Customer Reviews

Refugee

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Okay all, This album is AWESOME! If you remember Danny Cooksie from Silverspoons (the lil 4-5 year old red-headed stepchild on the show) then you won't believe how gorwn-up he and his voice are on the cd. He is the lead singer and he has a voice to die for. Songs, like "Nineteen" and "Curious Intentions" are way great for teenage anthems. "Nineteen" was my theme song for my year of being 19. You just can't believe these are kids sounding like grown up musicians. Forget Hanson and all the boy bands out there. They don't hold a candle to the REAL "hardrock" boys band. Bad 4 Good gives Skid Row, Danger Danger, and other alike bands a run for their money.

IF you have not heard Bad 4 Good, you are missing out. BUY the CD, it ROCKS! Literally, rocks!

OK, I assume everyone knows the gimmick value of Bad4Good, that they were a band of teenagers put together by guitar hero Steve Vai, and included guitar prodigy Thomas McRocklin as well as former Diff'rent Strokes actor Danny Cooksey on vocals (you can't make this stuff up). I know that sounds like reason enough to steer wide around the band's 1992 debut Refugee, but in truth it's not a bad album at all.

First off, the kids could play. Musically, this is as sound an album as any other hair metal release from that era. Whether that's a good thing or not depends entirely on your point of view. I happen to love this stuff, and find myself coming back to this album as often as I do my Steelheart or Danger Danger albums. It's melodic, has some great guitar hooks, and while the lyrical content isn't anything to write home about, there are still some really memorable songs. The cover of Phil Lynott's "Nineteen" is well done, and "Slow and Beautiful" is as good a ballad as anything Warrant ever released. Unfortunately there is also a fair amount of filler ("Terminate", "Tyre Kickin'" and the inane rap-rocker "Felony").

If you're a hair metal fan and haven't picked up a copy of Refugee, you really should give the album a shot. It's a lot better than the gimmicks surrounding it would suggest.

i remember seeing the video for "19" on Mtv years ago when this album came out. A few weeks later i saw it at The Wherehouse for like $4.99 so i got it and you know what? Its awesome.

sure it isnt something classic but it was a good album for a bunch of young kids. These guys played their instruments better then guys i knew 20 years older.

sometimes i still put this cd on and i dig it. the songs are kinda cheesy but come on, the kids were like 13 or something when it was recorded...you really want deep, thoughtful lyrics for 13 year olds?

Thomas McRocklin was a awesome guitarist, Brooks Wackerman went on to play with Suicidal Tendencies and hes amazing on drums....as far as Danny Cooksey and the bass player (his name is on the tip of my tongue) who knows what happened to them?

so forget the moron below me who is talking trash and god knows if youll ever see this album for sale, but if you do...check it out. i have my cd and im sure ill pop it on the player from time to time.

Words cannot describe the poetic beauty that is Bad 4 Good's 1992 masterpiece Refugee. The heavy metal guitar licks and drumbeats mix perfectly with subtle nuances of tempo and melody that rival those found in the greatest work of Mozart. The whole effect has you wanting only one thing: more. The CD rockets out of the gate with the teen anthem Nineteen and doesn't let up until the last note of the CD vanishes from the air. Thomas McRocklin is in my opinion, the greatest guitarist who ever lives, bar none. Zach Young is equally as talented on his bass and the drumming of Brooks Wackerman is second to none. Of course, all this is over shadowed by the heart and soul of this band, lead singer Danny Cooksey. His voice in nothing short of amazing. He has an uncanny ability to make your blood boil with rage and get your fist pumping in the air one moment (like in Rockin' My Body and Terminate) only to turn around and make tears stream down your cheeks and an aching in your heart with songs like Slow and Beautiful and Nothin' Great About a Heartache. This CD eclipses all other works to come before it and the only thing that has come close to matching it since has been Looking for Freedom by David Hasselhoff. In the end this CD takes you through a journey of both heart and mind and when its over leaves you searching for answers deep within your very soul. If you are a fan of music, you owe it to yourself to own this CD. Nothing I have come across has been so life affirming, so ear pleasing, so...beautiful. I am still quite young and have a long ways to go before I reach the end of life's road, but I am certain I will never enjoy another 54 minutes of it quite like I did while listening to this slice of perfection. For years mankind has searched for paradise. The bible tells of the Garden of Eden, which was lost forever ages ago. The Vikings teach of a warrior's Valhalla that can only be reached by dying valiantly in battle. Buddhists believe in Nirvana, which can only be obtained through life times of service and strengthening of the soul. All I have to do to reach my paradise, my heaven on earth, is put this CD in my stereo and let Bad 4 Good carry me away.

I perchased this cd about 8 years ago and have almost worn it out. I want to know if these guys ever made any more cds. not a lot of people have heard of this band and thats a shame these guys are awesome especially for there age.

I know the idea of a bunch of teens playing hard rock music may seem phony at first, but man these guys could really belt it out. I'm sure that everyone knows the story of this band so i'll skip it, i'll just say that Danny Cooksey has a voice like a 40 year old alcoholic, and Tom Mcrocklin could shred like the best of em'.

"Refugee" is quite typical of what you would expext from a band not wearing flannel and converses in 1992. What I mean by that is, Bad4Good don't try to fit on the grunge bandwagon of the early 90's, they instead lived in a vacum and partied like it was 1989 all over again. I know these kids were only teens when they dropped this record, but if you had no idea of their age you wouldn't guess it by the way this album sounds. I'm almost sure Steve Vai had alot to do with their sound and image, but who would you rather have as a mentor than one of the greats? My favorite cuts from the record are "Nineteen", "Nothin' Great About A Heartache", "Banging Time Again", "Curious Intentions" and "Mother Of Love".

Bad4Good did an exellent job on their debut album, I only wish we could have seen what they would have progressed on to later in their career. We all know how this story ends though, Grunge became king, and anything associated with 80's hard rock died a painful death. Very Sad, but very true.

DANNY COOKSEY AND HIS BANDMATES ROCKIN
TILL THE HEARTACHE CURES.

HEY EVERYBODY! ITS THE ONE & ONLY
DANNY COOKSEY.

First of all, this album Refugee are produced and engineered by Steve Vai, with the following "teens" to include Danny Cooksey (Vo) 16, Thomas McRocklin (Gtr)12, Zack Young (Ba)14, and Brooks Wackerman (Dr)15. By the way...the lead singer "Danny" was starring in the movie "Terminator 2" as the buddy of John Conner. He sang since 5 years old and been performing eversince. The style of music is mixture of "Vai" and "MSG"... The band is well-structured, with choruses that reminds me of old "Europe" type of style... but songs are divided into fast, medium, and mellow Hard Rock tune. If you listen to this album without knowing that these guys are bunch of teenagers you will be surprised. Thomas has been playing on stage since 8 years old as a very talented young guitarist. Check it out!

I defy anyone to deny the absolute talent of these "kids". How awesome this cd is considering the ages of the players at the time of its recording. They put to shame some to the bands who were selling big time just a few years before. This cd is so heavy, so brilliant, it's mind boggling that it sells for .35 cents on this site. I can't say enough good things about it. The guitarist and singer are amazing. A buddy of mine saw them live in Dallas in one of their few shows and said he could not believe that they were in their early to mid teens. A terrific cd that even in '05 sounds fresh. Highly praised.

This is teh BEST album I have ever heard...EVER!!! To top it off at the time it was made the group members were between 13-16 years of age. Yet they played and sang like 30 year veterans.

I do not remember why I got this CD but I am sooo glad that I did. The hard rock songs slap you in the face and the ballads rip at your heart. Danny Coocksey wrote most of these songs and it sounds like he put his whole soul into the album. You can feel the intensity.

Do yourself a HUGE favor, you will thank me later....GET THEIS CD!!!!