Metal Health [Bonus Tracks] [Remaster]

Performer: Quiet Riot
Engineer: Csaba Petocz; Duane Baron; Spencer Proffer
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Quiet Riot: Kevin DuBrow (vocals); Carlos Cavazo (guitar, background vocals); Rudy Sarzo (bass, background vocals); Frankie Banali (drums, percussion, background vocals). Additional personnel includes: Pat Regan (keyboards); Chuck Wright (bass, background vocals). Producer: Spencer Proffer. Reissue producer: Jeff Magrid. Recorded at The Pasha Music House, Hollywood, California. Originally released on Pasha (38443). Includes liner notes by Don Kaye. Digitally remastered by Dave Donnelly (DNA Mastering). Personnel: Kevin DuBrow (vocals, background vocals); Carlos Cavazo (guitar, background vocals); Frankie Banali (horns, drums, percussion, background vocals); Pat Regan (keyboards); Chuck Wright, Rudy Sarzo (bass guitar, background vocals); Donna Slattery, Spencer Proffer (background vocals). Recording information: Pasha Music House, Hollywood, CA. Photographers: Chris Walter; Ron Sobol; Sam Emerson. Quiet Riot seemingly came out of nowhere in 1983, racing up the singles charts with their over-the-top cover of Slade's "Cum On Feel the Noize" and crashing the Billboard album chart's number one spot with their multi-million-selling Metal Health LP -- the first heavy metal record to ever do so. Prior to their "overnight success," QR had been toiling in relative obscurity for years, so that by the time they finally turned the corner, Metal Health's meteoric success must have surprised the band even more than it did their critics and newfound fans. Though it has received its fair share of criticism, Metal Health isn't nearly as average as some would have you believe. Say what you will, but the album's title track continues to deliver after all these years. With its crushing guitar riff, inane lyrics, and goofy bravado, it's heavy metal personified in all its glorious, ridiculous excess. The surprisingly laid-back groove of "Don't Wanna Let You Go" follows the storming "Cum On Feel the Noize," which leads into the slightly '50s-ish "Slick Black Cadillac," a rehashed early band favorite. "Love's a Bitch" closes side one with plenty of venom and attitude, but despite a valiant attempt by the driving coulda-been-a-hit "Breathless," side two falls way short of the mark. Even though "Run for Cover" is quite a stomper, the closing triplet of "Battle Axe" (Carlos Cavazo's half-assed guitar showcase), "Let's Get Crazy" (downright embarrassing jock rock), and "Thunderbird" (painful sub-Journey balladry) tend to understate the hugeness of the occasion. Still unquestionably the band's best effort, Metal Health would eventually earn one-hit wonder status thanks to Quiet Riot's inability to deliver anything resembling a decent follow-up. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia & John Franck In the late 1970s, bands such as Van Halen and Cheap Trick tempered hard rock riffs with pop melodies and pin-up boy good looks, resulting in big time success. With the advent of MTV in the early 1980s, groups such as Loverboy, Def Leppard, and especially Quiet Riot softened the sound even more, taking 'pop metal' straight to the top of the charts. Both metalheads and popsters latched onto QR's sticky sweet hard rock, as its debut, METAL HEALTH, became one of the biggest rock releases of 1983. Although its success was based largely on the strength of two shout-along anthems (a cover of Slade's "Cum on Feel the Noize" and its own riff-heavy title track), METAL HEALTH turned out to be their most consistent album. There were several other winning numbers, such as the love song "Don't Want to Let You Go" and the charging "Slick Black Cadillac." The lesser known party hearty ditties "Breathless," "Run for Cover," and "Let's Get Crazy" are solid fist wavers as well. METAL HEALTH remains one of the better hard rock/metal albums to come out of the early-mid 1980s Los Angeles rock scene. Slipknot definitely took something from the front sleeve of Metal Health, and though Quiet Riot took their career from Slade, this sterling record deserves the metal mastering treatment. The kick-axe title track beats Slade at their own game and will still split craniums in 3000. "Cum on Feel the Noize," the actual Slade cover, is brilliant, a defining moment in cock rock celebrating metal boys and rocking girls riding atop a timelessly tight guitar comet. Alas, it's Slade's triumph, but who cares as long as America hears the song. The raw, prolonged opening scream to "Breathless" (not related to the Corrs) carries so much more weight when one doesn't have to flip over the record for it. "Run for Cover" highlights a hit-and-run lover holding tight tonight. This burner doesn't want to work, it just bangs on the drum, which is cool. By "Let's Get Crazy," the boys are obviously out of steam, but not lewd lyrics. Extra track "Danger Zone" (no kin to Kenny Loggins) actually rocks mightily, and a live read of "Slick Black Cadillac" showcases Dubrow's vocal gear grinding and audience baiting. The overall sound quality is cleaned up, but what's the diff? This was never a technical masterpiece. Metal Health gets the party started right, and always will. ~ Doug Stone

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