by Martin Popoff
Raven - One For All
(Metal Blade)OK, so it's hit, the much-anticipated reunion with producer Michael Wagner, One For All proposing a follow-up to All For One, and at least making an effort to peer up at said classic rock lobster. But the attempt falls short, because shame on Wagener, the sound is flat, dry and powerless (pointedly the bass drum, snare and high-hat, along with the bass and guitars!) like much of the Raven limpsters through the late '80s and '90s. The songwriting is a notch up from recent confused coagulates from this opaque bunch of squealers, but the heavier ones are still quite sour, with the happy headbangers like Seven Shades and Derailed reaching out and sparking albeit mildly. Man, I dunno, even given the inclusion of Wagener (one would think also into the arranging process), Raven still haven't proven they can write anymore, remaining this tight, economical garage band, a punk combo with thrash chops, a franchise off on their own curmudgeoned piece of scruffy sideline turf. I expected a settling down, less shoe-horning of ideas and above all a fatter, warmer sound. Japanese version contains a similarly floundered cover of Status Quo's legendary Big Fat Mama, nice guitar verve, but worse production than Quo's 28 friggin' years ago.
Rating 5Young & Fabulous! - Young & Fabulous!
(Vanity)A lark, a goof, a goodtime funtime, Young & Fabulous! is a silly glam metalfest with titles like Go Go Psycho Barbie Dolls, We're Going Shopping and We're Here, We're Fabulous!, Get Used To It. But if you want to get a vibe on the sound, check out the band's sparkly cover of Manitoba's Wild Kingdom's awesome minor hit The Party Starts Now, which is a cotton candy metaphor for the album as a whole, sterling, stinging happy power chord rock with Anglo punk-infected male vocals and er, Go Go Barbie baby doll female back-ups. There's likely a couple of grizzled rock vets in this band of four guys and two gals, but the pseudonyms and disguises make it impossible to tell (Richie Ranno from Starz is some sort of behind the scenes guy). But the Manitoba cover is integral and indicative: consider this a parody of The Dictators, adding a bit of Twisted Sister and maybe Hanoi Rocks or Ramones, the joke lyrics and those female squeals arriving sweet and silly over permutations from Andy Shernoff's algebraic briefcase of Louie Louie Wild Thing riffs, chugs a plenty, great recording, hummable comedy rock tunes like Pick Me and Daddy's Money working like the summer in New York rock this is meant to be-B-Q. See www.youngandfabulous.com for more info (I didn't; maybe it's all clarified o'er there).
Rating 7