How are you at spotting Hair Bands?

[Guitarzan]

I didn't hate hair metal, i was busy listening to Judas Priest, Accept, Satch, Yngwie, Vinnie Moore, Dire Straits, VH, AC/DC, Queen and Queensryche. I don't consider VH to be hair metal they were more than that.

 

 

[skipclone 1]

I missed 2-would have been 1, I kept voting GnR but it wasn`t registering so I tried another one. Not bad considering how disastrous my attempt at those hairstyles was.

[revolead]

I can only guess you meant the cheesy songs on the Over The Top soundtrack. Eddie and Sammy did that real stinker "Winner Takes It All" for that movie. No one from VH was involved in the Top Gun soundtrack.

 

Point taken. I guess I assumed the song "Higher" was on the soundtrack. I dunno why, but I always associated it with that. Probably because of the lyrics.

 

 

Def Leppard was the personification of everything I hated about the "Hair Metal" era - there was absolutely NOTHING "metal" about their sound, yet they were consistently slammed in everyone's faces as being one of the poster children for the entire genre. Hell, the Hysteria album consisted predominantly of tracks that could have easily fit in on an Adult Contemporary radio station - "Hysteria", "Animal", "Love Bites" - watered-down pop-rock trash.

 

I never said Def Leppard was "metal" I said they fall into the hair metal band genre. You missed my entire point, obviously, because now you're ranting about something you do not like as though no one else could ever like it. Look, Griff. You know you and I are some of the only people on this forum who like heavier metal. And no crap that Def Leppard or Skid Row do not fit the genre. But it doesn't mean we need three pages bashing someone's musical taste.

 

Warrant, Enuff'Z'Nuff, Britney Fox, Great White...

 

I don't really like any of those bands, either, and I'm glad we can agree on that.

 

...a never-ending parade of misogynistic no-talent chodes shaking their asses and singing vacuous songs about sex and bad relationships.

 

As opposed to other metal, rap, punk, classic rock, some blues, modern rock, and the hundreds of other genres which are full of such enlightening lyrics that they make me want to get off my butt and continue working on my novel.

 

Honestly, there is not a single genre that you cannot say that about. Every band ever has had a song about sex, bad relationships, f****ing the system, and angry parents. It's a part of life, a part of a band, and in general, a part of what it means to be human. If we all went around writing lyrics about the Peloponnesian War, then maybe you could avoid it. Otherwise, we'd all be stuck rewriting the requiem mass 1400 times over.

[Griffinator]

I never said Def Leppard was "metal" I said they fall into the hair metal band genre. You missed my entire point, obviously, because now you're ranting about something you do not like as though no one else could ever like it. Look, Griff. You know you and I are some of the only people on this forum who like heavier metal. And no crap that Def Leppard or Skid Row do not fit the genre. But it doesn't mean we need three pages bashing someone's musical taste.

 

I know you didn't say they were metal. But you and I both know there were a ton of witless goofballs out there calling them metal. It's a pet peeve, and I felt the need to explain it in detail.

 

(edit) - Actually, Skid Row was more metal than most of their peers in that group. Their second album was a frickin' powerhouse!

 

As opposed to other metal, rap, punk, classic rock, some blues, modern rock, and the hundreds of other genres which are full of such enlightening lyrics that they make me want to get off my butt and continue working on my novel.

 

Honestly, there is not a single genre that you cannot say that about. Every band ever has had a song about sex, bad relationships, f****ing the system, and angry parents. It's a part of life, a part of a band, and in general, a part of what it means to be human. If we all went around writing lyrics about the Peloponnesian War, then maybe you could avoid it. Otherwise, we'd all be stuck rewriting the requiem mass 1400 times over.

 

You missed the key word in there - "Vacuous" - the late 80's hair bands were writing downright stupid songs about sex and bad relationships. If they were even remotely clever, I'd give them a pass. Hell, I gave Bon Jovi a pass for their 1992 single "Bed of Roses" - for once, he wrote a set of lyrics that sounded like he actually put some effort into them.

 

Speaking of the current state of heavy metal, I actually found myself watching the HBB on MTV2 the other night. Wow, have we sunk that low? Mushroomhead?! Looks like a Marilyn Manson cloning experiment gone horribly wrong, and less interesting music to boot! There was one Swedish (I think) band that was decent - "Stone for my memory" or something like that. The rest of it? Static X - looking pretty washed up. Slayer - also looking pretty washed up. Boy was that a stinker of a vid, too - a shot of someone's eye for 4 minutes, with stock footage of war scenes superimposed on the pupil. What, are they running out of budget for their vids?

 

Anyway, you know me, dude. I like to rant. I like to be verbose with my replies, because I can work through an entire thought, and cover my bases. It's not a slam on someone else's taste, it's me offering my opinion with background, rather than just saying something vacant like "well Def Leppard sucks"...

[Wes from Wpg]

100%, but I grew up on it. Still gotta throw some Firehouse & Skid Row in the CD player once in a while

[revolead]

Speaking of the current state of heavy metal, I actually found myself watching the HBB on MTV2 the other night. Wow, have we sunk that low? Mushroomhead?! Looks like a Marilyn Manson cloning experiment gone horribly wrong, and less interesting music to boot! There was one Swedish (I think) band that was decent - "Stone for my memory" or something like that. The rest of it? Static X - looking pretty washed up. Slayer - also looking pretty washed up. Boy was that a stinker of a vid, too - a shot of someone's eye for 4 minutes, with stock footage of war scenes superimposed on the pupil. What, are they running out of budget for their vids?

 

Don't ask me. I tend to avoid anything post-1991. Aside from Dream Theater, Trivium, Shadows Fall, and a few underground metal bands, as far as I'm concerned metal died after Bob Rock took over Metallica. Some of the 1980s bands are still producing cool stuff, like Iron Maiden, but aside from that, I have little faith in modern metal.

 

Anyway, you know me, dude. I like to rant. I like to be verbose with my replies, because I can work through an entire thought, and cover my bases. It's not a slam on someone else's taste, it's me offering my opinion with background, rather than just saying something vacant like "well Def Leppard sucks"...

 

Understandable. And don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to censor anyone. I just hate to watch innocent threads turn into something ridiculous that involves nothing but arguing and hatred. It is the Internet, for crying out loud. Let's not yell at people we haven't even met.

 

BTW - I agree with you on the lyrics. I have a tendency to get annoyed by many hair band lyrics too. I like Bon Jovi and Winger as much as the next 80s aficionado, but both bands and almost every band for that matter has their share of pointless, obnoxious lyrics.

[skipclone 1]

Winger was light years beyond Bon Jovi, similar image maybe but that`s all.

[chris01]

Omg i got them all!! lol

 

Two were lucky guesses though, the others i knew.

[BAE]

I got them all. What does that mean? OOOOOOHHHHHH NNNNNOOOOOO

[BAE]

Actually, I still love the big hair bands. It beats the crap out of alot of bands out today. Most of them actually knew how to play. Reb Beach from Winger and George Lynch from Dokken are Still two of the best guitar players around.

[Megiliel]

Mullets scare me, but I will admit that I do listen to some Def Leppard- not often though. They have some cool harmony and they make me giggle because the lead singer's voice is higher than mine, but they played pansy music. I am just grateful that I wasn't born in the '80s so I didn't have to be terrified out of my mind.

[doc taz]

Honestly... I didn't hate all the so-called hair bands back in my teenage days.

 

Some of them were OK, but I used to hang around skateboarders and misfits, so I can't say I heard them much. I'd often hang around with friends at some makeshift skate park, and blast lots of hardcore/punk (Misfits, Minor Threat, JFA, Black Flag) or thrashers like Suicidal Tendencies, and early Sepultura.

 

However, when we took a break at someone's house (sometimes even sneaking in a few beers... yeah...) and jammed on guitars, we'd play some Headbanger's Ball in the background. I videotaped quite a few episodes on VHS... still have them. I do recall seeing lots of YYZ, Britni Foxx, and Winger, to name a few. But I turned my head and slamdanced with my buds when the thrashers came on. That show turned me on to PanterA. When I finally saw them in about 1992, I was like, "F**k Yeah, this is the s**t!" Sure, PanterA used to be a hairy caricature, but thank god for Phil Anselmo. He turned Dimebag and co. onto heavier realms.

[Newf]

8/10 here cause I knew nothing about Cinderella and Whitesnake other then that really smokin' hot chick in Whitesnake's videos. :grin:

 

VH & Aerosmith hair metal I think not! Never really considered G&R to be either but I guess they are.

 

As for Def Lepperd I remember back in '83 reading a magazine article that was something like "Metal Shootout - Iron Maiden vs, Def Leppard" and I thought WTF is this? ROTFLMAO! It still makes me laugh thinking about it.

 

Cheers

Newf

[GuitarPlayerFL]

As for Def Lepperd I remember back in '83 reading a magazine article that was something like "Metal Shootout - Iron Maiden vs, Def Leppard" and I thought WTF is this? ROTFLMAO! It still makes me laugh thinking about it.

 

Cheers

Newf

 

Def Leppard rocked harder back then.

And at that time, REO Speedwagon was at the top of the chart with chick music, so Def Leppard WAS Metal compared to it. :grin:

[Newf]

Def Leppard rocked harder back then.

And at that time, REO Speedwagon was at the top of the chart with chick music, so Def Leppard WAS Metal compared to it. :grin:

 

That's true indeed but putting them in a "metal shootout" against Maiden seemed kinda funny though all the same. I guess it was metally compared to much of the predominant flaccid rock of the day though. I just think I came of age in the wrong era.

 

Cheers

Newf

[Griffinator]

Def Leppard rocked harder back then.

 

Yeah, but "Rock of Ages" versus "The Trooper"?!

[GuitarPlayerFL]

Def Leppard rocked harder back then.

 

Yeah, but "Rock of Ages" versus "The Trooper"?!

 

I was thinking more of the album they refuse to play anything off of...

 

High and Dry

 

The opening track, Let It Go is as rockin' as AC/DC.

I consider it their best album.

 

 

Then, after that album, Mutt Lange wanted to make more $$$ and over produced the balls out of them.

[Griffinator]

Now, circa 1981, yeah, that might've been a decent fight. Maiden still had Paul Di'Anno in the lineup, who was still trying to get the band to stay "rock" instead of going power metal...

[fantasticsound]

(proof: the cheesy songs on the Top Gun soundtrack).

 

I can only guess you meant the cheesy songs on the Over The Top soundtrack. Eddie and Sammy did that real stinker "Winner Takes It All" for that movie. No one from VH was involved in the Top Gun soundtrack...

 

Correct! Although you might consider the man responsible for at least one song on that soundtrack a hairband guy, even if he was the only one with truly big hair and the music was not really hair-band-ish (for lack of an appropriate word). That would be Steve Stevens. (Solo, although he was certainly best known as sideman to Billy Idol.)