Customer Reviews

Over the Edge (Mlps)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is Hurricane's second album and first full length release. Unfortunately, because the Enigma label is no more this release is no longer in print. Would be nice if some other label picked up the rights and reissued it. Similar to the debut EP, Take What You Want, this release has some really good songs, but also has some filler. Eighteen is a cover of the Alice Cooper song and is an aquired taste in this slower, plodding form. Give Me An Inch sounds like a heavier Duran Duran song. Also, the key changes in We Are Strong sometimes seem to put the song on the verge of being out of tune. However, Over The Edge, I'm On To You (probably their best known song), Spark In My Heart, and Shout are all solid rockers and pretty much define the sound of the band with its original lineup. This was the last record to feature original lead guitarist Robert Sarzo and afterwards the band has never sounded the same. The next album, Slave To The Thrill, featured guitarist Doug Aldrich, but sounded too much like a lot of other bands out at the time and isn't as good an album. The singer (Kelly Hansen) and drummer (Jay Schellen) reunited and put together a new album in 2002, titled Liquifury, with a new guitarist and bassist. That album is probably the most cohesive the band has ever recorded, but still lacks the distinctive guitar sound Sarzo seemed to bring to the group. If you can find a used copy of Over The Edge, pick it up while you can. 3 1/2 stars but I'll round up since this is the band's defining album.

I picked this up back in the 80's basically to hear what they would do with Alice Cooper's "Eighteen". It wasn't what I expected, they turned it into a ballad, but after a couple listens it started to grow on me. What I like about this band was that they tried different things. This is definately a pop metal album, and the songs all have a radio friendly chorus and hook, that is 9 of the 10 songs do. My review and three stars all go toward the final song on the album called "Baby Snakes". This song is great, I guess you could call it an instrumental, because basically the band is just jamming out while you hear a loser named Jeff working up the courage to call a girl and ask her out. Listening to Jeff get shot down in flames all to a killer drum beat and screaming guitar riff is too much. I think my favoite line is when Jeff is asked what he is doing he says "Oh not much just sitting around watch Mr. Ed...I mean Miami Vice" If you can find a used version of this disk pick it up, but it's not worth the $30+ I see it listed for here.

1988's Over the Edge is the first full-length album from Hurricane, which featured vocal powerhouse Kelly Hansen (who would later go on to front Unruly Child and Foreigner). Hurricane's style was somewhere between Warrant and House of Lords. It was hard hitting, but very melodic.

The songs on Over the Edge stuck pretty close to the love song/rock anthem formula that was so common with these kinds of bands, but never got too clichéd - there's no "Cherry Pie" moment here. All of the songs are fairly strong, but the cover of Alice Cooper's "I'm Eighteen" and the catchy as hell single "I'm On To You" are the album's highlights. Over the Edge's odd moments are the extraordinarily poppy "Give Me an Inch" and the "hidden" final track "Baby Snakes", which is essentially a guy repeatedly calling (stalking?) a girl on the phone while Hurricane's music plays in the background.

Overall, this is a very good album, and one that most hair metal/melodic rock fans will want to hear, especially now that it has been reissued. Not only is this previously impossible to find CD back in print, but it features crystal clear digitally remastered sound. If you already have Over the Edge on CD and are wondering whether this reissue is worthwhile, believe me when I say that the remastering is nothing short of incredible.

NOTE: The CD comes housed in a mini-LP style package. It's essentially a slightly oversized cardboard sleeve with the disc enclosed in an interior envelope with brief liner notes. I'm not a huge fan of this kind of packaging (it doesn't do a great job protecting the CD), but I have to admit that it is ideal for showcasing the album cover artwork, and as you can see Hurricane's album covers are worthy of the extra attention!

"Over the Edge" is the second studio album by American melodic hard rock band "Hurricane" originally released in 1988. "Over the Edge" was to be the last album to feature the original "Hurricane" line up of lead singer Kelly Hansen, guitarist Robert Sarzon, bassist Tony Cavazo and drummer Jay Schellen.

While most would regard "Over the Edge" a faithful continuation of the sound introduced by "Take what you want", "Hurricane" actually push the creative boundaries of their style. To begin with , the album has more musical layers than their debut; guitar riffs topped by melodic guitar lines and complemented by background keyboards. It is equally important to note that Kelly Hansen makes extensive use of his full range, experimenting on both low and high-pitched vocals, beyond his characteristic mid-range.

"Over the edge" is a surprising opener for an album of this kind, kick-starting on acoustic guitars only to build up into a hard rock juggernaut. "Messin' with a Hurricane" is another mega rocker where the rhythm section wages wars and the guitars shred like mad. On the other hand the slowed cover version of "I'm eighteen" does not quite hit the mark. Following is the protestant "We are the strong", perhaps the strongest moment on "Over the edge" baring incredible peaks and climactic choruses.

In a sense "Over the edge" could be regarded as an experimental album (by melodic hard rock standards) where the band attempts to expand musically with various degrees of success. On certain songs it works beautifully, on others not that much, yet it should appeal to long term fans of the genre.

Over all this is a very good album. If you like 80's rock this is a definite must have in your collection. Great vocals and guitar work, the title track is still my favorite.

From the beginning, Hurricane was fighting the tag of Quiet Riot junior since Robert Sarzo (guitar), Tony Cavazo (bass) are the younger brothers of Quiet Riot's Carlos Cavazo and Rudy Sarzo. This might have been what pushed the band to seek out a different sound that many have noted creeps toward Duran Duran at times.

Far from a perfect disc, Over the edge delights in the way that many 80's metal albums did, a few excellent songs mixed in with concert filler. Over the Edge provide many more highlights than most did; Commercially penned "Over the Edge" and "I'm on to you". A moody rendition of Alice Coopers "Eighteen" team up with Duran Duran'ish "Give me an inch" and the quirky "Baby Snakes". rounding off with more than solid "Messin with a Hurricane" and "Spark in my Heart". To form a play list that is surprisingly solid with few holes.

Hurricane had quite a different sound on this disc. Usually moody and mid tempo, once you get into the groove of this disc it never leaves you. Some disregard it at first listening, but that is their loss. Give this some time and it will be a keeper for the long run.

I got into Hurricane very late, 20 whole years after this was released in fact. It was on a free compilation dvd i got with another cd i'd ordered, on this dvd is over an hour of pure 80's rock magic and one of the best videos is Hurricanes I'm Onto You. As soon as I heard the opening few seconds I was hooked and made a real effort to find the album it came from. I'm happy to say I managed to download the remastered version in highest quality for a mere £7.99 which I burned onto a cd immediately.

I find Hurricane to be one of the best of the overlooked 80's bands because judging from this 1st full album they should have been huge with songs like the title track, Over The Edge and I'm Onto You. Also their cover version of Alice Coopers I'm Eighteen which they slowed down slightly giving it their own unique take is really very good.

All of the songs here are well written and well played with all the band showing off their skills without showboating and trying to steal any limelight for themselves instead creating a tight sound and complimenting each other. Kelly Hansen has a wonderful voice, powerful and melodic, Robert Sarzo is a very skilled guitarist and the other 2 guys provide a fantastic rhythm section.

I also feel that they have made a rather strange choice of tribute for a rock band, the song Give Me An Inch to me sounds like a hard rock tribute to Duran Duran given the way Kelly sings it and the whole sound of the song, the even stranger thing is that it fits perfectly with the rest of the album and feels totally natural.

I will close now by saying if you don't have this album and you like great 80's hard rock then you should definately buy this as I can't rave about or recommend it enough, don't miss out you might regret it!!

This is a great album! "Over the Edge" and "I'm Onto You" are great 80's anthems! The only question I have is why Kelly Hansen went from singing these songs to "Hot Blooded" and "Cold as Ice" in Foreigner. He should call up Robert Sarzo and get Hurricane back together again and play Rocklahoma!

Kelly Hansen's vocals on "Over the Edge" blow anyones away! This is one powerful album with a cover of A. Coopers "Eighteen" and the original "I'm on to you" plus more 80's metal to love. Only disappointment is the last song with the phone conversation over some great music. Poor choice for a song but still worth it for the rest.

Underrated album from a talented 80's hard rock band. On par with all the other bands of that era, though they didn't achieve the success that their peers did. If you are a fan of the 80's metal era, this is a must have for your collection!