Skid Row

This is definitely a transitional album combining the best of glam rock with heavy metal into a classic album for the ages.

Overall the album is just fun rock and roll, but still seems to have that deeper streetwise edge brought on by the lyrics.

My review will consist of the best lyrics from each song:

BIG GUNS: "Like Valentino with a hand grenade"
SWEET LITTLE SISTER: "Her Mama kill her if she knew what she do"
...HEARTACHE: "You held your own until it wasn't yours anymore"
PIECE OF ME: "I got nasty, nasty habits & that's all she's gonna get"
18 & LIFE: "Tequila in his heartbeat, his veins burned gasoline"
RATTLESNAKE...: "Cause talk is cheap and so is she"
YOUTH GONE WILD: "I'll tell ya Park Avenue leads ta' SKID ROW!"
HERE I AM: "You don't need a crystal ball, to see she's got it all"
MAKIN' A MESS: "Lit up a smoke and did some talkin' with the back of his hand...SMACK!"
I REMEMBER...: "Woke up to the sound of pouring rain"
MIDNIGHT: "Electric is my touch, baby, you don't know what you've got"

Great riffs and great times!

Skid was heavy for the time period.....still stands up today. A terrific CD, one of the best debut releases ever. Fans should check out Fozzy All That Remains Reloaded, amazing, heavy yet melodic CDAll That Remains Reloaded (W/Dvd)

i have only heard like 3 songs of skid row but from what ive heard they are a great heavy metal band they are a classic this cd their songs are a must have for any 80s hairmetal fanatic

18 and Life alone is worth the expense of this cd. One of my favorite of all time.

Skid Row was probably famous for the lead singer's beautiful blonde hair. Way to go, Sebastian. Of course, my hair is blonde, though wavy. And don't get me wrong - I'm not into dudes - but watchin' S.B. sing as well as he did with that hair (sans Aqua Net), well, it felt real, man.

This was the lead singer who wore a shirt that said, "AIDS kills fags dead" when they played Wimbledon in London, England. Of course, they banned Skid Row after that, but it made me realize that Skid Row wasn't about to suck up (no pun, please) to the politically correct music industry trying to corral kids into that hippie culture. These guys were rockers, man, and they rocked it. Made me proud to love rock AND Reagan.

Their debut album, named after the band, rocked in so many ways. We talked about Sebastian's doo, now to say a bit about the music. Well, they did what lots of metal bands of the 80s did - they diversified the tracks to show that they were true musicians, not just headbangers. Each song has lyrics that rock with the tunes, and Rachel Bolen was a fantastic writer. (Dude had a nose ring connected to his ear by a chain.)

The slow songs and the fast songs - each one is anthem to me. I was proud to be a fan of this band because they were honest and they hit it hard where they needed to, even on the ballads. And with all those glam rockers (loved their music, but not their style) out there, it was nice to have some real rockers for a change. (Metallica is my favorite band from the 80s, but they were of course a different breed all together.)

If you think you don't know Skid Row, you might be surprised when you buy this album - they got at least 3 songs you should know almost by heart, even if you didn't know it was Skid Row playin' 'em.

And if you think you know 80s metal and rock, then you should already have this album.

I grew up listening to Skid Row, Cinderella, Ratt, Motely Crue, etc. Anyone who listened to such bands will love this album. It has the greatest songs, plus some of the others you may have forgotten about. It definitely brings back the great memories of the 80's hair metal scene.

When it comes to Greatest Hits albums, there are many that seem to fall short of capturing the essence of the band and what it is they accomplished. In the case of "40 Seasons: The Best of Skid Row," while it too is not perfect, it comes very close.

1. Youth Gone Wild - This is how to begin an album! Heavy guitars, powerful vocals, and a message that being a youth is all in your heart and you CAN stay young forever! A true rocking anthem that will have you banging your head with madness! 5/5

2. 18 and Life - many people may know this song very well. One of the bands biggest and best hits. A great song with a great, dark and sad story. Seems to be a bit of Ricky inside us all! 4/5

3. Piece of Me - Right back into the heavy rocking non-stop action that we know Skid Row for. I wasn't a big fan of this song at first but it does grow on you. Great song when performed live as well. 4/5

4. I Remember You - This is usually the song that everyone knows and associates Skid Row with. The ballad of the album, the band, and perhaps even the ballad of the decade! The vocals are strong yet peaceful, and the guitar work is perfectly matched with the harmony of the tune as well. 4.5/5

5. The Threat - This song I find to be very much like "Piece of Me." Again this is a song that didn't grab me right away but has grown on me with time. Hard and heavy hitting off the heels of the ballad. 4/5

6. Psycho Love - Again, might take a couple of listens to really enjoy, but this definetly is a pretty rocking song! Powerful vocals and awesome guitar work by the man Rachael Bolan! In the linear notes the band states they are still waiting for a movie to be made from this song! Pretty cool idea! 4/5

7. Monkey Business - One of my favorite tracks on the album! Starts slow and soft, then picks up very hard and heavy when you least expect it. Very powerful and strong vocals here! Saw it performed live at a concert, and live on SNL before and each time it rocked the house. So much energy here its undeniable. 5/5

8. Quicksand Jesus - I would catergorize this song as a semi-ballad. Stars slow and soft, picks up to slightly heavy, then fluctuates between the two. Awesome song that shows the raw emotion the band members were feeling at the time. Good message with a good hook. 5/5

9. Slave To The Grind - The hit single that many remember Skid Row for; besides "I Remeber You." The song itself has the basic hook, basic guitar playing, and even basic vocals. One thing though, it has an undeniable message much like "Youth Gone Wild." Overall, this song deserved to be the hit it was. 4.5/5

10. Into Another {Remix} - A pretty cool version of this song. Again on the semi-soft side, but it shows that the band does have emotions. Excellent harmonizing in the song as well with stand-out drum work. 4/5

11. Frozen (Demo 1994) - In my opinion, the weakest song on the album. That of course isn't saying much as it was a demo version. Had potential, but seemed a bit cluttered and out of place on this album. 3/5

12. My Enemy {Remix} - After a few listens, this song is pretty rocking. Not to heavy, but definetly not soft. Excellent guitar work, and Sebastian doesn't over-do the vocals at all. 4/5

13. Breakin' Down {Remix} - In my opinion this is the lost gem, not only on this album, but compared to thier other ballad, this one stands well on its own! Yes, its a ballad, but an awesome one at that. Again, one can hear the true emotions going into the song and that makes it all the more real. Do not under-estimate this song! 5/5

14. Beat Yourself Blind [Live] - This song picks the tempo right back up! A classic raw, live performance that truly shows the energy that the entire band has. It doesn't however do any justice in showing just how insane Sebastian Bach is on stage! Awesome rock anthem! 5/5

15. Forever {1988 Previously UnReleased} - This is another song that shouldn't be under-estimated. A song that was previously unreleased but I am glad it was put on this album! It shows the early days and early beginnings of this hard rocking band. 4/5

16. Fire In The Hole (Demo 1991) - Another rocking jam that was previously unreleased. Just a pure rocking track and a great way to end a rocking album! Hard and heavy with the quintessential Skid Row attitude! 4.5/5

Overall, this album is great for the casual fan that wants to get to know the band back in their prime! Worth the price and will get you hooked to one of the best hard rock bands of the late 80's and early 90's.

Every time I go back and listen to "Slave to the Grind" I am reminded that this is the greatest hard rock record ever made. Think I am kidding? I'm not. It is a tour-de-force from start to finish. The songs are killer, the guitar in your face, the vocals unreal. It does not get any better than this for this genre. Whatever your opinions of Skid Row or "hair metal", it doesn't matter. It is that good. If you don't own it; you need to!

Awesome CD

Heavy, yet melodic......perfect combination and very unique at the time. I highly recomend the new Fozzy All That Remains Reloaded CD/DVD if you dig Skid.

Skid Row was just another Glam/Pop/Hair-metal band (as heard on their 1989 eponymous debut album), but then in 1991, to keep up with the overnight popularity of Grunge/Alternative Rock, Skid Row reinvented themselves as a hard-rock-esque type band and made thrashier, more rocking songs than on their debut. The only trace of Glam Metal on this is the ballad here and there ("Quicksand Jesus", "Wasted time"), "Mudkicker", "Get the _ _ _ _ out" and the title track "Slave..." are the loudest, most thrashy songs on here.

"Slave to the Grind" is a GOOD BUY, WORTH THE PRICE, and is SKID ROW"S greatest relese. the 12 tracks of this album are what got me back into a few Glam Metal bands.

There's little question that this is Skid Row's masterpiece. Much heavier than its predecessor, 1989's Skid Row, and with less connection to the generic "hair metal" label, Slave offers up a compelling piece of anti-formulaic rock n' roll and metal. There's really something for everyone here, be it the metal anthem that is "Slave to the Grind," the groovy "Creepshow" or some of Skid Row's best ballads (and Sebastian Bach's best vocal performances) in "Quicksand Jesus," "In a Darkened Room," and "Wasted Time." Twelve tracks, and I'm a big fan of ten of them. An almost perfect album!

This plus Skid Row's intro cd are all you need for a collection of Skid Row. One of Metal's top 10.

This album is has the heaviest and most memorable riffs of Skid Row's albums, the songs are ground into your brain by the heavy metal machinery!

My only criticism of the album is that its so heavy, you almost can't listen to it all the way through, but it's great to throw on and listen to your favorite tracks. But the lyrics and riffs are amazing.

My review is going to consist of the most memorable lyrics from each song:

MY ENEMY: "The weather's fair, does that change where you stand? My back is turned and the knife is in your hand"
FIRESIGN: "Beaten, burned I'll take the fall and get up right in your face, walk all over what I believe, I'm still here you disappear without a trace!"
BONEHEAD: "If you're a new God let me see a miracle"
BEAT YOURSELF BLIND: "A piece of paper that's fallen out a window, has got a better chance of knowing where it lands"
EILEEN: "There are people we won't remember that dance with her at night"
REMAINS...: "Trip, the lightning spastic, Captain Fantastic, the 1970's"
SUBHUMAN RACE: "Your jumping into the Subhuman Race"
FROZEN: "So I build a fire, So I can sit and stare"
INTO ANOTHER: "Should this scar, then it was meant to be"
FACE...: "You build a wall, inside a wall, and there's no door"
MEDICINE JAR: "Caught the Mother jacknifin', little bit low lifin'"
BREAKIN DOWN: "Not for a second did I believe you, not for a minute did I believe that"
IRONWILL: "Break the molds of beg and submission"

Buy today and get ready to rock, with Bach!

Some think this is Skid Row's best work, perhaps in an attempt to go against the grain or to avoid anointing their more famous albums, Skid Row and Slave to the Grind, as their best. But this is deluded nonsense. Neither as catchy as their self-titled debut, nor as aggressive as the stellar Slave, Subhuman Race comes off as a band that has lost its identity, and is trying to compete with more recently successful bands like Pantera by taking the aggression in a new, clearly thrash influenced direction.

But, for the most part, it doesn't come across as an incredibly successful effort. Most of the tracks lack the character that was to be found, in abundance, on Slave and the highlights of the album are barely equal to the filler on that, the most outstanding of Skid Row's efforts.

There are some quality tracks, which salvage the album for the hardcore fan ("Remains to be Seen" in particular), though they're just not up to Skid Row's best, overall.

I gotta admit, when I first heard Skid Row, I wasn't too impressed. They seemed to be just another band that mirrored the LA glam scene. Then came Slave to the Grind, which had a few promising tunes but still had the overall tone of its predecessor.

Subhuman Race is a far cry from their "MTV" days. It rocks hard and has major riffs and hooks. If you're a big fan of their earlier material, then this effort will probably not be to your liking. On the other hand, if you disliked the first 2 albums but saw the potential for them to take it to another level, then this will have you grinning widely. All those tours with bands like Metallica and Pantera finally rubbed off on their songwriting and pushed their musical ability to the limits. Crushing songs like "My Enemy", "Medicine Jar" and "Firesign" prove that they can also do downtuning, odd time signatures and dual guitar riffing, as well as a good mix of melody and make it sound good. Great album!

It's the heaviest, detuned, keyed down, close to Metallic-runch there is of all of them. Welcome to the Sub-human Race.

Honest magazines of the time agreed that this rocked mightily. But it was 1995 and they were few and far between as it was basically illegal to like Skid Row at the height of grunge and alterna-rock hegemony.

But bugger the mainstream - this rocked! A mature slice of corporate metal still with Bachs trademark pipes soaring and growling their way through tunes that had more in common with Slave to the Grind than the debut. Which is as you'd expect. Heavy rockers abound here as hard riffing is the order of the day, personal faves bein the lead cut My Enemy, the title track and Medicine Jar. That's not to deny the impassioned Bach efforts on Frozen or Beat Yourself Blind. And the band weren't above a few gimmicks, such as the single Breakin' Down being issued in two versions, effectively trying to double sales for the single. But hey, Maiden relentlessly issue all sorts of versions of everything to siphon the last cent (or pence) from their fans wallets and let's not even start on KISS! So I can forgive 'em and really this solid metal outing should of sufficed to silence critics and to ensure the bands survival.

Other tidbits you may find helpful in making your choice would be A) bob Rock production, B) nifty foldout packaging on the initial pressing and C) a defiant will to win. Though to be fair, reasons not to buy this would be A) not quite the kill factor of Slave to the Grind, B) knowing the band were disintegrating from within - yeah it's a downer and C) the absence of chilling slower numbers - there is nothing approaching In A Darkened Room, Wasted Time or Quicksand Jesus.

Still, recommended metal.

This is a really unique CD. It's got all the great 80's Metal bands set loose to belt out their favorite tunes. A great way to see another side of these guys and to get a feel for what influenced them when they were young and aspiring Headbangers. Some of their picks surprised me. I HAD to buy this so I could have every recording by OZZY. (I even have his funky "Shake Your Head" with Was (not Was) and his duet with Miss Piggy on "Kermit Unpigged".) His choice of "Purple Haze" on this CD was interesting. He nailed it as only Ozzy could. By the way, the correct title is, "Stairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell". Every Headbanger should have it!

Every time I go back and listen to "Slave to the Grind" I am reminded that this is the greatest hard rock record ever made. Think I am kidding? I'm not. It is a tour-de-force from start to finish. The songs are killer, the guitar in your face, the vocals unreal. It does not get any better than this for this genre. Whatever your opinions of Skid Row or "hair metal", it doesn't matter. It is that good. If you don't own it; you need to!

Awesome CD

Heavy, yet melodic......perfect combination and very unique at the time. I highly recomend the new Fozzy All That Remains Reloaded CD/DVD if you dig Skid.

Skid Row was just another Glam/Pop/Hair-metal band (as heard on their 1989 eponymous debut album), but then in 1991, to keep up with the overnight popularity of Grunge/Alternative Rock, Skid Row reinvented themselves as a hard-rock-esque type band and made thrashier, more rocking songs than on their debut. The only trace of Glam Metal on this is the ballad here and there ("Quicksand Jesus", "Wasted time"), "Mudkicker", "Get the _ _ _ _ out" and the title track "Slave..." are the loudest, most thrashy songs on here.

"Slave to the Grind" is a GOOD BUY, WORTH THE PRICE, and is SKID ROW"S greatest relese. the 12 tracks of this album are what got me back into a few Glam Metal bands.

There's little question that this is Skid Row's masterpiece. Much heavier than its predecessor, 1989's Skid Row, and with less connection to the generic "hair metal" label, Slave offers up a compelling piece of anti-formulaic rock n' roll and metal. There's really something for everyone here, be it the metal anthem that is "Slave to the Grind," the groovy "Creepshow" or some of Skid Row's best ballads (and Sebastian Bach's best vocal performances) in "Quicksand Jesus," "In a Darkened Room," and "Wasted Time." Twelve tracks, and I'm a big fan of ten of them. An almost perfect album!

This plus Skid Row's intro cd are all you need for a collection of Skid Row. One of Metal's top 10.

Very disappointed in this cd after really enjoying Thickskin. The new singer's voice is amazing but the songs are just badly put together.

Ok songs include Disease, Pulling My Heart Out From Under Me and Strength.

Everything else is par or well below.

Whenever you run out of toilet paper to wipe. Go and get this CD, it's just as good.

I was afraid to buy this one at the start ,I mean Skid Row without Bach,I knew he would be almost impossible to replace but this new guy is really good.Alot of reviewers have said they did't like the diffrent styles the guys were going to in some of the songs but I actually do ,it shows more vercitility than alot of stuff others are doing nowadays,I am sure this one will not get alot of radio time but it should and if you like the old skids ,pick this one up it won't disappoint you at all.

I read the Not sure what to think review and agree with a lot of it. I can't tell any major difference in the bonus track and would of preferred a re-recording or a live recording of a original Skid Row song instead like on Thickskin. Johnny Solinger is a great singer and the music is still Skid Row. Dispite the bad reviews Scotty and Dave still shred. I agree there's a lot more punk vibe on this record but the first album had it too. I think the country songs were just showing their sense of humor. At least half the songs are that solid Skid Row groove. The haters need to get over it. I mean have you heard the music Sebastian Bach has put out since he left? Or the condtion of his voice? If he was still around you would be writing What happened to Skid Row? This is a case where the singer IS NOT!! the band. I believe their next disc will really shine.

OK,,,so Thickskin was great! RPM is really really good,,,,,but cant quite compare to its predecessor. This album rocks and actually has a few goofy sort of fun tunes on it. I put this on and havent taken it out in a few days. My GF loves it and I was actually asked by a driver on a motorcyle who it was when they stopped next to me at a traffic light. The song You Lie is a classic fun song, very catchy! Keep rocking guys!

Sebastian Bach took no part in this project stating he didn't feel the band who put out three studio LP's and a couple of EP's could be encapsulated on a single disc. I bet he didn't say no to any royalty cheques though. For all his great singing Bach is wrong - with 16 tracks on show it shoud of been easy to put together a platter which would of blown up stereos worldwide. The band has the back catalogue to do it that's for sure.

But the release of what purports to be the hard rock cum metallers most killer cuts is effectively hobbled by the track listing. The first ten tracks rip righteously. Youth Gone Wild, Monkey Business, Slave to the Grind etc are all present and accounted for. But criminally none of the towering tryptich of disturbing ballads of the Slave to the Grind album are here - no Wasted Time, In A Darkened Room or Quicksand Jesus. It's not like these were obscure tracks - they were singles with videos done for them - you'd expect a bands singles to be on their 'best of' wouldn't you?!?

The other major problem found herein is the seven odds 'n' sods tracks. There are uneventful/rubbish remix or demo versions of songs plus a live take of Been Yourself Blind from the Subhuman Race album. Now it's pretty good, by why not put stuff like that onto the Jap EP Subhuman Beings on tour EP and make a full live album? Of course we get a couple of unreleased toons - a demo from the Slave to the Grind sessions pluse a number from '88 - Forever. The point is nothing here adds anything to the story of Skid Row and takes up the room that should of been given to their actual great tracks.

This album scores three stars for the first 9 tracks (OK - the unreleased Forever is pretty cool in a numbskull teenyrocker way) but what frustrates me is how awesom this collection could of been if it was a genuine best of. Which this band so thoroughly deserve. Now 16 tracks of their best numbers - THAT collection would score five stars with no dramas at all.

Before I start I would like to say if there was a 3.5 rating this cd would get it from me. But anyway this is just an alright cd and I think there could have been heavier songs. There are a few that I think rocked like 'The Threat', and 'Slave To The Grind'. I only own their first cd before this one and all I know is that it totally rocked and comparing those 2 cds their self titled cd kicks this one across the floor. But I would recommend you purchasing this cd only for the very few good songs on this, but instead I would recommend downloading the songs because you can own it for half of the store price.

Excellent compilation of the greatest hits from this rock band.

Ever since i heard "Remember Yesterday" i fell in love with the sound of skid row. Too bad when i bought this compilation i found out that it sucks and the band basically does to. if more songs would have had that high pitch, ass kicking rythm like "Remember Yesterday" than it would be worth buying.This band is no Def Leppard or Tesla, so leave this one alone...The cd just kind of drags out the whole time with some terrible vocals..forget it.

How can anyone not include these great songs:
"Wasted Time"; "Here I am"; "In a Darkened Room"; Firesign.
Skid Row fans must admit this is an incomplete compilation.

In the shiny CD age Ep's are often just silly marketing tools. Slap a few outtakes together with a current single and pass it off as some sort of limited 'tour edition'. Well Skid Row say bollocks to that! Sort of.

With just five tunes on offer this covers EP doesn't get stale part way through like perhaps a full length would of. We get the band burning through Psycho Therapy for that all important punk cred, KISS to show that the Skids also love a big dumb good time like the rest of us and Delivering the Goods for metal cred. A Hendrix song also helps for a bit of early heritage link. So the band do try to cover all the bases and sort of is the serious reason for the band putting this out.

The fun reasons for this to be put out? Well why not? The infectious love these guys have for their musicaly heros is obvious and makes this curio something fans should pick up if possible - its ridiculously cheap after all. Sure you know it won't change your life but Skid Row never wanted it to. So grab this when you can - you know you want to cos we all need our guilty pleasures.

And no, I'm not gonna offer a serious critical viewpoint of their delivery of the tunes because that's not the point here....

I'm a sucker for a good cover song, and in 1992 Skid Row served up an EP full of them. Here's what you get:

1. Psycho Therapy (the Ramones) - Nothing's more fun than a Ramones cover. Bach & the boys take on this punk rock classic and seem to enjoy themselves in the process.
2. C'Mon and Love Me (KISS) - I'll give them credit for not picking an obvious KISS song, and they deliver a faithful cover version.
3. Delivering the Goods (Judas Priest) - This live track features a guest appearance by Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford. Bach ends the song proclaiming his love for Halford, which you have to find slightly ironic given Rob's (at the time) closet homosexuality and Bach's homophobic "AIDS kills f--s dead" t-shirt controversy. The song still rocks though, and is worth the price of the CD just to hear these two screamers perform together.
4. What You're Doing (Rush) - Again, I give them credit for picking a song that you wouldn't expect. This one comes from way back on Rush's debut album.
5. Little Wing (Jimi Hendrix) - It's not easy to cover a legend, but the band does a good job here both musically and vocally.

B-Sides Ourselves is a fun EP, and even though it's less than 19 minutes long, it's still worth the relatively low price to hear Skid Row pay tribute to some of their influences.

I bought this album in 1995/96, right when I was collecting older hard rock/metal albums, so when I bought this, I recognized 3 or 4 of the songs on it - definitely the Rush, Hendrix and Judas Priest song, I may have recognized the Kiss song.

Anyway, the best part of the album is when Rob Halford comes on stage while they're performing "Delivering the Goods", and at the end of the song, Sebastian Bach yells "I LOVE THIS GUY!!!" And this was BEFORE Rob Halford came out of the closet, so it actually sounds funny if you think about it. Anyway, this is a good album, especially if you are a die-hard fan of Skid Row.

'B-Sides...' has just five songs and runs twenty minutes.I don't usually go for EP's,but I've always liked this one.It features Skid Row playing five of their personal favorite covers.The track that I enjoyed the most was Rush's "What You're Doing" from the Canadian trio's debut lp.When I saw Skid Row play live awhile back,I remember them performing The Ramone's "Psycho Therapy" with bassist Rachel Bolan on lead vocals.Something I didn't at all expect to see here,was with their cover of the Judas Priest tune "Delivering The Goods",that Rob Halford was trading off vocals with Sebastian Bach.The two remaining cuts are Kiss's "C'mon And Love Me" and Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing".Very nice,indeed.

I saw this several times in the store but had no idea what to make of it. Finally, I broke down and bought it. I shouldn't have waited so long. it's a good thing to hear bands do the classics without ruining them. When I say that, I don't mean Britney Spears trying to rock out to a Rolling Stones song. That is what you call ruining a song by an annoying singer whose only appeal is T&A, and that doesn't stand for talent and ability.

While it is too short and there is a song on there I'm not crazy about (Psycho Therapy), I like the rest a lot. Especially KISS' C'mon and Love Me and a live version of Judas Priest's Delivering the Goods with Mr. Rob Halford in attendance. Plus, any Hendrix cover is cool.

I wouldn't pay $20 for it but if you see it for under $10, pick it up. It's worth it.

Stay strong,
James

Most bands can survive the loss of a guitarist or drummer, even the greats, such as Iron Maiden and Metallica, but the loss of a singer is death to any band. You grow accustomed to their voice and sound and that is what makes that band, that band...Skid Row is no different. This is a huge step backwards. As one other reviewer said, rename the band...for some reason it is then acceptable. Probably because there are no expectations of a new band. I will add to that, that most 80's and 90's bands comeback albums just don't cut it with todays sound. They just sound old and tired.
I was a huge Skid Row fan in the 90's, they did what no other band had done...they progressively got heavier and heavier. They began their careers as a commercial band and grew away from it. The difference from their self titled debut to Subhuman Race is massive and awesome. From touring with Metallica and heavier bands they got heavier and managed to stay out of the "hair band" label...in my opinion. Slave To The Grind was a masterpiece and Subhuman Race was a great follow up. This cd does NOT deserve their brand. As I said before...a step backwards.

Skid Row - Thickskin:

After several years as the lead singer of Skid Row, Dallas native Johnny Solinger, finally released his first collection of recordings since 1999's locally distributed Chain Link Fence. Thickskin is an amazing album. Equal parts old and new school make this CD familiar yet adventurous. The CD starts of with a Manson-meets-Bon Jovi-like anthem called "New Generation" and never lets up. The lead single, "Thick Is The Skin" is a traditional rock anthem in that "Youth Gone Wild" vein. "Lamb", "Mouth of Voodoo" and "Hitting The Wall" are more modern rockers with a heavier edge. "I Remember You Too" is an irreverant punkified version of their monster '89 hit that's sure to piss off the Bas-loving purists. Always a sucker for the ballads, "One Light" is my favorite track - not so much for its "post-911-loss-of-a-loved-one" lyrical content, but rather for Johnny's strong, soaring vocals. Two things I grew up with: late 80's Mtv rock/metal and the early 90's D/FW local music scene. One of my dearest friends, Johnny Solinger, is now a proud part of both.

Robert Miguel
Scream For Me Dallas Productions

"Thick Is The Skin" is one awesome song. Great guitar riff, great bass, good vocals. It is almost worth buying for that song alone. But other than that, I didn't much care for the CD.

I was skeptical of anything decent from Skid Row without Bach, but after hearing Thickskin, it's obvious that their primary strength is songwriting. I'm a huge fan of Bach, and Sollinger is great, but Barney the dinosaur could sing these songs and they would get stuck in your head. Incredible songwriting, as always- great musicianship, and Sollinger does a good job at being himself while still sounding like Skid Row's singer should. If 'Born a Beggar', 'Ghost', and 'Lamb', don't get stuck in your head, you have no memory.
Highly recommended for fans of old and new metal. Can't wait to hear the new album 'Revolutions Per Minute'. These guys seem to improve with every release.

just saw skid row live in erie pa and i must say...not a single thing missing just a diffrent lead singer and i must say...as a old die hard fan...i am a new die hard fan too....new album they said to be released in fall with all new stuff