock sound was getting its second wind (and plenty of airplay) at that time, and Howe helped Bad Company capitalize on that.
Despite the fact that Howe joined the band with 1986's
Fame and Fortune, 1988's Dangerous Age is really the first Bad Company album with the new AOR sound. Gone was the bluesy, soulful sound typically associated with Bad Company. Instead the band served up ultra polished, made-for-radio commercial rock, relying on catchy melodies and Brian Howe's arena rocking voice. Now, if you hate that kind of music (and there are plenty who do), nothing I say is going to convince you otherwise. I happen to love this kind of music, and for me, Dangerous Age,
Holy Water, and
Here Comes Trouble are all essential albums. No Smoke Without a Fire was the hit single from this album, and the ballad Something About You should have been. The rest of the songs are hit and miss. There are some really good melodic rockers, and some obvious filler tracks.
Overall this is a solid AOR album and the start of a new age for Bad Company. The band's 1990 album Holy Water is an even better example of the new Bad Company sound.
If you're looking for a "classic" Bad Company album, this isn't it. If you're a fan of the late 80's AOR/melodic rock style, you'll definitely want to check out the Howe era Bad Company albums, and Dangerous Age is a great place to start.
Edition Notes: Wounded Bird reissued Dangerous Age in 2010. Like all of their reissues, it has not been remastered nor does it include any bonus material. If you already own a copy of Dangerous Age, there's no need to replace it.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
OK, This is not the OLD Bad Company, but it's GREAT, April 24, 2002
This review is from: Dangerous Age (Audio CD)
If you are one of those people that mourns the loss of their "band" when they go and change their format through the years by becoming more mainstream and not "rockin' like they used to"......think REO Speedwagon, Aerosmith, Metallica, U2,....then this CD is NOT for you. The songs on this CD don't even sound like the same band that did "Can't Get Enough of Your Love." But, put your feelings of betrayal aside--I know it's hard, I'm still mourning the loss of the old Metallica myself--and check this out. Not the same sound but the same great guitar jammin', drum bangin', and music composin'. Keep in mind: it got A LOT of airplay went it came out.
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