Search - Warrant :: Cherry Pie & All the Hitz N More

Re-release of 1999's Greatest and Latest album...

Adam Stewart | Columbus, OH United States | 04/06/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In brief, this release is hardly worthwhile. The cover art is cool (though the same pic of Jani and co. appears multiple times), but what's the point? This is a re-release of Greatest and Latest with the dance mixes from the being cut and replaced with 2 covers Jani did on other Deadline releases. Lay Your Hands On Me is decent, though the lead guitar is mixed too low. Photograph is really cool, but I already had it... Also, the packaging is cheap. The actual artwork is fine, but a standard jewel case would've been preferrable to the cheap variety that has a cost of roughly 50% of those. In any case, if you don't have Greatest and Latest, pick this one up. The covers are better than the dance mixes. The majority of the redone hits are a little slower and a little bluesier than the originals. "Heaven" is pretty cool and sounds more current than the version we all know. The piano sounds great, and Jani's vocals really sound nice here in the slightly lower register he utilizes. I'd give it 5 stars, but I think Deadline and whatever member(s) of Warrant that consented this release are just looking for some fast cash. Very much a shame b/c the hardcore fans (like me) will buy this for the artwork and just b/c it's something "new" with "Warrant" attached to it. Honestly, do yourself a favor and go to www.billymorris.net and buy his new album. It's awesome and is actually new material. Billy was Warrant's most recent guitarist. His cd simply ROCKS."

Previously released and rerecorded music

William Matson | Maine | 03/12/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This release already came out on the same label in 1999 under the name "Greatest and Latest." The only difference is in the packaging and also some of the "bonus" tracks, the latter of which I will cover later.



The first release had different cover art and a better booklet. In case you aren't aware of that release, something else worth noting is the songs are all rerecorded by the 1999 lineup of Warrant. When these were remade, Warrant changed around the arrangements and essentially did these live in the studio with only one or two takes. The new versions of Warrant's hits sound good but the production values fall a little below the originals. Jani Lane's voice may not be what it once was, you can hear it in a couple places, but it doesn't really ruin these songs. The rhythm section, particularly the keyboard player, steps it up. Warrant did not have a drummer at the time these recordings were made, so they were done by Jani Lane under the alias Mitch Dynamite (see the credits).



Touching on the rerecorded tracks a little, 'Thin Disguise' sounds better than the original. 'Heaven' is remade into an adult contemporary song, it's worth tracking down the new version. 'I saw red' is brought down by the band talking to each other while the song is going on (how weird), but the guitars sound excellent. This is turned into a genuine monster ballad, as the original was a little soft. '32 Pennies' has a totally different ending. 'Down Boys' and 'Sometimes she cries' fall flat compared to the originals. Only one cut, 'Hollywood,' from the 1992 album, "Dog eat dog" makes it on here. All the other hits are from the first two albums, there is nothing from "Ultraphobic" or "Belly to Belly" which were two later day releases. But it does make sense seeing that these are Warrant's biggest hits. Tracks from the early days like 'Bed of roses' or 'Big talk' might have been considered, but that would be nitpicking.



Three brand new cuts (circa 1999) round out the album: 'The Jones', 'Southern Comfort' and 'Bad tattoo.' Word has it that a couple of these songs date back a few years and were rejected for previous Warrant albums. They all do sound good, though.



The "bonus" tracks" which follow the main twelve are one major difference between this new release and 1999's "Greatest and Latest." "Greatest and Latest" matched the first twelve songs from this one. However, Cleopatra (the label) chose to close out that album by packaging some club/dance mixes of Warrant hits (the rerecorded ones, of course). You got off-the-wall versions of 'Cherry Pie', 'Down Boys' and '32 Pennies', for example, that were remixed by various electronica acts signed to the same label. It sounded weird, but it was something different, nonetheless. This repackaged cd, "Cherry Pie: All the Hitz N' More" does something different. They remove those club mixes and replace them with two cover songs that singer Jani Lane recorded for tribute albums, also on Cleopatra. It was technically Jani Lane, as a solo artist, and not the full Warrant band, though one or two other members may have participated with him on these covers. He was backed up by various 80's rock musicians.



'Lay your hands on me' comes from a 2001 Bon Jovi tribute, "Covered dead or alive." The next song, 'Photograph' comes from the 2000 Def Leppard tribute album, "Leppardmania." Neither one stacks up to the original, not that you'd expect them to. Both covers sound fairly good, though. These were not on the "Greatest and Latest" cd from 1999 (the tribute albums were done after that release). Honestly, I'd rather have the covers than club mixes, anyway. You do get the impression, though, that these well known hit rock songs were tacked on the end of the cd as bait.



Some of the material from this cd has already been leaking onto various rock compilations over the past few years, such as "This is 80's Hair Metal." You'll find this new version of `Cherry Pie' on there. A Canadian label, St. Clair, has been using a lot of these songs on a series of rock/metal/80's compilations. The record label who Warrant did the recordings for (Cleopatra/Deadline) was obviously quick to license this collection of songs off to anyone and everyone.



If you don't have "Greatest and Latest", this isn't a bad purchase, but if you already own it, it won't be necessary. This loses points for the fact it is a repackaging of an older release, under a different name. The only explanation is perhaps they plan to take the older release, from 1999, out of print. Casual fans who pick this up thinking it has the original versions of these hit songs will probably be confused, as well. There isn't anything here stating "Cherry Pie: All the Hitz N' More" is made up of rerecorded material. They might end up getting burned."