80's Rock Songs That Deserved Better: Journey, Faster Pussycat, LA Guns, Twisted Sister

"STONE IN LOVE"     JOURNEY

"Those crazy nights I do remember in my youth, those were the best times".  When you think of Journey, the Escape album and their three massive hits, Don't Stop Believin', Open Arms, and Who's Crying Now, are probably the first songs that come to your mind.   Escape (actually titled E5C4P3) sold close to 10 million copies, heck, they even made an Atari video game based on the album.    The fourth single was "Still They Ride", a song that didn't fare as well.   For me, I would have released "Stone In Love", one of my favorite tracks on the album.  Never released as a single although mainstream rock radio stations would often play it, Neil Schon's guitar solo and Steve Perry really shined here.

"YOU'RE SO VAIN"    FASTER PUSSYCAT

One of the more creative but fitting cover songs of the 80's, Carly Simon's #1 classic from the 1972 gets roughed up by Faster Pussycat.  You can just feel the grime of the Sunset Strip  and the sleaze of the Whiskey A Go Go with this glammed up cover.   Faster Pussycat are best known for their power ballad "House Of Pain" and their sexual romp, "Bathroom Wall".   "You're So Vain" was released on a tribute to Elektra Records compilation disc called Rubaiyat (The Cure covers the Doors on it too) and the band followed up by re-releasing the song on an EP.  "You're So Vain" never became a hit, another lost opportunity for an underrated 80's glam band.  Marilyn Manson and Johnny Depp took a stab at the Carly Simon tune, you may also want to check it out on my site.

"CRYSTAL EYES"       L.A. GUNS

Oh what could have been!   Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan, and Slash got their start with L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose, when disagreements over the band's direction and in-fighting among the guys took over, a breakup was inevitable.   Most of the guys formed Guns N Roses, perhaps the greatest glam band of all-time, while Tracii Guns reformed L.A. Guns, a group that always seemed like a little brother on the scene.   "Never Enough" and "The Ballad of Jayne" hit big before Tracii changed up the band's lineup again.   In 1991, Seattle grunge bands were taking over and 80's hair bands lost their appeal.   During this time, a new version of the L.A. Guns released Hollywood Vampire, a great album released at the wrong time.  Crystal Eyes was chosen as the second single, it crashed and burned, yet remains one of the best unknown power ballads of all-time. 

"THE PRICE"      TWISTED SISTER

Back when I first started my website, I added my choice as the greatest 80's rock song to never make the charts.  Dee Snider and the boys lost the makeup, discarded any gimmicks, and showed the world that they had substance.   Check out my earlier post.

Guns N' Roses Discography: Favorite Song On Each CD

1987 "WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE"  - APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION

If you wanted to describe Guns N' Roses to someone, "Welcome To The Jungle", their first single, epitomizes everything we love about the band.   From the opening Slash riff counting down until the drum/bass explosion, you know you're in for trouble.  Axl's vocals were never better, his serpent-like dance moves, and his true to life lyrics of leaving the Midwest small town life for the rough Hollywood streets. "You know where you are, you're in the jungle    (baby), you're going die!"   Fun fact, the band first debuted this song in Clint Eastwood's movie, The Dead Pool, where they played a rough L.A. strip rock band (big surprise!)

1989   "USED TO LOVE HER" - G N' R LIES

How do you follow up a CD that went #1, certified platinum 18 times over?    Of course, you release an unplugged EP with a naked woman on the cover.    "Patience" took them to the top of the charts but the song was not typical of the CD.   Raw live early tracks like Aerosmith's Mama Kin, filled side 1.   Side 2 included the racially charged "One In A Million" and the equally controversial "I Used To Love Her (but I had to kill her)".  Axl's tongue in cheek lyrics were inspired by Izzy Stradlin's disdain for a song on the radio where a "whiny guy was complaining about his girl doing him wrong".

1991  "DON'T CRY"   USE YOUR ILLUSION 1

The band had so much new material that they couldn't contain their follow-up to Appetite on one disc.   Setting music history, they released two CD's simultaneously in 1991 and they took over the #1 and #2 spots on the album charts.   Disc 1 also features "November Rain" named the #1 video of all-time on many countdown shows.   "Don't Cry" was my favorite song at the time.   Izzy and Axl wrote the song together and it was inspired by Izzy's ex-girlfriend who Axl had a serious crush on at the time.   The breakup lyrics set the perfect mood for an epic video which included Shannon Hoon (of Blind Melon) on backup vocals.   The song is so big, they had a version with alternate lyrics on Use Your Illusion 2.

1991  "CIVIL WAR"  - USE YOUR ILLUSION 2

Disc two was even stronger.   The lead single "You Could Be Mine" from the Terminator 2 soundtrack, the 10 minute epic "Estranged", their cover of Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die", and "Get In The Ring" their profanity-laced attack at their critics were all on Disc 2.   Track 1:  Civil War, was my most-played song.  An introduction using the quote lines from my favorite Paul Newman movie, Cool Hand Luke, "What we've got here is failure to communicate, some men you just can't reach, so you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well he gets it, I don't like it anymore than you do".    Great anti-war song and the only song to include drummer Steven Adler on the two discs.   He was replaced by Matt Sorum due to Steven's drug battles.

1993  "AIN'T IT FUN" -  THE SPAGHETTI INCIDENT?

Guns N' Roses were the biggest rock band in the world but their rebellious attitudes that drove their lyrics were a two-edged sword that drove the band apart.   Axl and Slash were feuding, drugs were out of control, and rather than release another major production, they put out a CD of punk covers called The Spaghetti Incident?  A cover of the Platters, "Since I Don't Have You" and Nazareth's "Hair Of The Dog" were most prominent.   "Ain't No Fun" a Dead Boys cover, was a return to their Appetite sound, raw, ferocious, and dangerous.  Michael Monroe from Hanoi Rocks contributes to the vocals here.    Fun Fact:  Axl covered a song written by a young songwriter named Charles Manson (yes, that Charles Manson!) as a hidden track at the end of the CD.

1995 "SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL"   replacement for CHINESE DEMOCRACY

Chinese Democracy is the most expensive CD of all-time, estimated at 13 million dollars!  It took Axl over 14 years to record it.  During this time, Dr. Pepper said it would buy every American a free can of soda if Axl would release it by the end of 2008.   The CD is a mess, indulgent, Axl's voice has weakened, and not one single hit it big.   The new Guns N Roses didn't include Slash who was working with Velvet Revolver and his solo work.   Since it's not my favorite GNR CD, I wanted to include their cover of the Rolling Stones "Sympathy For The Devil" from the Brad Pitt/Tom Cruise movie, Interview With A Vampire.   It was recorded during this "dead" period with the original band lineup and maintains the GNR attitude I love so much!

 

Jennifer Aniston and Mark Wahlberg's Metal Moment: Guns N Roses, Bullet For My Valentine, and Steel Dragon

"PARADISE CITY"    GUNS 'N ROSES

The gritty debut CD that signaled the end of 80's Hair Metal.   Axl, Slash, Izzy, Duff, and Steven attacked pop metal with a vengeance.   "Hedonistic rebellion" was used to describe Appetite For Destruction and no extended guitar jam on the CD rivaled "Paradise City".   Slash's original lyrics got changed to "where the grass is green and the girls are pretty" instead of "where the girls are fat and got big titties".  Appetite has reached nearly 30 million in total worldwide CD sales.

"TEARS DON'T FALL"   BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE

Bullet For My Valentine have had an identity crisis.  Goth?  Metal?  Thrash? BFMV are bigger in England than the States.  Crossover songs like "Tears Don't Fall" have increased their popularity.  The video's guitar solo in the rain is as epic as the gasoline excitement at the end of the video!

"WE ALL DIE YOUNG"  STEEL DRAGON aka STEEL HEART

Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston's heavy metal movie, Rock Star, played homage to Judas Priest where a tribute singer gets to front the band he idolizes.   The big moment in the film is Mark's audition song.  This is actually Steel Heart ("I'll Never Let You Go") but they're named Steel Dragon in the film.