I enjoy going into a used shop on the hunt for vinyl as when you go in through those doors you don’t know what waits for you in those bins.
“Rebel Yell” is one of those albums I have been on the hunt now for a while and look what I finally scored for $5!
For some reason in Thunder Bay there are always used copies of “Whiplash Smile” (the album that followed the 5 Times Platinum Rebel Yell record here in Canada) yet I can’t wrap my head around the fact that the Whiplash record has no actual drummer on it!
C’mon Billy what was that about? A friggin drum machine for the whole damn album!
Anyhoo….
“Rebel Yell” in 83 came storming out of the gates thanks to the albums title track and whoa listen that guitar on track. Stevie Stevens laid down some serious action on the six string not only on this track but the whole album.
Like many I bought this I think it wasn’t until ’84 and I bought it on cassette for the good old Walkman.
So now in 2022 “Rebel Yell” is now added to my vinyl pile and I’m all the better for it.
I love this record as you have Idol’s sneer and snarl vocals though out and when you have a wizard on the 6 string by the last name of Stevens that is only going to help your cause.
Hey Snowman! Look below Billy signed my back cover while Stevie typed his name! Bahahaha…..
“Eyes Without A Face” is a well crafted tune. I love that eery creepy vibe, almost cold like during the verses until Stevens kicks in with a ton of riffing.
One of my favs from Rebel Yell is” Blue Highway”. Great number and super catchy chorus as Billy brings home the goods on this tune, What is the “Blue Highway?” Smack? If anyone out there knows please fill me in…
“Flesh For Fantasy” has all those trimmings of 80’s technology and as a hard rock/metal fan in ’83 you think I would have scoffed at this kind of track but nope and that’s thanks to the guitar. Loud guitar!
Full props to the sax driven “Catch My Fall” which is another killer track and goes to show you that Punker Billy could drop the attitude and ease of the gas and write catchy hard pop tunes.
As I mentioned this is a great addition to my collection which is way overdue.
Funny as I was typing this I had a flashback to around this time or perhaps ’84 -85 when I was still in highschool and during our lunch break I remember someone had a copy of Circus Magazine with Motley Crue on the cover.
We were talking about how Crue Guitarist Mick Mars looked way older than the other guys in Motley (which was true as Rolling Stone did a story on how old Mick was yet Crue’s management said he was like the other guys ages.)
The discussion became about who would be a good fit for Motley Crue back than and some of the names floated out there was Jake E Lee and Idols right hand man Stevie Stevens.
We weren’t too far off as by 1993 Stevens was brought into to play on Vince Neils solo album….
Gotta love those old high school rock talks!