Search - Junkyard :: Junkyard

They should have been stars....

James F. Colobus | Pittsburgh, PA United States | 09/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Junkyard never attained the same level of commercial success achieved by other pop-metal acts of the late 80s like Motley Crue, but they were at least as deserving of such success. Mixing pop metal with classic Southern rock, Junkyard's debut album blew me away when it came out. I was a huge Lynyrd Skynyrd fan and had long been curious what it might sound like if a band took Skynyrd's sound and made it heavier. Junkyard proved to be just the band I was looking for. Songs like "Blooze" and "Texas" just plain rock out, while "Simple Man" really does make you want to "grab your keys and your cigarettes and disappear into the night" even if like myself, you don't actually smoke. "Hands Off" is arguably the best song on the album - both lyrically and musically this song shows what a special band Junkyard were. Junkyard rocked and lived hard, and were said to be difficult to drag into the studio to record albums. Thus, we are left with only two real albums by these guys, the first of which I believe to be the best. If you do find that you like Junkyard's Junkyard as much as I do, try your best to find an old copy of their fine, but a bit more uneven, follow-up Sixes, Sevens, and Nines. These guys should have been stars...."

Blooze

Patrick Stott | Rolleston, Canterbury, New Zealand | 09/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A funny thing happens whenever a band makes it big. There's a mad dash to replicate the same formula, in an attempt to achieve the same success. It rarely ever works. Witness the mad rush to emulate Nirvana's success. During 1992, any band carrying a guitar in Seattle could get a record deal. And look at the number of bands that tried to grab hold of Korn's coat tails. There is now a generation of younger people who believe guitars all have seven strings, and bass guitars five.



Before Grunge and Nu-Metal were inflicted upon the world, there was a gold rush way out west. The race was on to find the next Guns N' Roses. Hindsight tells us now that the search was fruitless, but if a few things had turned out differently, like a little luck here, or the right amount of exposure there, it may have changed the course of history.



Many bands tried their luck, but fell by the wayside, due to lack of talent or good ideas. Some were never going to make it. Imagine if the likes of Bang Tango or Sea Hags or Circus Of Power had actually made some impression on the world. And then, some bands deserved success, but it never came, like Junkyard.



Junkyard's self-titled debut is a slab of sleaze, one part social commentary, one part celebration of the seamy side of life. While often lumped in with the hairspray and make-up Glam brigade, Junkyard's music has a harder, darker edge than much of the party time Pop emerging from LA at the end of the '80s. This album combines the best traditions of beer-soaked bar room Rock with old fashioned Blues boogie, sounding like a swaggering mutation of Motörhead and ZZ Top.



There are a number of highlights to be savoured. The laid back piano tinkling of "Simple Man" pre-dates the Gunners' `Use Your Illusion' albums and the ever awful Black Crowes, even if it sounds a little dated and clichéd now. David Roach's bourbon croaked vocals spin out a surprisingly gentle melody. "Hollywood" is a starry eyed anthem dedicated to Tinsel Town and its excesses. "Long Way Home" is a traditional drunken Blues number, like George Thoroughgood on heroin, played so slow it's almost going backwards.



Album closer "Hands Off" is the ultimate "get lost, I'm better off without you" song. Roach sounds like he's going to burst into tears at any moment because his girlfriend wants a bit of space, until he discovers she's sleeping with his best mate, and suddenly his resolve hardens. He belts out the chorus of the song with much gusto, which should be a drunken karaoke favourite of anyone who's ever been wronged by a woman.



Ultimately, Junkyard made only a small ripple in the wake of Guns N' Roses, missing the opportunities picked up by less deserving and less talented bands. Junkyard recorded a second album, `Sixes, Sevens And Nines' but by then it was too late. Guitarist Brian Baker went on to join Bad Religion. However, if this album conveys anything, it is that Junkyard deserve to be more than just a side note to Bad Religion's family tree."

It's a great hard rock album from the begining to the end

Patrick Stott | 10/23/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I tink this is one of the best hard rock albums of the late 80's. Produced by Tom Werman, who work in the Motley Crue's Shout at the Devil album, which is considerated a clasic metal album. The songs in the album are to variated, from fast ritmhs to slow songs but with power, like Hands Off, Blooze, Life Sentence,Holywood, etc. The lyrics are about rebels, sex, alcohol(and all rock and roll topics).I love it all"