Search - Quiet Riot :: Guilty Pleasures

Nice to see rockers still do what they do best: ROCK

P.D.C. | somewhere in CA USA | 12/09/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There is a first time for everything and "Guilty Pleasures" marks my first Quiet Riot album I have ever bought, or even heard, in my life. Being young as I am and having just gotten out of high school recently, I had no idea how much great music came out of the 80's. As I was in the process of discovering real rock and roll, I would spread the good news and bring Poison cds to school and have kids listen to them. They were really sold on "Power to the People". With the garbage they listen to, it's rare to hear so much as a guitar solo on one of their cds--a half-assed one at best. No one had any idea who Poison, Warrant, Cinderella, Slaughter, Dokken, or even Iron Maiden were. Sad thing is: I didn't know any of them either. So I redeemed myself this summer on an expansive search for better music. I went through a lot of bad cds and some good. Now my collection is full of wonderful, good-time rock 'n' roll. If you are a student that still attends high school, please do us all a favor and expose your friends to REAL good music. I urge you to stop wasting your time and money on these rotten, over-commercialized, talentless groups (Linkin Park, Offspring, Limp Bizkit, etc.) and buy this cd. If not this one, than at least take a look at something along the lines of Dokken or Def Leppard.This leads me to Quiet Riot's latest, "Guilty Pleasures". You've read all the reviews. Some tell you it's all been done. The same formula is over-worked. It was done better in the 80's, they say. Don't listen to them. THEY are the ones who can't wait for the next Ricky Martin record to hit shelves. THEY are the one's who sit in their shacks gawking at the tv for hours on end mesmerised by MTV and buy whatever the network sells them. (..)P>So don't listen to them. The internet is a place for us true rock and roll fans to unite. "Guilty Pleasures" contains simple riffs, complex-screaming guitar solos, lyrics that took more than ten minutes to write, and a good feeling is evident through the whole album--the band knows what they are doing and they do it right. While you will enjoy almost every single track on this record, the song that really stands out from the eleven is the last, "Fly Too High".Good music in the 21st century? You better believe it. The bands are recovering from the worst decade of music (I'll use that term loosely) ever, the 90's, and are making a comeback. Just because they're not on MTV, on your local radio station, or making a splash on the charts anymore does NOT mean they are doing poorly. REAL ROCK AND ROLL. Let no one tell you otherwise. (...)"

ROCK THE HOUSE!

James Walsh | Mesa, Arizona United States | 05/30/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A band that has survived the test of time that has its roots from Randy Rhodes in the late 70's all the way through their incredible chart topping album "Metal Health," Quiet Riot returns in the 21st century to bring a little bit of head banging fun to the World. The title of the album is Guilty Pleasures and as far as I'm concerned, I've submitted to the pleasure of owning this CD and am proud of it!The band who once brought us songs like "Bang Your Head" and "Come On Feel the Noise" has now brought us an album that may even top those metal classics. However, the band that once was considered Metal's cheerleaders now are preaching one message, have fun and stay the same! A message that I wish bands like Metallica would've listened to. But, musically, this album is absolutely tremendous. From track one on, the band's power and speed can be felt starting out with a Vicious Circle with awesome vocals that have not gotten any weaker after all these years of loudness, which is a rarity, and a melody of blazing guitar solos. Ah yes, this is METAL! From there, they ask us to Feel The Pain! Having felt the noise for many years, the pain is a refreshing change, and I might say an awesome one at that! But don't worry, this is not, by any means, a grunge song.Rock the House is the song that was the single off this CD and with a "We're Not Gonna Take It" attitude, Quiet Riot screams to the world to rock the house and slam it till we all freak out! If I'm alone, I don't care, but I let out a loud evil laugh and turned it up as loud as it possibly can go. Oh yes, I freaked out!Overall, this album is what Metal should have never stopped being about. It's a fun, head banging good time with awesome musicians showing their stuff and proving to all that sticking to your guns is a good thing to do. I give it 5 stars because it's awesome and implore all QR fans, past and present, to pick this album up. You will not, I assure you, be disappointed one bit."

For Quiet Riot fans only

William Matson | Maine | 01/30/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album does not demand a lengthy review. "Guilty Pleasures" is the most recent studio album by Quiet Riot. It was released on a small label, Bodyguard Records, that has since gone out of business.



This album contained the 'Metal Health' lineup that had also recorded the previous album, 'Alive and Well' in 1999. The songs here, and the album as a whole, can be considered an improvement on 'Alive and Well.'



The best songs here include 'Rock the house', 'Feed the machine' and 'Vicious Circle.' 'Street Fighter' is also a good song, that one sounds like it came off the band's 1984 album 'Condition Critical.' The intro on 'Rock the house' reminds me of Twisted Sister, slightly.



Other notable songs include two ballads. The titles are: 'I can't make you love me' and 'Let me be the one.' These songs are above average, but actually sound like the same song but with different lyrics.



In my opinion, 'Blast from the past' was a forgettable song and the title track, 'Guilty Pleasures' was weak.



The remaining songs are all at least above average or "good."



Finally, 'Fly too high' closes off the album. It sounds exactly like an acoustic version of the band's classic song 'Metal Health (Bang your head)', but with different lyrics. It has the same melody and vibe, just much slower, and it is acoustic.



The good songs on the disc are strong and will please Quiet Riot fans. Material from this album fits right into their set list. There are a few albums from Quiet Riot's back catalog that I would consider to be stronger than this one ('Metal Health', 'Condition Critical', 'Terrified', 'The Randy Rhoads Years' and 'Down to the Bone'). However, this one will not disappoint someone who is a fan of the band, such as myself. It does sound like more traditional Quiet Riot than some of their other releases ('QR' with Paul Shortino or 'QRIII'). It is a good return to form and the band achieved what they set out to do: recreate a rock record sounding like their 80's heyday.







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