{"id":9864,"date":"2012-07-02T10:11:04","date_gmt":"2012-07-02T14:11:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southeastofheaven.com\/?p=9864"},"modified":"2022-01-06T19:43:23","modified_gmt":"2022-01-07T00:43:23","slug":"the-album-by-album-challenge-ratt-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/?p=9864","title":{"rendered":"The Album by Album Challenge: Ratt"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Welcome to another \u201cAlbum by Album Challenge.\u201d For those that are new here, the \u201cAlbum by Album Challenge\u201d is where I take a band\u2019s entire discography and listen to every album in order of release from front to back. With my unforgiving and well-aged ear, I call it how I hear it. In some cases, I find that what I once thought was good is actually pretty crappy and sometimes crap manages to age into something pretty kick ass. And in some cases, face melting is still just good ol\u2019 face melting.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This time around we’re digging deep into the Ratt discography. Ratt was always one of my favorite 80’s era hard rock bands. I always enjoyed their live shows but their studio releases haven’t always been the most consistently good things. Most albums contained 1\/2 filler and sometimes even had more filler than good songs. I was really curious to see how my mind may have changed (if at all) about these albums after all these years. I hope you’ll enjoy <\/strong>reading my Ratt Album By Album Challenge!<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>RATT \u2013 RATT<\/strong>
\nRelease Date<\/em><\/strong>: August 23, 1983
\nThe Good: <\/strong>Sweet Cheater, You Think You’re Tough, Tell The World, Back For More
\n The Bad:<\/strong>
\n The Indifferent: <\/strong>U Got It, Walkin’ The Dog <\/strong><\/p>\n

Ratt’s debut, self titled EP still holds up really well and also contains two of my favorite all time Ratt songs: “Tell The World” and “You Think You’re Tough.”\u00a0 This EP did little to break Ratt into the mainstream world as it would be their follow up major label album Out of the Cellar<\/em> that put Ratt into the homes of millions.\u00a0 This EP is really cool and it sounds exactly how you think an independent EP release from a band in 80’s would sound.\u00a0 It sounds a bit dated but still a fun listen.\u00a0 I could’ve done with out their cover of “Walkin’ The Dog” and while I love the song “Back For More” this version doesn’t come close to the version that would appear on Out of the Cellar<\/em>.\u00a0 This is a great one to own and a great starting point as it’s fun to hear their sound really progress and refine from this point.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Ratt \u2013 Out of the Cellar<\/strong>
\nRelease Date<\/strong>: March 27, 1984
\nThe Good<\/strong>: Wanted Man, You\u2019re In Trouble, In Your Direction, Lack of Communication, Back For More, The Morning After, I\u2019m Insane
\n The Bad:<\/strong>
\nThe Indifferent<\/strong>: She Wants Money, Scene of the Crime<\/p>\n

Out of the Cellar is every bit as good as I remember it. This is the album that put Ratt on the map without a doubt. While the EP was a great introduction to Ratt, Out of the Cellar is a real tour de force of hard rock awesomeness. It has catchy hooks and choruses and this album also is responsible for some of Ratt\u2019s most memorable songs. \u201cWanted Man\u201d is still one of the coolest fucking songs ever and \u201cLack of Communication\u201d has one of the baddest opening riffs ever. The songs are totally solid and the delivery is full of that fire and determination that I love so much in a band. \u201cScene of the Crime\u201d and \u201cShe Wants Money\u201d are the sore thumbs here as they do very little to enhance this album. They could\u2019ve left them off and this would\u2019ve been a perfect album. \u201cThe Morning After\u201d is one of my favorite songs and it\u2019s a total face ripper with its chunky riff, driving rhythm, and a killer dual guitar solo from Warrant DiMartini and Robin Crosby. Stephen Pearcy is such an underrated singer in my opinion. He has such a distinct voice and it\u2019s a voice that cannot be duplicated no matter how hard you try. Out of the Cellar is a timeless classic and while the production sounds a bit dated, the songs hold up extremely well nearly 27 years later.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Ratt \u2013 Invasion of Your Privacy<\/strong>
\nRelease Date<\/strong>: June 13, 1985
\nThe Good<\/strong>: You\u2019re In Love, Never Use Love, Lay It Down, Closer To My Heart, What You Give Is What You Get, You Should Know By Now, Dangerous But Worth The Risk
\nThe Bad:<\/strong>
\nThe Indifferent:<\/strong> Give It All, Between The Eyes, Got Me On The Line,<\/p>\n

It\u2019s funny how time can change your opinion on things. I can remember only like maybe 2 songs off of this album back in the day but this time around I found myself really enjoying the majority of this album. I mean, the songs are cheesy as fuck but c\u2019mon. This is Ratt. It\u2019s not like they\u2019re trying to be Bob Dylan here. These guys were the reigning kings of sleaze and this is a sleazy fucking album. The production is a bit brighter on this album and the songs are just as fun and memorable. \u201cYou\u2019re In Love\u201d starts out with that signature Warren DiMartini riff but it\u2019s \u201cLay It Down\u201d that totally stands above all. There\u2019s a reason that is one of the band\u2019s biggest songs. It\u2019s because it kicks so much ass. \u201cCloser to my Heart\u201d is about as close as Ratt ever got to a ballad and it\u2019s a great tune. Ratt as a band were amazing musicians and they had a way of taking these kinds of cheesy songs and giving it some substantial foundations. This one only had three duds on it but the good songs were so good that they more than make up for the not so good.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Ratt \u2013Dancing Undercover<\/strong>
\n Release Date<\/strong>: August 9, 1986
\nThe Good<\/strong>: Dance, Drive Me Crazy, Slip of the Lip, Looking For Love, Take A Chance
\nThe Bad:<\/strong> It Doesn\u2019t Matter, Enough is Enough
\nThe Indifferent:<\/strong> Body Talk, One Good Lover, 7th Avenue,<\/p>\n

I know it\u2019s kinda strange to talk about Ratt songs as \u201cgood songs\u201d and \u201cnot so good songs.\u201d Again, these guys were not Rush or Bob Dylan and they didn\u2019t try to be. Ratt were the kings of sleaze just behind Motley Crue (I like Ratt way better to be honest) but on this album Ratt just seemed to start losing their momentum. The opening track on this album gets a lot of hate but I fucking love \u201cDance.\u201d It\u2019s got that killer opening riff and Pearcy just fucking nails it. As a whole, this is a pretty weak album though. Tons of filler but unlike Invasion of Your Privacy, the good songs are just that. They\u2019re just \u201cgood\u201d and nothing more. While songs like \u201cBody Talk\u201d, \u201cOne Good Lover\u201d, and \u201c7th Avenue\u201d are just ok, they are totally forgettable. \u201cSlip of the Lip\u201d is probably the only real stand out track besides \u201cDance\u201d that I feel is a really strong song. I don\u2019t think I loved this album even back in the day and 20 something years later it\u2019s just just meh.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Ratt \u2013 Reach for the Sky<\/strong>
\n Release Date:<\/strong> November 3, 1988
\nThe Good<\/strong>: City to City, I Want A Woman, Way Cool Jr., Don\u2019t Bite The Hand That Feeds You, I Want To Love You Tonight, Chain Reaction, The Bottom Line,
\nThe Bad:<\/strong>
\nThe Indifferent<\/strong>: No Surprise, What\u2019s It Gonna Be, What I\u2019m After<\/p>\n

Ratt returned in 1988 with Reach For The Sky and this was a much better album than Dancing Undercover. Not only was this a great album but it sports Ratt\u2019s greatest song to date, \u201cWay Cool Jr.\u201d The guys captured lightning in a bottle on that song but unfortunately, that song is so fucking good that no other song on the album comes close. There are some really great songs on this album such as \u201cI Want A Woman\u201d and the awesome \u201cCity to City\u201d opener but here\u2019s what I\u2019ll never get. Why does Ratt always seem to close out their albums with like 2-3 weak ass songs? It\u2019s always such a letdown to hear a Ratt album close out on such a weak note. As usually, there are really no terrible songs on this album. There\u2019s one amazing song, a handful of really good songs and a few unforgettable ones. This seems to be the formula for Ratt albums so at least they\u2019re consistent.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Ratt \u2013 Detonator<\/strong>
\n Release Date<\/strong>: August 21, 1990
\nThe Good<\/strong>: Shame Shame Shame, Loving You Is A Dirty Job, Scratch That Itch, Hard Time, Heads I Win \u2013 Tails You Lose, All or Nothing, Can\u2019t Wait on Love, Givin\u2019 Yourself Away, Top Secret
\nThe Bad:<\/strong>
\nThe Indifferent:<\/strong> One Step Away,<\/p>\n

Detonator is hands down Ratt\u2019s greatest album since Out of the Cellar. I can\u2019t get over just how much I love this album. This would be Ratt\u2019s last good selling album and even at this point saw the band downgrading from arena tours to small theaters and clubs. The good songs on this album are fucking killer with only one song that had me saying, \u201cmeh.\u201d \u201cShame, Shame, Shame\u201d is such a kick ass song and just may be in my top 5 favorite Ratt songs of all time. \u201cGivin\u2019 Yourself Away\u201d is about as close to a ballad as they get on this album and it\u2019s a great fucking song. Ratt even managed to close an album out with a great song called \u201cTop Secret\u201d which made me feel that they were finally breaking this trend of closing the album out on a weak note. Ratt just seemed to be clicking musically and creatively as all the songs just have a great vibe to them and while they\u2019re catchy and cheesy, they have some seriously awesome guitar work going on in them. Song for song this is probably my 2nd favorite Ratt album and it holds up really well. This is a really fun listen and I\u2019m so glad I was reminded of just how great of an album it is.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Ratt \u2013 Ratt (1999)<\/strong>
\n Release Date<\/strong>: July 6, 1999
\nThe Good:<\/strong> Over The Edge, Live For Today, Dead Reckoning, Luv Sick,
\nThe Bad:<\/strong> We Don\u2019t Belong, Breakout, Tug of War, It Ain\u2019t Easy, All The Way, So Good So Fine
\nThe Indifferent:<\/strong> Gave Up Givin\u2019 Up,<\/p>\n

This album really started off sounding kind of promising with \u201cOver the Edge\u201d but as the album played on, the worse it got. I\u2019m not quite sure what Ratt was aiming for with this album. First off, Stephen Pearcy needs to not \u201ctry\u201d and sing. I liked his voice so much better when he just didn\u2019t seem to be trying to be a singer. Musically this album totally lacks those signature, crunchy, Warren DiMartini riffs. To me, it sounds like Ratt was trying to be a serious band and maybe even trying to achieve a more modern, kind of alternative sound. It\u2019s really kind of sad because a lot of bands from their era tried to do shit like this and failed miserably. There are a handful of good songs on this album but even those songs are just totally forgettable. Ratt would have been better off not even putting out this album as it did very little, if anything, for them. It sounds more like a contractual obligation. Do yourself a favor and pass this one by.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/strong>Ratt \u2013 Infestation<\/strong>
\n Release Date<\/strong>: April 20, 2010
\nThe Good:<\/strong> Eat Me Up Alive, Best of Me, A Little Too Much, Look Out Below, Last Call, Lost Weekend (LoC), Garden of Eden, Take A Big Bite, Don\u2019t Let Go, Scatter
\nThe Bad:<\/strong>
\n The Indifferent<\/strong>: As Good As It Gets, Take Me Home,<\/p>\n

Holy wow. Leave it RATT to make and release the greatest album of their career when nobody was expecting it. This album is just out of control awesome. Maybe the time away was good for them but whatever it was, Ratt made a huge comeback with ex Quiet Riot guitarist Carlos Cavazo and they were firing on all cylinders. Every song (even the \u201cOK\u201d songs) are pure riff monsters. It\u2019s like Warren DiMartini went back into the Ratt catalog, collected every kick ass riff, threw it into a blender, and came up with a slew of awesome songs. The first single from the album, \u201cBest of Me\u201d is probably the most riffatastic song since \u201cLay It Down\u201d and my personal favorite song \u201cLost Weekend\u201d totally sounds like the bastard brother of \u201cLack of Communication\u201d from Out of the Cellar. All in all this is a fantastic album. It\u2019s a great listen and it\u2019s classic Ratt. Matter of fact, it\u2019s even more classic that classic Ratt. I only wish that Ratt made more albums like this back in the day but this one gives me some hope that we haven\u2019t seen the last of these guys. Ratt N\u2019 Roll indeed.<\/p>\n

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Welcome to another \u201cAlbum by Album Challenge.\u201d For those that are new here, the \u201cAlbum by Album Challenge\u201d is where I take a band\u2019s entire discography and listen to every album in order of release from front to back. With my unforgiving and well-aged ear, I call it how I hear it. In some cases, I find that what I once thought was good is actually pretty crappy and sometimes crap manages to age into something pretty kick ass. And […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[711,277],"tags":[344],"class_list":["post-9864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-by-album-challenge","category-music-news","tag-ratt"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9864"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19556,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9864\/revisions\/19556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}