Customer Reviews

Metal Health

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

THE BAND: Kevin Dubrow (vocals... R.I.P.), Carlos Cavazo (guitars), Rudy Sarzo (bass, synthesizer), Frankie Banali (drums & percussion).

THE DISC: (1983) Originally 10 songs clocking in at approximately 41 minutes, this remastered version gives you 2 bonus tracks and almost 52 minutes worth. The bonus tracks: "Danger Zone" (unreleased studio cut), and a live version of "Slick Black Cadillac". Included with the disc is a 10-page booklet containing song titles/credits/times, original artwork and additional black & white photos, a brief 3-page intro, and thank you's. Recorded at The Pasha Music House in Hollywood, CA. Originally released on Pasha's label, this digitally remastered version is on Sony/Portrait/Epic.

COMMENTS: Disco was officially out a few years prior. The early 80's introduced us to the next popular fad - New Wave. Hard rock was trying to make a come back. To many listeners, American metal was still a question mark at the start of the 1980's. The British/European invasion of heavy metal was in full force (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Scorpions, etc). In 1983 the biggest seller was Quiet Riot's "Metal Health" - bigger than Def Leppard's "Pyromania", Motley Crue's "Shout At The Devil", or Iron Maiden's "Piece Of Mind". 6+ million units sold and growing. As quickly as "Metal Health" rose (the first metal record ever to hit #1 on the Billboard album charts), the band fell from grace. DuBrow's antics were fairly well documented (#1 reason being difficult to get along with)... with other bands as well as his own. "Metal Health" was a solid album, and it's still a classic... but, it hasn't stood the test of time as well as any of the other albums mentioned above. For me, Quiet Riot was the definition of "pop" hair metal. "Metal Health" created the standard formula that all successful pop/hair metal bands seemed to follow... 1. Some aggressive hard rocking songs (""Breathless", "Run For Cover", "Love's A Bitch"); a couple of hits ("Metal Health", "Cum On Feel The Noise"), and a power ballad ("Thunderbird"). Quiet Riot's cover version of Slade's "Cum On Feel The Noise" hit #20 on the Billboard charts (#5 on the pop charts), as the title track hit #31. "Slick Black Cadillac" had minor success on the radio as well. Cavazo's "Battle Axe" is a short guitar solo - in the same vein as Eddie Van Halen's "Eruption". A brief history of the players is documented in the disc booklet - Quiet Riot being formed by guitar-god Randy Rhoads and singer DuBrow in the mid 1970's without much success; Rhoads and bassist Sarzo leaving QR to play with now solo Ozzy; Rhoads killed in a plane crash; Sarzo returns with Banali joining on drums and Cavazo on lead guitar. Some truly great songs here - my favorites are the title track, "Don't Want To Let You Go", and "Breathless". The ballad "Thunderbird" (though an ode to Rhoads) is musically weak. The bonus tracks - "Danger Zone" fits right in with the rest of the album (good stuff), but the live "Slick Black Cadillac" is absolutely horrible (sounds like an out-of-breath high school band doing a cover tune). The potential was there to continue (and more albums being released), but Quiet Riot never again achieved the success it had in '83. "Metal Health" is a classic in the "pop" arena of metal (4.5 stars).

I got this album after seeing the kick ass video for the song Metal Health. I couldn't get enough of it! I still enjoy cranking that metal anthem. Ironically Quiet Riot would achieve great success a few years after guitar legend Randy Rhoads left the band to join Ozzy. New guitarist Carlos Cavazo was no Randy but he could play a good riff or a wailing solo. The big hit off the album was the cover of Slade's Cum On Feel The Noize. It seemed you couldn't turn on MTV without seeing that video. But the album has other good songs like the emotional Love's A Bitch and the Cavazo guitar showcase Battle Axe! Then there is the ballad Thunderbird, apparently written about Randy who died in a plane crash in 1982, and the smooth rocker Breathless. The track Slick Black Cadillac is a decent song from the Randy years and Let's Get Crazy is simple but fun headbanger. The only song I never got into was Don't Wanna Let You Go. Quiet Riot's career would go downhill after the next album but Metal Health is still a good album despite some of the ridicule heaped on it.

What's the 4-1-1?
Any 80s heavy metal fan already knows the story of Quiet Riot's third album. I mean, they played that damn Behind the Music special on VH1 a million times. Basically, the group was virtually unknown until the release of this album. The album became legendary (and I use that term loosely) because it was the first metal album to reach #1 on the pop chart. I'm sure the band would have preferred to set that record with a song of their own, but it was with their cover of Slade's "Cum on Feel the Noize" that sent the band into the mainstream.

You know the song I'm talking about. It was the party anthem of the decade. It's loud, bombastic, and undeniably catchy. However, the band's first single was "Metal Health (Bang Your Head);" a track loaded with heavy guitars and string bending guitar solos. The song also has the dubious distinction of appearing in the movie Footloose. The band takes a chance on the ballad-like "Don't Want to Let You Go," but fails because vocalist Kevin Dubrow's voice is just to rough. Killer riffs and driving rhythms make "Slick Black Cadillac" a fun ride, but after hearing the description of the actual car, who would want it?

"Love's a Bitch" works more as a ballad because hard rockers are always pissed off about relationships. "Breathless" has all the makings of a pop-rock hit. "run for Cover" actually justifies the album as a heavy metal one. "Let's Get Crazy" is loaded with hooks as it tries to undo a few in the backseat. "Thunderbird" has always been a live favorite for the band as it pays tribute to their former guitarist Randy Rhodes.

The Verdict
I certainly wouldn't rank Metal Health as one of the greatest albums of all time, but for the time period, it was a solid rock album. It's a shame that it will only be remembered for one song, because there are a few others that are on the same level. Success was short lived for the group, as they used the same formula for their follow-up album Condition Critical. They even tried a second Slade cover. The band continued to release albums (with a different vocalist at one time), and toured the club circuit keeping Metal Health alive.

I got this for a friend that doesnt get out too much. He's in a mental institution and this will be good basket weaving music for others like him.

This is the BEST Quiet Riot album of all time. Period. There was so much ambition in these songs and much promise of things to come. This album turned-on millions of people to Hard Rock and Heavy Metal during the 1980's and influenced many, many, imitators along the way. "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)", "Cum On Feel the Noize", "Slick Black Caddilac", etc. have been enshrined into Heavy Metal History! If you are collecting Classic 80's Metal, you HAVE to have this Cd.

This is a great Metal CD from beginning to end. I played this thing to death when it first came out on vinyl. Big drums, crunchy guitars, thumping bass, and screaming vocals along with a number of great tunes. What's not to like here?

This cd is an absolute classic! I grew up listening to Quiet Riot on record and this remasters version is fantastic. Highly reccomended!

Metal Health is a fantastic album. Featuring some of their best songs including their all time most popular hit "Come on Feel the Noise". In the 80's there was only one band that delivered Rock-em', Sock-em' heavy metal punch, and that was Quiet Riot. Who cares what's going on in the world, forget your troubles, and crank up Metal Health all the way to the party. The live cuts of bonus material also does the trick as it adds to the flare of digital remastering. Their follow up album 'Condition Critical' is another awesome album to have as it is also one of Quiet Riot's best including no shortage of the same On-the-floor, Out-the-door beats. Quiet Riot will not dissapoint, get this album!

I had always hesitated to buy this album in previous years, probably because it had such a stigma of a "cheesy, 80's hair-band" to quote a few critics. After listening to this album, I am ashamed that I did not buy it sooner. What is so amazing is that this album was revolutionary in the rock music industry, yet many music critics fail to acknowledge this fact. Once you listen to the songs on this CD, you'll realize that no other album like this had ever been created before. The music is brash, the style is flamboyant, and the passion is overwhelming. It paved the way for not only other 80's hard rock bands, but also for grunge, heavy metal, and alternative bands that are doing well today.

Most of the songs here are exceptional. The classics are "Cum On Feel The Noise" and "Metal Health", of course. A surprisingly creative anthem is "Don't Wanna Let You Go". Other rockers consist of songs like "Slick, Black Cadillac" and "Thunderbird". The bonus track is somewhat of a letdown with a live version of "Cadillac". There are definitely a few flaws with the live track such as production and sound engineering. One flaw is that there is too much treble input in the music and crowd noise which diminishes the energy of that performance and actually makes the music sound fuzzy and distorted.

Quiet Riot is what I call a two-hit pioneer. They came out with a few exceptional songs, but more importantly, provided hard rock an entrance to a mainstream audience and market, thus entrenching them into a classic-rock-band status. This band wasn't legendary, but it was the catalyst for the explosion of hard rock bands that have been created and evolving ever since. Get this album for your classic rock collection!...

People slam this band all the time. "Cheese" metal. I don't think so. Real classic metal fans know this is on the level of anything Ozzy or KISS did. It's at least better then the [stuff] Def Leppard was putting out (Hysteria...nuff said). Give this a chance. Quiet Riot was not trying to be some legends like Zeppelin. They just wanted to put out some decent metal. They did...