Great Metal Albums of 1983: Riot- Born in America

 

Looking back, I had heard of Riot about the same time as I did Hanoi Rocks. The difference being that I never saw Riot live and therefore it would be several more years before I actually listened to anything from them. I do feel like I missed something there. I have already reviewed two of their previous offerings, "Fire Down Under" and "Restless Breed," both of which were damn good albums. Now that I have listened to their 1983 album, "Born in America," I can say that album too is just as good.

"Born in America" is another straightforward, in your face metal album from Riot. There are no frills, just great songs. The first two set the album off in totally the right direction. Things appear to slow down with "Wings of Fire." The song suckers you into believing it's a ballad for the first minute then Kapow! The song goes into another metal frenzy. (Note: I was going to say 'Wham' but that word shouldn't be used on any 80smetalman post.) I love the guitar solo on "Running From the Law," another good song.

Next comes "Devil Woman" and yes, it's a cover of the Cliff Richard single. Admitting my sad teenage years, I liked Cliff's version when I heard it in 1976. Back then, that was probably the hardest song on AM radio. Riot takes the song and raises it to its full potential. Great power chords with some cool guitar soloing and Rhett Forester's voice sounds a hell of a lot better on this song than Cliff Richard, sorry Cliff.

In spite of my high praise for "Devil Woman," it is not the high point of "Born in America." It's simply the climax. All of the songs that follow are superb starting with my favourite, "Vigilante Killer." The ones that follow on are just as good. All have the trademarks of what makes good heavy metal but it would be unfair to the songs if I were to mention any one of them without mentioning the others. They're all that good and that makes the album fantastic.

Track Listing:

1. Born in America
2. You Burn in Me
3. Wings of Fire
4. Running From the Law
5. Devil Woman
6. Vigilante Killer
7. Heavy Metal Machine
8. Where Soldiers Rule
9. Gunfighter
10. Promised Land

[caption id="attachment_2870" align="aligncenter" width="342"] Riot[/caption]

Rhett Forester- vocals

Mark Reale- guitars

Rick Ventura- guitars

Kip Leming- bass

Sandy Slavin- drums

"Born in America" would mark the end of Riot as it was known here. All except Mark Reale would leave the band leaving him to eventually recruit other names for the band. But that wouldn't happen for another five years in heavy metal history. Forrester would have some solo success but again, that's a story for later. Since "Born in America" was such a cool album, it can be safely said that Riot definitely went out on a high with it.

Next post: Bernie Torme and the Electric Gypsies

To buy Rock And Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Metal Albums of 1982: Riot- Restless Breed

 

Having reread my post for the previous Riot album, "Fire Down Under," I realise that I did post a picture of RATT when I meant to post a picture of the band Riot. Therefore, I have come to the executive decision that I will no longer use google images when I post pictures of albums or bands. Instead, I will use the heavyharmonies.com site which actually takes getting its facts right seriously. Enough of that now, let's get to another great album from Riot that I should not have waited til the late 80s to listen to.

Again, after listening to the 1982 offering from Riot, "Restless Breed," I am again asking why this band didn't have more commercial success. As I listened to the album, I could hear songs that, in my mind, influenced some of the bands that came after and had more success. For instance, the track "C.I.A." sounds like something that WASP would have done and "When I Was Young" reminds me a little of Y & T. However, Riot was around long before either of these bands were so they drew influence from Riot. Saying that, I could hear a little Judas Priest influence in "When I was Young" as well. However, the rest of the album is straight ahead no frills heavy metal, the way heavy metal was supposed to be played.

"Hard Lovin' Man" may not be the greatest song in the world to open an album but it does the job in preparing the way for the rest of the album. It may have influenced WASP but "C.I.A." is still a brilliant song and the next one "Restless Breed" is even better. The middle of the order on the album is for me, the strongest. The songs "When I Was Young," "Loanshark" and "Loved by You" are the stand outs for me. The latter has one of those catchy choruses where you are still singing it long after the album has finished and you are three miles down the road in the car. They are just loveable rockers. And the best guitar solo goes to the next track, "Over to You." "Slow Down" is the token ballad on the album but it's not bad with some good guitar work on it. Things return to normal with the last two songs. "Dream Away" sounds like it might be another ballad but don't let the title fool you. It has that Southern rock boogie vibe to it and the closer, "Violent Crimes" ends things very nicely. All in all, "Restless Breed" by Riot is one I should have had on cassette blasting out of the car as I cruised down the road.

Track Listing:

1. Hard Lovin' Man
2. C.I.A.
3. Restless Breed
4. When I was Young
5. Loanshark
6. Loved By You
7. Over to You
8. Slow Down
9. Dream Away
10. Violent Crimes

[caption id="attachment_2870" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Riot (and this time it actually is them)[/caption]

Rhett Forester- vocals, harmonica

Mark Reale- guitar

Rick Ventura- guitar

Kip Leming- bass

Sandy Slavin- drums

Let me venture a theory on why Riot didn't get the notoriety they so richly deserved back in the day. I think that people were so caught up in the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) that possibly American metal bands got pushed to one side. Whatever, the case, Riot was a band who rocked and those who were fortunate to listen to them can vouch for it.

Next post: Y & T- Black Tiger

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Great Metal Albums of 1981: Riot- Fire Down Under

Riot were one band that, all throughout the 80s, I always intended to listen to but never got around to doing so. The opportunity finally came in 1987 when my sister made me a tape of various metal songs on it for my birthday and one of those songs was the great opener, "Swords and Tequila." That song had and still has the same effect on me that Hanoi Rocks's "Tragedy" has on me. I want to jump about my living room playing air guitar to it. "Swords and Tequila" has another dimension to it though. The stick in your memory line "Swords and tequila carry me through the night," had actually meaning for me. Okay, I never had much use for the first item in the title but there were times when the second item did what the rest of what that line says. Oooh, fond memories indeed.

If I had listened to the "Fire Down Under" back in 1981, I would say that it would be the album that set the standard for all future heavy metal. In that sense, it could be argued that Riot were ahead of their time. That could be why they never had the commercial success they should have. There are so many great songs in the classic heavy metal sense that if I were to mention them now, I wouldn't have to write a track listing but I will say the second half of the album probably just edges out the first. "Don't Hold Back" is a definite stand out here and I love the guitar solo in it. "Altar of the King" starts with really cool acoustic intro before blowing you ear drums with some great power chords and "No Lies" follows on very very nicely. Saying that, I can't take anything away from the rest of the album because it's just that damn good.

Track Listing:

1. Swords and Tequila

2. Fire Down Under

3. Feel the Same

4. Outlaw

5. Don't Bring Me Down

6. Don't Hold Back

7. Altar of the King

8. No Lies

9. Run For Your Life

10. Flashbacks

[caption id="attachment_2409" align="aligncenter" width="300" class=" "] Riot[/caption]

Gary Sparenza- vocals

Mark Reale- guitar

Rick Ventura- drums

Kip Leming- bass

Sandy Slavin- drums

After both Hanoi Rocks's "Tragedy" and "Swords and Tequila" in back to back posts, I find myself contemplating what it would have been like if I had heard both of these songs back in 1981. It would have been mind blowing for sure! Way back when I first introduced 1981, I said that music got me through some rather difficult times that year. It would have been even more up lifting to have had "Fire Down Under" from Riot. If I had heard it back then, I would have declared myself a total metalhead right there and then.

Next post: Triumph- Allied Forces

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