Pencilstorm on Springsteen: Our Top Five Stories So Far

A very wise band from DE-troit, Michigan once said, "The time has come for each and every one of you to decide whether you are gonna be the problem or whether you are gonna the solution."  (I fully realize that adage may have originated elsewhere - like Voltaire, or Benjamin Franklin, or a Marvel comic book - but being a West Side rock & roll boy, I only know it from The MC-5.)  I thought of that quote last Friday when Bruce Springsteen cancelled his North Carolina show over the issue of LGBT rights, and reminded me of those long-lost days when rock stars cared more about social issues and less about how many of their tunes they could peddle to car company commercials, in order to sell their souls to the highest bidder.

So, as a kind of preview to Tuesday's E Street Band show at Value City Arena (there's that highest bidder thing, again) we at Pencilstorm thought we'd post links to our five favorite Bruce stories we've run in the past.  (Later in the week, sometime after the Willie Phoenix show Thursday at the CD 102.5 Big Room Bar during the Pencilstorm Hall of Fame festivities, Ricki C. will be providing his review of the show, which is taking place exactly 40 years & 1 week after the first time Ricki saw Springsteen, April 5th, 1976.)  

Click here to read "The Perfect Age For Rock n Roll Pt 2"  - Ricki C. describes seeing Bruce for the first time in 1976. This whole series is a must, must read. 

Click here to read "My Chance Meeting With Bruce or His chance Meeting With Me" - Colin G. once hung out with Bruce, one on one, for about 45 minutes. Go figure.

Click here to read " A Review of Bruce Springsteen Cincinnati 2014" - Ricki C reviews Bruce 38 years after seeing his first show.

Click here to read "In His Passing, Clarence Has Given Bruce the Gift of Music Everlasting" - Before there was Pencilstorm. Colin wrote this review of the dazzling new E Street line-up on the Wrecking Ball tour for Colingawel.com

Click here to read "Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Veteran's Memorial, 1978" - Ricki C on his favorite Springsteen show ever.

a little video action from the current tour

 

 

 

Four String Brew's Dan Cochran Talks About Playing in Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

Why Isn't Cheap Trick  in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? is playing Ace of Cups Friday, April 8th. Click here for details

- What is is about Cheap Trick that motivated you to join this band?
 
Dan - I’ve been a Cheap Trick fan for years now.  They have such a great catalog of tunes, and most of it is underrated.  In addition to that, they have toured forever.  It’s great for fans, because they come through most American cities every year.  They headline their own shows, open for obscure bands, play corporate gigs, and come through on festival dates.  If you pay attention, you can see them a couple times of year without having to travel very far.
 
 - Tom Petersson and his 12-string bass have a very distinctive sound, how has your rig evolved over the years trying to simulate it?
 
Dan - When we started this thing four years ago, I really had no idea what I was getting into.  The first few years, I used one of my Fender basses and my regular rig.  I’ve always played with my fingers and continued to do so on the Cheap Trick tunes.  In the end, it didn’t feel right and it didn’t sound right.  What a lot of people don’t understand is that Petersson’s sound is most of what you hear in the Cheap Trick sound.  His bass covers a giant frequency range, and the way he plays holds down the bottom end while creating melody and full harmonic range at the same time is truly distinctive.  

Once I really started listening to the Budokan record, I realized that he was playing most of the parts.  What I thought was guitarist Rick Nielsen in so many places was actually Petersson.  Nielsen really just paints on top of everything with tasty leads (and writes nearly all of the tunes).  Even Robin Zander plays more guitar live than people think…..and not like a pussy either (Bono).  So, I realized last year that I needed to take the plunge and get the 12-string bass sound going.  For those who don’t know, Tom Petersson literally invented the 12-string bass.  His basses have multiple outputs and he splits his signal in many ways.  Nobody knows for sure exactly how he is crossing the frequencies. He also changes his amplifiers on a regular basis.  For me, part of the fun of going to see CT is to stand stage left in front of Petersson and look at what amps he brought out.  It’s different every time, and always totally bad-ass.  

Dan Working on Gonna Raise Hell at his Brewery. Photo by Chris Casella. Bass Tuning by Oscar.

Dan Working on Gonna Raise Hell at his Brewery. Photo by Chris Casella. Bass Tuning by Oscar.

I decided against buying a 12-string bass.  What I would want is ridiculously expensive and I’m still not convinced it would sound right.  So, the challenge is to get a distorted 12-string bass sound from a 4-string bass.  With some help from bandmate Rick Kinsinger, I started building the rig.  I have played with bass distortion for many years, and there is a major problem with it.  No matter what pedal you use, the low end goes away when the distortion is engaged.  So, the answer is to split the signal.  I use my regular rig for a clean low end.  It’s a Traynor 200 watt bass head on an Ampeg SVT ported 4x10.  For the high end, I’m basically putting a guitar half-stack on top of my other amp. This year I’m using a Sovtek 50 watt head on a vintage Music Man folded cabinet.   The high end signal is run through distortion and a pitch fork pedal.  The pitch fork gives me the octaves for the 12-string sound.  Together, it sounds killer!  

The other issue is what bass to use.  When I plug a Fender bass through it, it sounds great, but not like Petersson.  Last year I used a vintage Gibson Thunderbird.  It was perfect!  Everything I wanted.  Lately, Petersson has been playing a semi-hollow body Gretsch 12-string.  I recently found a 4-string version of the bass that is really cool.  That’s what I’m using for the show this year.  The hollow body gets a great low end tone and tons of feedback!  It’s basically a giant guitar envy setup, which has been a lot of fun. 


- Do you feel like Tom gets enough credit strictly as a bass player? 
 
Dan - No, I don’t think he does. I think it’s linear with Cheap Trick as a band.  They are one of the great bands in rock & roll, and most people don’t realize it.  Petersson is the same way.  If you ask bass players who their favorite players are, his name doesn’t usually come up.  It’s probably because of his crazy tone and 12-string basses.  What CT fans need to know is that his sound IS Cheap Trick.  His sound covers the entire stage.  He’s more than a bass player.  There aren’t many other examples of this.  John Entwistle from The Who is one.  I remember reading an interview with Pete Townsend talking about the reunion tour The Who did back in the late 80’s.  They decided that because of hearing damage, the stage volume would have to stay below 90 db.  The problem was that when The Ox wasn’t able to turn the full rig on, they had to hire strings, keys, and horns to sonically fill things out.  Petersson does the same thing.
 
 - What are your favorite Cheap Trick songs to perform live?
 
Dan -  I really like the heavy stuff….Auf Wiedersehen, He’s a Whore, On Top of the World, etc.
 
- Who are some of your other favorite bass players?
 
Dan -  There are so many: James Jamerson, Donald “Duck” Dunn, John Paul Jones and Paul McCartney are a few.
 
 - Four String Brewing is going through a major expansion and you have two young ones at home, how do you find the time to squeeze in a project like this?
 
Dan - That’s a great question.  My time has gotten really tight in the last year or two.  We just built a new production facility on the West side, expanded the Grandview taproom, and opened distribution in the rest of the state.  I decided a few months ago to promote my two year old son, Oscar.  He’s basically running the show these days: running the brewery, booking gigs, and working as my bass tech.  He gets a little whiny sometimes, but I don’t have to pay him.  It’s a good deal.  The brewers get a little pissed off that they have to report to a two year old, but whatever.
 
- If I stopped by the Four String Taproom and I hear some Cheap Trick playing, what beer would go best with that?
 
Dan - Definitely a Brass Knuckle Pale Ale!
 
 - Any chance of a special edition 12 String Brew in honor of Tom Petersson making the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
 
Dan - I think we would have to brew (3) Four String beers for the math to work.

Dan Cochran is a founding member of the band Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? and the Four String Brewing Company. He also plays bass in Colin Gawel and The Lonely Bones and toured the world and elsewhere with the band Big Back 40. Four String Brew is available everywhere so look for it on a tap or in a store.

Auf Wiedersehen / Goodnight - Cheap Trick Live 01-21-89 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Tom Petersson Hoisting a Four String Brew to Honor Dan.

An Interview with Colin Gawel From Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? - Ricki C.

Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? will be playing their final show ay Ace of Cups Friday April 8th. Teenage Fanclub Fanclub opens the show at 6pm. FREE. Click here for details.

 

Ricki: How did the whole "Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?" project come about?

Colin: My son is big into basketball, so I spend an inordinate amount of time sitting in gyms during the winter months. At one point during halftime somewhere, I think maybe Olentangy Orange Middle school, I got to thinking about how it's total bullshit that Cheap Trick isn't in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I used to have that thought a lot. Somehow, the idea of starting a band that was actually called "Why isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?" popped into my brain. I looked up the date of that year's induction ceremony, e-mailed the good folks at the Beachland Ballroom and pitched the idea. I had the whole thing booked by the end of the game. Of course, I had no plan or band, but I figured i could work that out later. 

Thankfully, the guys from The Lonely Bones were game with helping on the project. I'm proud to say we have come a long way since that first year. 

Ricki: Do you think you guys actually made an impact and helped Cheap Trick get into the Rock hall this year?

Colin: Obviously, Cheap Trick did all the heavy lifting by being Cheap Trick, but I think overall, the passion of their fan base pushed them over the top. I think we helped in a fun way and certainly our little band got lots of press in The Onion, Rolling Stone and Salon - among others - Andy Gray at the Youngstown Trib jumps to mind- so It was just a way to keep the idea alive and drink beer while doing so. But Cheap Trick has a huge network of dedicated fans working for this cause. Numerous fan pages and petitions were circulating. Ken Mills did a nice job on the subject in his podcast and DJ's like Lou Brutus, Howard Stern and Brian Phillips have been banging the Cheap Trick drum for years. 

It just goes to show what an impact Cheap Trick has made on so many people. As much as people champion other bands for the Rock Hall on Facebook, nobody actually does anything to make it happen. Cheap Trick fans were active and engaged in the cause and that says a lot about their relationship with their fans. So if you want the MC5 or Journey in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, get off your ass and organize. It can be done. Cheap Trick is living proof of that.

Ricki: Many people hate the idea of a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and say it's better to not be inducted.

Colin: I know. That's not my opinion. There are all sorts of museums. Why not have one for rock n roll? A hall of fame is supposed to encourage conversation and debate. (see: Steroids and the Baseball Hall of Fame.) I'm all for anything that keeps rock n roll alive and the rock hall serves this purpose. Even when bands like Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments dis the hall, if validates it all the same. I mean, they care enough to write a song about blowing it up. The worst thing that could happen would be indifference. That isn't happening. People have very strong opinions about the institution itself and who should be included. I could post something about Mott the Hoople and the rock hall right now and get 20 comments in sixty seconds. Also, I know a few of the folks at the rock hall and they are good people. Fans like you and me. I mean, who is cooler than Lisa V.? Umm, nobody. That is the rock and roll hall of fame.

And I suppose it makes me a homer but I like that it's in Cleveland. If we can't get a sports title at least I can stare at Keith Moon's drum kit when I feel like it. My son and I visit every year and we always have a great time. Once again, what's not to like? Lighten up people. It's only rock and roll. 

Ricki: Watershed - when they were still a full-blown touring band entity - once did a show playing all Cheap Trick covers, kind of a precursor to Why Isn' t Cheap Trick In the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? What was the story on that?

Colin: If you have read the book Hitless Wonder you know Watershed only exists because of Cheap Trick. We cut our teeth growing up trying to play Cheap Trick covers so at some point we just decided to string them all together and do a free show. I think we did it at Skully's the same day the record Rockford came out. Not my favorite record, by the way. Click here to check out my complete Cheap Trick song rankings.

Trying to be like Cheap Trick helped Watershed become unique because nobody can be as good as Cheap Trick. It's just not possible. So we found our own little niche. Bands that aspire to sound like REM, U2, RHCP or even The Replacements just turn into half-assed versions of those bands. It's too easy. 

Ricki: Most of the Robin Zander lead vocals on Cheap Trick tunes are pitched in your old bandmate Joe Oestreich's vocal range. How do you pull those vocals off now?  

Colin: Before I answer that, let me say that  drums, bass and guitar all have their challenges to do these songs justice. Herb needs to ride the snare, Dan has to get close to Tom's sound and Rick has to play all those quirky Rick licks. As far as vocals go, about two weeks before the first Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? gig I thought I better get it together on vocals or this shit could go viral in a bad way. For the first time in my life I started doing vocal exercises and stuff like that. I can do it, but I have to be in good shape to pull it off. I think it has helped my singing overall, though.

Ricki: What was the first Cheap Trick song you learned to play all the way through? And how old were you when you learned it?

Colin: The quick answer would be "Hello There," but as for a more proper song I would guess "Downed." Both from the soundtrack to Over the Edge. Probably 6th or 7th grade?

Ricki: What's the most difficult Cheap Trick song to play? And what is the easiest?

Colin: For us, they are all challenging. I mean, in theory a song like "Surrender" shouldn't be very difficult but it's hard to do right without being Cheap Trick. Try it with your band and it won't sound good the first 20 times you play it. It may never sound good.  

Rick's writing is very quirky. Even the simple stuff suddenly drops in an A# just for the hell of it. "I Want You to Want Me" is pretty easy for me because it's basically a drum part and guitar solo with one guy singing over top. Rick and Herb have the hard work on that one. Vocally "Tonight It's You" is very challenging. And for songs like "Speak Now" and "Gonna Raise Hell" Dan has to have his bass sound locked in or it just sounds like over cooked pasta.

Ricki: Were there any Cheap Trick tunes you started to rehearse and then realized, "Damn, we're not good enough to do justice to this."?

We were doing "It's Only Love" from The Doctor for a while but it's a pain in the ass and nobody really liked it anyway, so we dropped it.

Ricki: These have always been free shows. It's obviously a lot of work to promote and perform. Why no cover charge?

It just wouldn't be a good fit for this project. We aren't trying to profit from the cause or from Cheap Trick's music. We have sold a decent amount of Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame? t-shirts but we plow the money back into advertising for the cause. We usually pass the hat at the end of shows and that helps us cover gas, beer and babysitters. Click here to read 'Your Shirt Sucks' a Cheap Trick recap. 

Ricki: You guys promised to disband when Cheap Trick got the nod, what are you guys going to do now?

For me, I need to spend the rest of the year getting a new Watershed record together. And I'm shooting a video for my solo track "Dad Can't Help You Now" in the near future. With Pencilstorm, the coffee shop and coaching little league, my plate is pretty full. I'm sure we will show up sometime under a new name. I mean, it's just too much fun playing these songs: maybe, I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends - A Tribute to Cheap Trick. Yeah, something like that may work.

Buggy Eyes and a Big Butt, part five: Movies 67-74

Q&A Intro, 1-17, 18-36, 37-51, 52-66, 67-74, 75-87, 88-103, 104-120, 121-131, 132-152, 153-173, 174-187, 188-221, 222-255, 256-287, 288-314, 315-341, 342-366, Index

Ratings key:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ = I can’t see giving anything that I’ve seen once five stars
★ ★ ★ ★ = get to the theater / move it up in your queue
★ ★ ★ = “three stars is a recommendation” - The Empire [magazine] Podcast
★ ★ = if the remote is too far away, you could do worse
★ = if the remote is too far away, get someone to move it closer then throw it at the TV

067
Dogfight (1991) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: River Phoenix, Lili Taylor
director: Nancy Savoca

The night before they ship off to fight in Vietnam, a group of soldiers play another round of Dogfight, in which they each try to find the ugliest girl for a cash prize.

Lili Taylor is amazing and a perfect counter to River Phoenix's intensity. It’s a shame he’s dead. And it’s a shame she’s not in more things these days. [checking Lili Taylor’s filmography] Whoa. She’s worked a lot lately. Consistently, really, since she started. OK, it’s a shame I don’t watch the things she makes these days.

double feature pairing: Tigerland

068
Ricki and the Flash (2015) ★ ★.5
stars: Meryl Streep, Mamie Gummer, Kevin Kline
director: Jonathan Demme
writer: Diablo Cody

At first scene I thought this movie was going to correctly illustrate how few people will see an unknown, touring band. Ricki and the Flash play a show to virtually nobody. A few disinterested people at tables. A small handful are paying attention to the band, who belt out “American Girl.” It’s a cover, sure, but what band doesn’t pepper a few into their set.

As the movie went on it’s clear RATF is a cover band, with a residency. It’s the level she’s come to rest after an unsuccessful original music career, a broken marriage and a reluctance to keep in contact with her kids. I can sympathize a bit with Ricki, but her kids are right to be pissed.

Also, a cover band regularly playing the same venue pulls a bigger crowd than what's portrayed above. That? That's what Wichita looks like for a Columbus band.

The movie is fine yet frustrating. She plays a song of her own for her ex-husband and daughter. However, when it comes time to give the gift of song to her son at his wedding reception (because it’s all she has!), she opts to play a Bruce Springsteen cover.

Spoiler alert: she wins over all the stuffed shirts at the event. Everyone is happy and all is forgiven. [to the tune of a foghorn] Buuuuulll-shiiiiiit.

watch Crazy Heart instead

069
Stagecoach (1939) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Andy Devine
director: John Ford

A group of strangers take the stagecoach for various reasons. All secrets will be revealed as they try to stay one step ahead of the attacking Apache.

Yep, it’s a worthy classic. The ambush of the stagecoach is still thrilling. There’s suspense in the slow reveal of everyone’s motivations. No wonder its influence on the westerns and action movies that followed.

double feature pairing: Hombre

070
Seven Samurai (1954) ★ ★ ★ ★ 
stars: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima
director: Akira Kurosawa

Farmers of 15th century Japan hire samurai to protect their village from bandits.

Like Stagecoach, this movie inspired imitations. Unlike Stagecoach, I don’t think this original has been bettered. Great action and humor. Some incredibly heart-wringing moments.

Despite my appreciation for it, I got a little antsy. Three and a half hours is a long time to sit through something. I think any movie over three hours should be seen in the theater. There are too many distraction watching something that long at home.

double feature pairing: 13 Assassins

071
The Wave (2015) ★ ★ ★
stars: Kristoffer Joner, Ane Dahl Torp, Thomas Bo Larsen
director: Roar Uthaug

A rockslide in a Norwegian fjord causes and tsunami, turning the inhabitants’ lives into a world of hurt.

It’s a disaster movie that hits all the standard beats. There’s the geologist who sees the problem, even though everyone else thinks he’s overreacting. There’s the sullen teen who causes more trouble because he’s doing what he wants. And you’ve got people acting randomly because people, other than the leads, have to die.

It’s a disaster movie that doesn’t have to pile on a bunch of nonsense, either. Rockslide causes tsunami, people deal with it. That’s it. It doesn’t set off a chain of rockslide tsunamis or cause all the moose to attack. It’s simple tension within a well-known template and a thousand times better than anything I saw in the first hour of San Andreas, which is all I watched of that garbage.

And now, some Norwegian insight:

In the opening scene, our hero flips all through the dial trying to find some music not for these damned kids today. “I’m 40,” he screams as he finds “Splitter Pine” from DumDum Boys, the best Norwegian rock band. He and I both cheer.

Dagbladet was misplaced in the VG section of a newspaper rack in the hotel lobby. The production designer dropped the ball, I thought. Not so fast, says a VG representative. "We actually do find examples now and then that this happens in real life, and do constantly have to educate the retailers.” The production designer is a genius! Someone give Lina Nordqvist an award.

double feature pairing: Earthquake

072
The Naked Face (1984) ★
stars: Roger Moore, Rod Steiger, Elliott Gould
screenwriter/director: Bryan Forbes

A psychiatrist is on someone hit list. The cops are no help so he looks into the who and why himself.

A flatline thriller from the start. Rod Steiger plays it big. Elliott Gould plays it small. And Roger Moore plays it with huge eyeglasses.

watch D.O.A. instead

073
Harold and Maude (1971) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort
director: Hal Ashby

Death-obsessed Harold meets free-spirit Maude. A May-December romance for the ages.

It’s as great as they say. Very funny and dark. Some great juxtapositions that should be in a museum.

double feature pairing: The Fisher King

074
Bridge of Spies (2015) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda
director: Steven Spielberg
writers: Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen

An insurance lawyer is tapped to defend a captured Soviet spy and later to negotiate a swap for a fallen U.S. pilot.

It’s a lot better than the trailer made me think it would be. I’d heard people crying about its runtime. Sure, it’s long, but I couldn’t see anything substantial that could have been cut. It’s well written and acted. The first ten minutes is some delicious spy meat and potatoes.

double feature pairing: The Falcon and the Snowman

Counters:
74/366 movies (14 movies off pace)*
12/52 movies directed by women

THE TOP THREE

*Just because I didn't do my job watching movies doesn't mean you should be shorted on your entertainment. So here is a video sampling of DumDum Boys:

Pencilstorm Hall of Fame Nominee: Mean Mr. Mustard's AC/DC - Cult Night

By Pencilstorm contributor Wal Ozello

Mr. Mustard’s AC/DC – Cult Night was the most amazing OSU College Campus Experience and I dutifully submit it as a first ballot Pencilstorm Hall of Fame nominee.

For those of you who have been to Mean Mr. Mustard’s AC/DC – Cult Night, you are sure to agree with me. If you haven’t, here are the facts:

1)      It’s AC/DC – Cult Night, not AC/DC Cult night. Every other song they played that night was by AC/DC or The Cult. The other songs were filled in with metal or hard rock. Imagine an evening of Thunderstruck, For Those About to Rock, Fire Woman and She Sells Sanctuary, mixed with Master of Puppets, Dr. Feelgood, or Mr. Brownstone. If you remember the Campus Bars sound systems like I do, those speakers were LOUD.  Imagine metal played over them instead of club music. Piercing distorted guitars and double bass drums never sounded better. 

2)      Buckets of beer. Well… every OSU bar sold buckets of beer. But if you’ve never been to an OSU campus bar, understand they had 2.5 gallon buckets which were completely filled with beer from the tap... for $5. That’s about five and half pitchers. We'd put three people on a bucket and get sloshed.

3)      It was every Sunday night. The last ditch effort of the weekend to party your ass off. What better way to do it then with metal and buckets of beer. Sometime I looked at it as the end of a great weekend, other times I thought of it as the beginning of an awesome week. Either way, it rocked. Finished it off with a trip to BW3's wings or the Greek place to get a gyro.

4)      Mean Mr. Mustard’s was known as the alternative bar. It was usually filled with pre-goths types listening to sad stuff like Morrissey, Depeche Mode, and R.E.M.  – but on Sunday night the metal heads took over. Everyone there was for the rock music. Lots of hair, leather, tattoos and jeans.  

5)      It was truly balls to the wall music. You had metal heads, college kids, and locals all getting together to listen to music that really rocked. Imagine Headbanger’s Ball but live. Every song, one after the other, was an awesome surprise of “in your face” metal.

I have amazing memories from AC/DC – Cult Night and many more experiences that I don’t remember (note… buckets of beer). If I got my hands onto a time machine, this would be one of my first stops. 

AC/DC - Cult Night deserves an honored spot in Pencilstorm's Hall of Fame. It represents everything we stand for hear at Pencilstorm. 

Wal Ozello is a science fiction techno-thriller novelist and the author of Assignment 1989 ,  Revolution 1990, and Sacrifice 2086. He's a resident of Upper Arlington, Ohio and a frequent customer at Colin's Coffee.

1984 Glam Metal Smack Down: The West Coast Vs. The East Coast - by Scott Carr

1984 Glam Metal Smack Down - The West Coast vs. The East Coast

1984 was a banner year for the genre of Glam Metal. Glam Metal defined the decade of the 1980's, and 1984 was possibly one of its biggest years.

The previous year had seen Quiet Riot top the charts with their breakthrough album Metal Health. Metal Health was the first ever heavy metal albums to hit number one on the Billboard album charts and would go on to sell more than six million copies. The success of that record opened the flood gates for Glam Metal.

The Glam Metal scene of the 80's is closely associated with LA's Sunset Strip, which produced a long list of bands including Motley Crue, WASP, LA Guns, Dokken and countless others. While Los Angeles could be dubbed the Seattle of the 80's, it did not solely account for all the action. The East Coast also had its fair share of glam bands: Cinderella, Britny Fox, Skid Row, Kix and  Bon Jovi are just a few that come to mind.

Taking all of that into account, I thought I would lay out some arguments for two albums that came out in 1984 that had major chart success and let the masses decide which one is the champ. If not the masses at least the Pencilstorm.com loyalists can weigh in.

First up from the West Coast we have Ratt with their full length debut album Out of the Cellar. 

Ratt formed in San Diego and their history stretches back to 1973. After numerous name and lineup changes Ratt officially appeared on the scene in August of 1983 with their independently released self-titled EP. The success of this EP landed the band a major label deal with Atlantic Records and the band quickly began work on their debut full length album.

Out of the Cellar was released on March 23, 1984 and was an instant hit on MTV and radio. The album's first single "Round and Round" peaked at No. 12 in the Billboard singles chart and proved to be the biggest single of the band's career. The video for "Round and Round" featured a cameo from comedian Milton Bearle, who was the uncle of Ratt's manager Marshall Bearle. As for the rest of the record it was loaded with catchy guitar riffs from Warren DeMartini and raspy lead vocals from Stephen Pearcy. I always thought of Ratt as a new breed of Aerosmith. They had all the typical trappings of the era but with an underlying blues rock thing that kind of made them different from the rest of the pack. "Wanted Man" and "Lack of Communication" were also released as singles but did not chart as high as "Round and Round." The videos for "Wanted Man" and "Back For More" received heavy rotation on MTV.

Ratt would continue to have moderate hits with their next few records and became a huge concert draw but never quite matched the success of their debut album.

Currently Ratt is touring with only one original member, drummer Bobby Blotzer.  Dude must need the cash.

 Out of the Cellar Stats:

Triple Platinum (over 3 Million units sold)

Peak Chart Position on Billboard Charts - #7

"Round and Round" #12 on Billboard Hot 100

"Wanted Man" #87 on Billboard Hot 100

Future Whitesnake video vixen Tawny Kitaen appeared on the Out of the Cellar cover

 From the East Coast we have Twisted Sister with their third full length release Stay Hungry.

Twisted Sister come from the streets of Long Island, NY and like Ratt their history goes back well over a decade. The band was formed in 1973 by guitarist Jay Jay French but it would take several years before the band would find the right combination of players to create the Twisted Sister that became a worldwide success. With the addition of lead singer Dee Snider in 1976 the band soon become a huge live draw and released two singles on their own label. Although the band became very popular in the New York Tri-State area, they could not get a record deal. The band eventually signed with Secret Records, an indie punk label out of the UK. Secret Records released the band's first EP Rough Cutts and debut album Under the Blade. Although both releases brought the band great success in the UK, Secret Records would go out of business by 1983 and the band was again without a label. Atlantic Records quickly signed the band and released their next album You Can't Stop Rock 'N Roll in June of 1983.

Stay Hungry was released on May 10, 1984 and would bring the band a whole new legion of die-hard fans. As with Ratt, MTV once again proved to be vital in the commercial success of Twisted Sister. The videos for "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" both featured a cameo from Mark Metcalf, best known for his work in Animal House as Doug Niedermeyer. Metcalf channels his best Doug Niedermeyer for both videos and ask "What do you wanna do with your life?" and of course the appropriate response to that question is always gonna be "I Wanna Rock."  Both videos became staples in MTV's daily line-up and Dee Snider became one of the most recognizable front men in rock and roll. Twisted Sisters image was more on the cartoonish side of glam metal and that would eventually work against them. A couple more albums followed Stay Hungry but Twisted Sister would never repeat the success they had in 1984.

Twisted Sister are currently in the midst of playing some farewell shows and promoting their career spanning documentary We Are Twisted F***ing Sister.

 Stay Hungry Stats

Triple Platinum (over 3 Million units sold)

Peak Chat Position on Billboard Album Charts - #15

"We're Not Gonna Take It" #21 on Billboard Hot 100

"I Wanna Rock" #68 on Billboard Hot 100

 Now the big question, which one of these Glam Metal icons should reign as the top dog of 1984? Looking at the stats they are very close in terms of sales, so it cannot be judged on sales alone. Overall Ratt had a higher chart position for their record and singles, but does that make them the champs? Twisted Sister tagged their ravenous fan base with the moniker "SMF's" which stood for 'Sick Mother F******". While Ratt called their form of Glam Metal "Ratt 'N Roll." So, is it the "SMF's" or the "Ratt 'N Rollers"? Dee Snider went to bat for the whole genre of Heavy Metal when he spoke at a Senate hearing where the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) was trying to censor music, so maybe his band wins,  because that was epic.

Below are some links that may help crown a winner in this battle. In the end both bands had a great 1984 and obviously there was enough room in the marketplace for both, but now is the time to decide which has stood the test of time.

Let the music do the talking.......

Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH  bands Radio Tramps andReturning April.  Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.

1 - You Think You're Tough 2 - You're In Trouble 3 - The Morning After 4 - Round And Round Show Louco de Fudido

Watch the official video for Ratt's "Round and Round" released as a single in 1984. It proved to be the biggest hit of Ratt's career. The song was named one of "VH1: 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's" and was named one of the best hard rock song of all time also by VH1.

Featured on the "ratt & roll" album

Uploaded by gene scott on 2014-03-23.

Description

Live in Auckland, New Zealand 1985. Pro-Shot!!! You Can't Stop Rock N' Roll Knife In The Back Stay Hungry We're Gonna Make It We're Not Gonna Take It Burn In Hell The Kids Are Back I Wanna Rock

Subscribe to INDIE & FILM FESTIVALS: http://bit.ly/1wbkfYg Subscribe to TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/sxaw6h Subscribe to COMING SOON: http://bit.ly/H2vZUn Like us on FACEBOOK: http://goo.gl/dHs73 Follow us on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/1ghOWmt We Are Twisted F***ing Sister! Official Trailer 1 (2016) - Documentary HD They were the Grand Funk of Glam and the NY Dolls of Metal.

Watch the official music video for Twisted Sister -- We're Not Gonna Take it [Extended Version]

Watch the official video for Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock" "I Wanna Rock" is from the album Stay Hungry (1984). In 2009 it was named the 17th VH1 Greatest Hard Rock Songs by VH1.

Twisted Sister - The Price Watch the official video for Twisted Sister's "The Price." Twisted Sister was formed in Long Island and sppeared on VH1's 100 greatest artists of hard rock. Download the greatest hits at iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/stay-hungry-25th-anniversary/id320268623 For more info, go to: http://www.twistedsister.com/