Slaughter

I am a huge SLAUGHTER fan, and this CD rocks. From the 1st song all the way to the last song (live versions). Bands out there just don't make music like this anymore.

I really have to give my dad props for my discovery of all 80's metal bands. And this Slaughter cd is one of those discs that my dad came home from Coconuts with. But anyway I truly was amazed with this list of songs and the power each one delievers. This cd is a great one and if you are a fan of the 80's metal genre including Dokken, Tesla, and Queensryche I dont see why you wont think this is one of the best cds on the planet!!

And by the way: do the world and all of us a favor and keep on rockin!
Hopefully this music will keep being past down the
the generations like what happend to me.

I definitely have a soft-spot for 80s AOR rock. I'll always be able to dig RATT, Poison, the Crue, Warrant, etc, no matter what anyone says about them. I draw the line at Slaughter, however. They have got to be the worst, most horrific, bottom of the barrel, band of the genre. Weak, weak, corporate pap that caused the genre to be so watered down, Nirvana's emergence and rise to popularity was seen as rocks saving grace. Generic hair metal not suitable for soccer mom. Sick cats being thrown onto vats of boiling acid, over the sound of a thousand finger nails scratching a blackboard, would be preferable to vocalist Mark Slaughter. Only masochists need apply.

There isn't a single new song on this greatest hits collection and it only covers two studio albums (and a live record), but it does include everything that a fair-weather fan would ever need. You will find sixteen studio tracks here (not including two live cuts), which means an average of eight songs per studio album. While that might have a few saying Slaughter had no business doing a greatest hits collection at that point of their career, I'll make two statements in their defense.

First being that Slaughter was not on a major label anymore at the time this came out, they had since moved on to CMC International. That meant they were never going to release anything else for the label and the record company had to cash in while they could since Slaughter was still a very viable name commercially. It was either release it back then while the band was still hot or sit on it for ten years and finally put it out when nobody would care anymore. Is that the band's fault?

My second point is that "Mass Slaughter" is one of the few collections in which you won't find anybody complaining about songs being left off. Unless you religiously listen to the albums cover to cover and love every single song, everything that really matters is right here in one place. There is really nothing to complain about with song selection here.

For the record, the albums represented here are: "Stick it to ya," from 1990, "Stick It Live" (live ep from the first tour in 1990) and "The Wild Life," from 1992. While it seems odd to include live versions of two songs that are already here in their original studio versions, it's nice to at least represent "Stick It Live." These are tracks seventeen and eighteen.

To me, the best songs are 'Fly to the angels', 'Streets of broken hearts' and 'Days gone by' for slower tracks. 'Up all night' and 'Burning bridges' are two of my favorite rock tracks from this cd. Everybody else has their own favorites.

If you are a new listener and feel like exploring the music a little more, you might follow this purchase with a later day Slaughter compilation titled "Then and Now" which compiles a fair amount of music that they recorded for a smaller label in the years after "Mass Slaughter" came out. Normally, "Stick it to ya" or "The Wild Life" might be recommended to a casual fan, but if you decide to purchase this, keep in mind that all of the best material from those albums are right here. It doesn't get any better if you are merely a casual fan looking for a taste.

But if you already are (or become) a real diehard, by all means pick those original albums up. In fact, most diehards will skip this release here due to the lack of exclusive or hard-to-find material. Including the Slaughter song 'Shout it out', which is only found on the movie soundtrack, "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" would have been a nice touch. Instead, it means a fan has to hunt down that soundtrack to get that song. That is a minor annoyance, only minor because it wasn't their best song. 'Shout it out' is mainly something a completist would be after.

These songs stand the test of time fairly well, compared to a lot of music from Slaughter's era. This is some of the prime music from the early 90's pop-metal scene. You can put on this cd, let it run and won't often need to stop to skip over a track. This was Slaughter at their best, take it or leave it. They didn't have a reputation for being dangerous or menacing, like a Motley Crue or Guns N' Roses, but they didn't need to be, nor did they pretend to be. Fact is, a lot of these songs may be squeaky clean with a fairly slick production, but their music does sound good on the radio or a stereo. This group was talented at writing songs with some serious hooks, strong choruses and catchy melodies. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, by any means.

As of this writing, their most recent studio album ("Back to Reality") was issued back in 1999. Further albums after this hits collection (from 1995 and on) did continue along the same path, and had their share of moments (refer to "Then and Now"), but here the band was clearly at their peak. This material from "Mass Slaughter" is what started the fuss for Slaughter and made them into a household name, albeit for a short period of time, in the early 90's.

Slaughter's first greatest hits album, "Mass Slaughter: The Best Of Slaughter" is a must have for all Slaughter fans. This album contains material from the Slaughter albums "Stick It To Ya" and "The Wild Life", and the live versions of "Up All Night" and "Fly To The Angels" that appeared on the Slaughter five song live EP "Stick It Live" also appear on here. "Stick It To Ya" and "The Wild Life" were both great Slaughter albums, and I can think of nothing better than an album with about an hour of great Slaughter music. All of Slaughter's songs are great, but my personal favorite is "Up All Night". Other good songs on this album are "You Are The One", "Real Love", "Mad About You", "The Wild Life", "Spend My Life", "Eye to Eye", and several other great Slaughter songs. Also, when you listen to this album, if you have heard both "Stick It To Ya" and "The Wild Life", you will notice that the studio version of "Up All Night", "Days Gone By", and "Fly To The Angels" all appear as edited versions on this album. Unfortunately for Slaughter, their popularity only lasted for a while. But their name still remains in the spotlight, and with "Mass Slaughter" and the other two Slaughter greatest hits albums "Then and Now" and "Extended Versions"( which was greatest hits material from Slaughter's live classic "Eternal Live") Slaughter will now hopefully release a greatest hits album with songs from all of their albums, including some songs with Jeff Blando, who joined Slaughter after the untimely death of Tim Kelly. Rest in peace, Tim. We all miss you, and still, after fifteen years, SLAUGHTER LIVES ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I loved them 20 years ago and love them just as much still. Even better, my middle school aged son loves them. Remember when we ran screaming from our parent's hokey 60s music? Now they're stealing our CDs! Still looking for my Best of Skid Row...These are late 80s/early 90s rock classics, the three best tracks are Up All Night, Fly to the Angels, and Mad About You. No big hair rock collection is complete without this one.

This album is completely upbeat and in your face. There are only 2 or 3 songs that I don't really listen to on the album. I bought this album thinking the band was a 2 hit wonder but I listen to the other songs on the album more than the big hit songs. This album is totally under-rated and completley worth purchasing even though I heard mark Slaughter has a huge ego and is completely a dick.

Sometimes I'm surprised at just how much I still enjoy some of the albums I played to death back in high school. Beyond just the classics like Appetite for Destruction or The Real Thing, I still get a kick out of most of the hair metal albums I loved back in the day. Well, almost all of them. I remember absolutely loving Slaughter's debut album Stick It to Ya back in 1990, but listening to it now is just a bit too awkward. Part of that is Mark Slaughter's screeching voice. The guy's got an unforgettable voice, but it gets old really fast. There's also the lyrical content. Sure, it's a step up from Mark's Vinnie Vincent Invasion days (the average bathroom wall graffiti would be an improvement over Vinne's lyrics), but not by much. The whole album is hair metal cliché city, and while there are a handful of fun and memorable songs (Burnin' Bridges, Up All Night, and the hit Fly to the Angels), there are just as many really bad filler tracks (She Wants More, Loaded Gun, That's Not Enough).

Stick It to Ya represents the best and worst elements of the last phase of hair metal's popularity. It works on some levels, but is too uneven and inconsistent overall. It's a hard album to listen to all the way through, so unless you're a completist and/or masochist, you're probably better off with one of the Slaughter hits compilations that collects the best tracks from this album and the band's later output.

NOTE: The 2003 reissue of Stick It to Ya features digitally remastered sound and a handful of bonus tracks. The digital remastering is something of a mixed blessing. On one hand you can hear these songs crystal clear and loud as can be, on the other hand, you can hear these songs crystal clear and loud as can be. It enhances the albums flaws just as much as the highlights. The bonus tracks include an acoustic version of Fly to the Angels, a throwaway vocal jam called Wingin' It, and 4 demo versions of songs on the album. They're all interesting enough, but nothing you'll need to hear more than once.

I have this album as well as their second album "The Wild Life" The songs are great for a 90s nostalgia trip. I remember seeing the videos to "Fly to the Angels" and "Up All Night" on MTV. I saw Slaughter last year in May and they gave a great performance. The line-up has changed, but the music has remained the same.

Mainstream metal music in the 90s was much less cheesey than the 80s version, bands like Winger, etc. This debut album by Slaughter is pretty cult because as a kid I neglected that most people don't watch MTV. This went platinum I guess. The highlights are the singles Up All Night and Fly to the Angels but as a whole the album is not bad as the filler, openers, singles and closer are well crafted and nost just chesse on a lair of chesse like Winger. This was one of the first hit metal albums of the 90s, versus rap and hip hop whose own popularity and credible legacy are in doubt. They're really coming down hard on rap and hip hop in college and students known to own a lot of rap albums are known to be expelled. Metal isn't controversial any more, it's a testament of popularity.

Sometimes I'm surprised at just how much I still enjoy some of the albums I played to death back in high school. Beyond just the classics like Appetite for Destruction or The Real Thing, I still get a kick out of most of the hair metal albums I loved back in the day. Well, almost all of them. I remember absolutely loving Slaughter's debut album Stick It to Ya back in 1990, but listening to it now is just a bit too awkward. Part of that is Mark Slaughter's screeching voice. The guy's got an unforgettable voice, but it gets old really fast. There's also the lyrical content. Sure, it's a step up from Mark's Vinnie Vincent Invasion days (the average bathroom wall graffiti would be an improvement over Vinne's lyrics), but not by much. The whole album is hair metal cliché city, and while there are a handful of fun and memorable songs (Burnin' Bridges, Up All Night, and the hit Fly to the Angels), there are just as many really bad filler tracks (She Wants More, Loaded Gun, That's Not Enough).

Stick It to Ya represents the best and worst elements of the last phase of hair metal's popularity. It works on some levels, but is too uneven and inconsistent overall. It's a hard album to listen to all the way through, so unless you're a completist and/or masochist, you're probably better off with one of the Slaughter hits compilations that collects the best tracks from this album and the band's later output.

After the Vinnie Vincent Invasion was dismantled by the recoerd label Mark Slaughter and Dana Strum were offered the chance to keep it going on their own. Enter Tim Kelly on guitar and Blas Elias on drums and Slaughter was born. 'Stick It To Ya' was their debut album. It is also considered their best by some fans. After the first listen you can hear that these guys weren't borrowing from the songwriting style of the VVI. "Eye to Eye" is a good opener followed by the blues driven "Burnin' Bridges". This leads into their awesome anthem "Up All Night". This album contains their staple power ballad "Fly To The Angels". "Mad About You", "That's Not Enough", "Desperately", and "She Wants More"-(Which surprisingly is not a sexual innuendo- it's about materialism) round out the album nicely. The songs compliment each other nicely as well. There are some that have a definitive blues influence on them and some are straight ahead rockers. "Thinking Of June" and "Wingin' It" are short instrumentals. This being released in 1990 and an entire decade ahead of them it seemed the sky was the limit. Unfortunately after their second album, the platinum selling "The Wild Life"(1992) MTV and other media venues who made money from rock bands like Slaughter began to turn their backs on them and focus on the dreary sounds eminating from the new, and thankfully shortlived, Seattle movement. Slaughter record sales took a dive and to make matters worse, Tim Kelly, their guitarist, died in an automobile accident in 1998. They released a solid album in 1999 entitled 'Back To Reality'. Besides touring, they haven't released anything new since. 'Stick It To Ya' isn't a bad album to be remembered for. If you are new to the genre and want some albums to get started with, then this is a great album to buy.

You know if the band has a name like "Slaughter", and the album is titled "Stick it to Ya", you are in for a treat. Regardless of how talented some reviewers claim this folks are, the truth is they recorded mediocre music that was easily disposible. You can blame grunge and alternative all you want for killing this band, but the truth is that they faded away rapidly for a real good reason...their music was not any good. This album is just as good as an example as anything else in their catalgue of the slick, hard rock garbage that was polluting the airwaves in the late 80's, early 90's. There is no real substance here... you can place this CD along with the Warrant, Poison and Winger disks sitting in the discount, used pile. If you must have it, don't bother buying it here. There is always a copy collecting dust at any used CD place, so you will not havew any trouble finding it. Thank goodness Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden came along... otherwise, the hard rock scene of the nineties would have been unbearable.

The test of time is probably the most important stat when it comes to how good a record is. This record I believe has stood the test of time. Released 15 years ago, most of the songs here are predictable and not original, but haw many artist are?

It seems to be that the general public have not been kind to bands like Slaughter, Mr. Big, Extreme, Firehouse, XYZ, and Winger. While everything before it (Motley Crue, G-N-R, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and Van Halen) and everything after (nirvana, Peral Jam, and Counting Crows) are reveared today. Do you really think any of those bands are better then the afore mentioned? If you are now between the ages of 27 and 32,(I'm 30) you may be the few people that loved those late 80's early 90's bands that had talent. it is a shame there is not more of us. but I regress
Stick it to Ya had a sound that really was different. It really didn't sound like 80's hair bands, but it wasn't new either. Dana Strum's Bass maybe the reason for this. He is a Bass player that probably should have been a guitar player. Mark Slaughter's Vocals, albit annoying at times are still professinal. Of the 15 track here, most of the fisrt half (Eye to Eye, Burning Bridges, Fly to the Angle) are classics no matter what the average Coldplay fan will tell you. The second half of the disc can start to sound like filler at times. Mad About You, and Desperately are the stand out tracks nearing the end of the CD

I followed Slaughter into the 90's and would attend shows where maybe only 100 people would show up and the band would always put on a good show and sign fans CD's and pictures afterwards.

If you have any doubts about getting this disc, do so. It maybe the best $5.00 you spent

For those who like fairies dressed as hookers playing do-re-me like it was a WWF soundtrack, I guess Slaughter is pretty flippin' sweet.

slaughter the 80's metal band who had a few hits with "fly to the angels" i think mark slaughter has a great voice and don't just think that their from the 80's that there gonna be another corny metal band because they're not they had music with influences from the beatles to led zeppelin with a dash of the cream in there just to make a impact
from the front cover the phscycdelic picture of slaughter really makes images of what you think this album may sound like and mostly i was right
spacey and rocky,
highlights include
american pie, heaven it cries, tongue n groove
cN WE find a way, you're my everything

not great but still good album from slaughter

I've never been like the biggest Slaughter fan,but I've always liked their music to some degree.'Revolution' is their fifth CD and it really isn't bad.Former Vinnie Vincent Invasion vocalist Mark Slaughter and crew are apparently still into creating an almost 'Beatle-esque' sound like they did on their previous release 'Fear No Evil'.The Beatles weren't Slaughter's only infuence,listen to the Zeppelin-like "Heaven It Cries".Other well penned tunes include "I'm Gone","Heat Of The Moment","Tongue 'N Groove" and their cover of Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way".Not a bad find.

The rock band, Slaughter, exploded into the rock world in 1990 with their debut album, Stick It To Ya, rocketing the band into platinum status. With a successful tour notched under their belt and legions of fans following their every move, they soon released their highly underrated sophomore album, The Wild Life, in the year of 1992. By then, the music scene was slowly changing, and it appeared that the world found out about Slaughter a little too late.

Regardless, Slaughter still had a loyal following and a stubborn attitude. Refusing to give into passing trends, they released their third effort, Fear No Evil, which was released in 1995. A fine piece of work, but not quite as dexterous as their previous efforts, it didn't sell as many numbers on the charts. Nevertheless, the band trudged on, touring endlessly for a year or two.

Slaughter fans never gave in, and neither did the band, surviving the shifts of wind in the music climate like experienced sailors. They defied the "follow me" tendency and stuck to writing and playing the kind of music THEY wanted, playing where THEY wanted, and being true to who THEY were.

1997 may prove to be a very exciting year for Slaughter. Their most recent effort, Revolution, shows growth and maturity, and provides a challenge to the ear that's both pleasing and exhilarating.

1. American Pie: Full of flavorful groove and sound. The lyrics are simple and uncomplicated, setting the album up for its somewhat retro atmosphere. Very cool and laid back, this song will have you tapping your foot at the very least. Highly likable and infectious.

2. Heaven It Cries: A powerful rocker with heavy drum beats and rhythmic guitars, this song reeks of the bands' Zeppelin influence, combined with it's own brand of Slaughter. The lyrics are thought-provoking and meaningful, painting a conversation between man and God. This song is, without a doubt, a winner.

3. Tongue In Groove: This song gets lost in the shuffle with the rest on the album. The beat is typical and rocking, with nothing extraordinary about it. The lyrics are to the point of silly. Compared to the other material on the album, this one doesn't stand on its own.

4. Can We Find A Way: The beginning starts out as smooth as a Milky Way bar, rich as cheesecake, and way groovy man, then kicks into a hooky chorus. The lyrics reflect peace, love and harmony. This one is extremely likable -- very Slaughter -- with a twist of tranquil instrumentation that blends nicely.

5. Stuck On You: Lyrically, this song is whimsical, cute, and all-out fun. Mark's vocals are sarcastic, with hollow and distorted sound effects, making this song a bit unique in approach. If you don't find yourself liking this one, you need to go clean your ears out.

6. Hard To Say Good-bye: A ballad about leaving your loved ones behind, this song is very meaningful. Musically, it's a melodic ballad, but a bit different than some of their previous ballads. Not as poppy as some of their earlier ones, this one hearkens to a more classic-sounding rock ballad. This one shines with a magic all its own.

7. Revolution: This title track is sure to become THE Slaughter anthem. A high-octane rocker chocked full of raw energy, this is sure to be a crowd-pleaser in concert.

8. Guck: A nice, short instrumental that sequels into the song that follows, it shows the diversity of this band. Slaugther has, in the past, included several instrumentals on their previous efforts, showcasing the fact that they can play different types of music.

9. In The Heat Of The Moment: With a pulsing, sexy beat, and lyrics that are sung with dripping sensuality, this gem of a tune is one of the best on the album. If this one doesn't get your heart racing, you'd better check to see if you have a pulse.

10. Rocky Mountain Way: A Joe Walsh cover tune, this one is rockin' n' rollin' all over the place with some ultra-jamming guitars, soaring lyrics, a way-cool voice box, and a throbbing, sexy drum beat -- this is one party of a song!! If this one doesn't have you sweating and moving your pelvis to the beat, you must be dead.

11. You're My Everything: Beautifully penned words, surrounded by engaging keyboards and guitars with a happy feel, this one is going to be a favorite for many.

12. I'm Gone: Fast and furious, this one rocks, though a bit reminiscent of Loaded Gun from Stick It To Ya. Welcome to Love Songs, Bay-bee!!!

13. Ad-Mojoem-Dei-Gloriam: A bit of a different-sounding instrumental with it's tribal flavor. The question is, why was it used to close the album? An album as awesome as this should have gone out with a bang.

As an added bonus, and in light of the computer generation, drummer Blas Elias did a superb job in putting together a free multi-media CD-ROM program, which includes some pictures of the band throughout their career, disc information, fan club information, lyrics, and four video clips. For those who actually own a computer that accepts this free media, this is an enjoyable little nugget.

Overall, Slaughter put out one kickin' rock n' roll album. This gem of ear-candy seems almost worth the toil of searching high and low from store to store on its release date to locate it. The Nay-sayers of the Grunge Generation (or whatever generation we may be in at present), may cackle when the word Slaughter rolls off the tongues of their cheer-leading squad, but cackle all you wish. Slaughter is here (and, in fact, has never left). Whatever preconceived notions you may have about them, if you don't give a listen to Revolution, you just may be missing out on some seriously kewl music. They're back with a vengeance and here to stay, and if you don't like it, you're going to have a few fingers pointing your way.

© By Diane Trautweiler.

The Slaughter album "Revolution" is a great album. This is the third best album Slaughter has ever released, first being "The Wild Life" and second being "Stick It To Ya", the first Slaughter album. There is not a weak moment on this CD. It is an absolutely brilliant album. Here is a rundown of every track:

"American Pie"- A funny song, a good way to open an album. This is not the Don McLean version that was released in the 70's, it is totally it's own song with the same title as another song, so be prepared.

"Heaven It Cries"- A great song. Definitely a step-up from other songs Slaughter has written and recorded before. This one would have sounded great on a KISS, Van Halen, Black Sabbath, or even a Metallica album.

"Tongue in Groove"- Not one of the best songs on the whole album, but this one is a cool song.

"Can We Find A Way"- A very pretty ballad. Very Beatleish. It is absolutely hard not to like this song.

"Stuck On You"- This track is very catchy, and it is similiar to other Slaughter songs such as "Mad About You" and "She Wants More". If you ever run in to someone who calls Slaughter an "old school" band, play them this track. It will make them think twice.

"Hard To Say Good-Bye"- A great song, anyone who enjoyed the Slaughter classic "Days Gone By" will love this song.

"Revolution"- When I listen to this track, it reminds me of an 80's heavy metal Japanese rock group who called themselves E-Z-O. Great lyrics, great singing, great guitar work from Tim Kelly, and pretty much a great song.

"Guck"- A short instrumental which proves that Slaughter is very good at instrumentals.

"In The Heat Of The Moment"- As already mentioned, I don't know if this song deserves to be called a "ballad", but it is very catchy and can very easily get you in the mood. This is one of Slaughter's strongest songs, and I find it very dissapointing that this song was never released as a single.

"Rocky Mountain Way"- For one of Slaughter's cover songs(this was originally a Joe Walsh song) they did a very good job.

"You're My Everything"- One of Slaughter's most underrated songs. This song should have had a lot of success.

"I'm Gone"- Another funny song. Mark Slaughter did a really good job singing this song, and while this track sounded great on this album, it would have also sounded great on one of Slaughter's earlier albums or, possibly, Ace Frehley's self-titled 1978 solo album.

"Ad-Majorem-Vei-Gloriam"- For the first time, Slaughter records an instrumental that, while it is a song from America, it sounds like a song from India.

"Revolution" is an album any Slaughter fan will enjoy, especially fans of Tim Kelly. Sadly, as a result of Kelly's untimely 1998 death in a car accident, this was the last Slaughter studio album Kelly would get to play on, the last out of all Slaughter albums being the 1998 live classic "Eternal Live". Tim, we all miss you.

The title of this review may be less than catchy, but the music speaks for itself on this album.

Slaughter didn't really go for an alternative 90s turn here like most bands, but they add a few dimensions to thier earlier albums like psychedelic sunday-like grooves and a variety of new instruments. It works well.

Vocalist Mark Slaughter doesn't use his patented nasal wail of a voice here as often, which helps fit into this generally more somber and moodier CD. He still belts of a few voicebox breakers, but for the most part he has subdued himself a bit, and again it works.

The CD's weakest point would have to be a constant lack of real rocking material. I would have liked to have heard more songs like the title track and "I'm Gone". "Can We Find A Way" is one ballad too many to go along with the greater tracks like "You're My Everything" which is just beautiful, and "Hard To Say Goodbye". You can imagine yourself singing these tracks to someone. "Stuck on You" represents the other bulk of filler in this album, but beyond that, this CD is one of the very best and in a decade not so kind to good rock n' roll. A must buy! 10/13

With its hit singles, Slaughter's 1990 debut Stick It to Ya might have brought the band most of their fame and glory, but their 1992 follow-up the Wild Life was a much better overall album. All of the elements that made Stick It to Ya such an uneven album are present - the clichéd lyrics, cookie-cutter hair metal style, and Mark Slaughter's high pitched wail - but somehow the band manages to make things work this time around.

What works in the Wild Life's favor is that the album has a much more melodic feel to it. It's still full of your basic love songs and party anthems, but the songs are catchier and more consistent than they were on Stick It to Ya. There is less of what I'd consider filler on this album. Sure, a hair metal album with 14 tracks is bound to have a few duds (Dance for Me Baby and Shake this Place come to mind), but it's a lot more consistent than the previous album. The album is again dominated by Mark Slaughter's signature vocals, but he appears to have learned when to hold back that sonic wail.

As much as I still enjoy this album (and similar releases by Firehouse, Steelheart, and Nelson), it's not really surprising that it was blown away by Nirvana and the rest of the grunge scene. The grunge movement provided a necessary wake up call for mainstream music, even if it soon became every bit as repetitive as the hair metal scene had become. Besides, all the Nirvana albums in the world can't change the fact that for a time, millions of people were buying albums like this one, even if they won't admit to it now.

NOTE: The 2003 reissue of the Wild Life features digitally remastered sound and a pair of bonus tracks. The digital remastering really cleans up the sound of the album, bringing it closer to today's standards. The bonus tracks are a demo version of Real Love and a "gather `round the campfire" sing-along called Perfect World. It's a shame they couldn't add the song Shout It Out from the Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991 Film) soundtrack. That would have made more sense as a bonus track than another demo song.

I am very happy with the CD and how quickly I got the CD.

I bought this album when I was 16, along with Stick-It Live. I wanted to have Slaughter's latest album, since I did like their "Up All Night" from their first album.

I have to say that this album was so boring - I can see why grunge took over the scene - glam metal just became tired of singing about everything, glam metal bands were running out of ideas - that is the message I got from this album. The male cast of Full House comes to my mind when I listen to this album - that's how boring this album is. Don't buy it.

Nowadays, when I tell people about Slaughter, people go "Oh, isn't that a Satanic rock band?" And I have to go "No, that's Slayer." It seems that the whole world has forgotten about Slaughter. I would recommend either Mass Slaughter (greatest hits) or Stick It if anyone wants to know what Slaughter is all about. This album is sooo booring.

Slaughter has always been, and will always be, one of the greatest rock bands of all time. In 1990, Slaughter released their first album, "Stick It To Ya", which was very good. And then in 1992, Slaughter released "The Wild Life"- which turned out to be even better than their first album. Here is a rundown of every track:

"Reach For The Sky"- A good feel good song, a good way to open an album. There is a cool intro at the beginning of this track.

"Out for Love"- A heavy metal rock anthem. At the beginning of this track, there is a replay clip of the Slaughter song "Up All Night"with car sounds.

"The Wild Life"- A song about a girl who parties all the time. The best song on the whole album, and defintely one of the best songs Slaughter has ever recorded.

"Days Gone By"- A very pretty ballad that shows Mark Slaughter's talents as both a songwriter and a pianist. Sounds a lot like Queen.

"Dance For Me Baby"- Not one of Slaughter's best songs, but pretty good.

"Times They Change"- A song Mark Slaughter and Dana Strum wrote during the Gulf War. A clip of this song appeared on the January 16, 1992 NBC segment on the one-year anniversary of the U.S. bombing on Baghdad, and clips of the special appear on this song.

"Move to the Music"- A fun song, shows Blas Elias's talent as a drummer.

"Real Love"- This track sounds very 80's, and it is about a guy who was dumped by his girlfriend, and is depressed because he can't find real love. Don Johnson should be jealous by the fact that he didn't write this song.

"Shake This Place"- One of those fun songs that makes you want to throw a big party with loud music.

"Streets of Broken Hearts"- One of Sluaghter's prettiest ballads. This one should have been a hit.

"Hold On"- A nice and catchy ballad.

"Do Ya Know"- Not one of my favorite Slaughter songs, but this one is very good with a good message. Sounds like a song Gene Simmons would write. I won't give away this one, because it is one of those songs that is so good that you have to listen to the lyrics to figure out what the song is about.

"Old Man"- A Slaughter blues song. Not something I ever pictured, but for their first attempt at blues, Slaughter did a pretty good job.

Accoustic version of "Days Gone By"- This is the version of "Days Gone By"that is performed only on accoustic guitar. Very pretty, you can listen to the music and know what the lyrics are while just listening to the music.

Original demo of "Real Love"- Good thing the original demo of "Real Love"wasn't released as a single, but cool to have on the album anyway.

"Perfect World"- A very patriotic song about what it would be like if we could live in a world with peace and no war or fighting. A good song to listen to after 9/11 and this whole Iraq mess.

So there you have it all. "The Wild Life" is a very good album, and you should hear it for yourself.

This second album from Slaughter has recently been re-released with additional tracks. The fun-time, rock and roll attitude initiated on their first album, Stick It To Ya, carries through onto this, their second album.

The only complaint I have was that there could have been more extra tracks...but other than that I felt that this was an excellent addition to my cd collection.

I look forward to the DVDs.

This album Rocks! Definitely a different sound for Slaughter then we are use to hearing from back in the day. The new guitarist Jeff Blando brings a different sound - and it's awesome. Blando baby you smoke!!!!

When this album came out I thought it might be a small revival for the hard rock genre....sadly it went way under the rader! I bought it within a month of the release and was blown away despite the lame cover.

The first song unfortunately is one of the weakest on the CD but #2 ALL FIRED UP starts to pick it up and then #3 TAKE ME AWAY drives it home! DANGEROUS is another great rocker & LOVE IS FOREVER is a great rock/ballad. The album mellows a bit later on but doesn't get sappy at all.

For a band most presumed "dead" this ranks #2 of all their cds! If you liked the first one and don't have this GET IT.

Noah

1999 has come and gone, and now we're in a new century and a new millennium. It will be interesting to see how the music trends change, and who will still be standing after the line of fire.

So, I guess, for the music business, 1999 would be considered the last word. Slaughter was a band, though they mainly went unnoticed by the world at large, that made their own statement. All one has to do is walk into any rock club and see a slew of these hard rock acts (mainly from the 80s and early 90s) still plugging away. Reunion tours galore cropped up on the horizon, with 70s Rock Giants, Kiss, heading the army all dolled and made up.

I have been a fan of the so-called 80s music since its inception, and I'm not ashamed to admit it, even if we are in a new millennium. While I don't keep up with all of the bands, and many of them have fallen away (but aren't forgotten nonetheless), some have stuck to me like Velcro. One of those bands are Slaughter. Many a person may question why, and finding an answer to that might stump me temporarily.

After some probing, I may tell you that it is because these guys are all about fun. The music is fun, and it still makes you feel good. I also might add that they are good guys -- seemingly fan-friendly guys -- who haven't given up, and I respect them for it. I might even add, under a delirious trance, that I've wanted to adopt Mark Slaughter since I've been a teenager. :o)

So, that would be my response to you, in a nutshell, which is why this review is so hard for me to write. Back To Reality is Slaughter's newest piece of work, and I am pained to say that it was a bit of a disappointment.

I have been with Slaughter since CD #1, and as a whole, I can't say that in my eyes its much better than Fear No Evil, which is the album I liked the least in the Slaughter catalog. Their last effort, in 1997, was Revolution and this one isn't quite as good, and it pales next to their two best efforts: Stick It To Ya (#1), and The Wild Life (#2).

This isn't to say that Back To Reality is a horrible, or even bad, effort. There are some true gems on the disc that are well worth listening to, but as a whole, it was a disappointment. Let's start from the beginning:

1. Killing Time: This song is a rocker, and this is a good way to start an album -- with a rocker. The beat is okay, the lyrics are less than spectacular, and it gives me a headache. Getting a headache at the beginning of an album is NOT a good sign . . .

2. All Fired Up: This song starts out with a cool guitar intro, and then launches into one of those high-octane rockers that you've heard a million times. Its not a bad song, but its been done before.

3. Take Me Away: The intro and the first verse of this song makes me feel that there's hope for this song, but the chorus kills it. The chorus ("Take me away, take me away, take me away to the sky") kills the song with its cheesiness. HOWEVER, there IS a killer guitar solo in this song. That seems to almost make up for the cheesy chorus.

4. Dangerous: Okay, you don't need to be a brain surgeon to get the gist that there's no probing lyrics in this song -- its just a straight ahead party song. The groove is funky and way kewl, man, and I've seen them perform this one live. Its a good live song that they should keep in their set list.

5. Trailer Park Boogie: This song has a good story to it, and again it has a rock-the-boat type of energetic rhythm to it. There's some more shredding guitar solos in the refrain of the song. Not a bad song, but again, not a standout.

6. Love Is Forever: This song right here is one of the best on the disc. Yes, its a ballad, and yeah, I'm female. I can see the comments: "Well, of COURSE she's likes the ballad -- she's a WOMAN." Nope. I like rockers and ballads equally. Ballads can be just a cheesy as a rocker can, and just a nauseating. This is really pretty, however. Its lilting, and Mark doesn't overdo the vocals. Its also one of the best songs lyrically.

7. Bad Groove: Now this song is very cool. It starts with pretty guitars, and then kicks into this thrashing, speedy rocker. Mark's vocals are distorted, making him sound like Axl Rose's brother. Actually, the feel of this song, and the energy of it, sounds much like a Guns N' Roses tune that, at this time, escapes my memory at this moment. This is one of the standouts.

8. On My Own: This is another gem on the CD. This starts out slow, and then goes into a mid-tempo song that's full of pleasing melodies. Once again, the lyrics shine on this one, but they usually do with love songs.

9. Silence of BA: Slaughter is notorious for putting these little instrumental snippets on their CDs. This can be annoying and boring to some, but Slaughter usually does a pretty good job with this. This is a very spiritually relaxing little piece, and I like it.

10. Headin For A Dream: This is one of the best on the CD. This is another standout. I love the lyrics, I love the echo-sounding effects of Mark's voice, and I love the time changes in this song. This song reeks -- and I mean REEKS -- of Led Zepplin. This isn't unusual for Slaughter, as on just about every CD but Stick It To Ya they have at least ONE song that reeks Zepplin. Don't see it? On The Wild Life: Do Ya Know? On Fear No Evil: Break Down N' Cry. On Revolution: Heaven It Cries. And now, of course, we have Headin For A Dream. Amazingly, they do this often, but they also do it well. In just about every case, if not every case, the song that reeks of Zepplin is usually one of their better songs. At least, that's the way I see it from this standpoint. So, maybe some will argue that Slaughter is a Led Zepplin wannabe, and that Mark Slaughter thinks he's Robert Plant's son. Hey, whatever. I like Zepplin, and I like Slaughter, so I'm liking the results of songs like this. Not exactly a rip-off, but absolutely the spirit of Zepplin is there. This song starts off pretty and haunting, and then rips (not much different from Stairway To Heaven, though don't misquote me in saying the songs are anything alike. They aren't. I'm just using an example here of time changes in the song).

11. Nothin Left To Lose: This is another favorite of mine. It's very R&B and waltzy. Its one of those songs, you will find, stays in the corner of your brain and keeps popping up into consciousness during weird moments in life. What's more, you don't mind that this is happening because its one of those guilty pleasures.

12. Goof (Untitled): This isn't a song, really, and it has no title and it isn't listed on the CD. I call it Goof because that is just what it is -- much like Winging' It from Stick It To Ya. It sounds like the guys are singing, "I'm shuffling, I'm shuffling, Lord only knows I'm shuffling," but hey, I could be wrong. What's scary is that I'm probably right on target. A simple snippet like this wraps up why I love these guys: Their humor, and their ability to make you smile.

So, with that said, I guess that you could say that I'm not about to throw Back To Reality in the trash bin. There's much I enjoy on this disc, but there's also some things that fall a bit short. Hey, you can't please everybody. Someone out there could very well think that this is their best effort yet.

I will say that I respect these guys for sticking it out. They put a lot of energy in their show, and they're a strong bunch of guys. While I will always miss Tim Kelly (RIP), I think Jeff Blando is a pretty good guitarist. He did some nice work on this disc. The guys as musicians keep continuing to grow.

My one suggestion to them would be to continue to grow, and to get a little more creative. I'm not a musician in a band, so they are way ahead of me in the music game. They know what to do better than me. Stick with your instincts seems to be a good piece of advice, regardless of who you're directing it to.

I would also like to say that I think Mark Slaughter, as a lyricist, has yet to write his best lyrics and tell his most important story. Lyrics are just as important as the actual musical notes, the rhythm, melodies, and time changes. It all has to come together. You could press a button with the notes, but then say nothing with your words. This, I know a little more about because I'm a writer. So, to Mark Slaughter, I would say to keep reaching inside of yourself for your best story yet.

I still hope that this band continues to be around. I don't know if they'll continue to be the Rodney Dangerfield of Rock, but I am hoping they get the respect they deserve.

©Diane Trautweiler. Written January 31, 2000.

It has often been said that you can make something good out of something bad. So in 1999, a year after original guitarist Tim Kelly died in a car accident, Slaughter did just that with "Back to Reality". They added guitarist Jeff Blando, who is very good, if not as good as Kelly was. The production is richly executed, and the standout tracks are "Killin' Time", "All Fired Up", "Take Me Away", "Dangerous", and the ballads "Love is Forever" and "On My Own". Also, the instrumental "Silence of Ba" was very pretty. One cool thing about this album is that inside the liner notes, there are behind the scenes pictures, lyrics, and other cool stuff any die hard Slaughter fan wouldn't want to miss. Mark Slaughter should be the next President of the USA!

This is an excellent albulm. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys feel good music that makes you think of fun times, unlike most of the material out today. I love the title of this albulm because it is so appropriate. Slaughter had some rocky times before this albulm, but it shows that they did exactly that, got back to reality! This albulm reminds me of the albulms i used to buy in the 80's. Most of the new albulms from some of my favorite bands from that time i buy out of loyalty, but I am very disappointed by them. Slaughter as usual did not let me down. They never have and hopefully never will. With no disrespect to Jeff Blando, the only thing missing from this albulm is Tim Kelly. I think Dana Strum said it somewhere, Tim would have loved to see good time rock and roll being appreciated again( not an exact quote) I met Blas and Tim on several occasions and they are great guys. Mark and Dana also. They really do go out of their way for their fans. I really wanna thank them because they made a great impact on my life as a child, and they chose to make that a positive one instead of negative. I recommend anything they are a part of!!

I own many recordings of Gershwin but this inexpensive colection is my favorite! The performances are moving, the recording is excellent, and the whole package cannot be beat for value. Simply a great value!!!

I'm confused by the previous reviewer's comments.

The engineering is fine analog, but it isn't "in your face" kind of engineering (a la some older Sony recordings; Bernstein's are some of the worst offenders, although recent remasterings have tamed them somewhat), it isn't brightly lit (ditto a lot of von Karajan's DG recordings), but it's pretty natural. Nothing is spotlit, and sounds the way one would hear it in the concert hall. I would hazard that sound systems have a way of filtering the music. I've found that some of my terribly-engineered, really ancient monophonic recordings sound much better on lesser equipment, while my best engineered recordings sound mediocre on lesser equipment, but wonderful on the high end stuff. And the speakers, and, well, this isn't about equipment. Just second guessing how the impression can be made that the enginnering is poor on this disc.

Powell Symphony Hall, while not the sonic masterpiece that is, for example, New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall (one of the best I've ever been in), is still a wonderful acoustic space, both for listener and player (it's one of those halls where I was able to hear myself play as well as I was the whole orchestra, and you can almost feel your sound being projected into the auditorium). The hall, btw, is gorgeous, graceful, and characterful; much so than the design of Symphony Hall in Chicago (brilliantly finished, btw), or the cavernous feel of the hall in Boston. While some of Slatkin's RCA recordings in Powell recess the sound too much, such is not the case here.

The performances are electrifying, with the exception of the Concerto in F. Even that piece, an awkward attempt on Gershwin's part, has many rewarding aspects, and the performance reveals many of them. Seigel isn't a "polished" pianist--I'd never be interested hearing him play Mozart based on these performances--but here his style (or the style he has captured) is just right.

These are classics in the Gramophone. Not that the critical consensus (well, as consensual as it ever gets) is always correct, but I agree with them.

If only 0 stars were an option!

I found these interpretations of Gershwin lacking; both in the orchestra and piano. None of the performances reached out and pulled me in, they left me wondering what anyone could possibly hear in Gershwin. Thankfully I own several recordings which do not leave me feeling that way! Specificaly in the Rapsody in Blue: Mr. Siegel does not demonstrate a command of the piece; more than once I wondered if he was practicing the piece instead of performing it, as his approach was tenative at best. Mr. Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony rendered the piece with a lush/loose orchestral feel that just does not feel right.

The sound engineering is wanting in all of these performances; the balance between orchestra and piano is poorly maintained throughout. I found the piano lost in sections where a balance between forces is called for. Exchanges between piano and various instruments routinely found one or the other anoyingly out of balance. Nothing in the notes describes the recording process, but from the instances of voice dropout I would hazard to guess that two micropones were placed in the worst seats available in Powell Symphony Hall with the subsequent recordings transfered directly to disc with no review or attempt at editing. What an engineering travesty!

Overall I was glad when the CD's were done. I pulled out other recordings and played numerous tracks back to back to see if I had missed something. I had not! All around the performances are insipid and uninspiring, and I can usually find something redeeming in just about everything to which I give a listen.

If you want an inspired performance of Rhapsody in Blue that will reach out and grab you from the opening wail of the clarinet to the closing orchestral chord, get the recording made by Michael Tilson Thomas and the LA Philharmonic. Unfortunately, he did not record all the orchestral pieces you find in this recording.

This is a terrific collection of Gershwin's orchestral music, including all of his works for piano and orchestra, all at a bargain price. Jeffrey Siegel's piano playing is great, as is Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. For the bargain hunter in search of Gershwin, this is the set to buy.

I have been privileged to listen to Jeffrey Siegel's Keyboard Conversations in Fairfax, VA for many years. I heard him play some Gershwin during one performance, and I had to buy this CD. If you like Gershwin, if you like great piano, if you like music, this is a CD that belongs in your collection

Listening to people these days, they make it sound like Cryptic Slaughter was a major deal back in the mid-80s. "Legions of fans"? I've been in the L.A. area my entire life, and I was going to hardcore shows constantly from around 1983 to 1990. I saw Cryptic Slaughter several times. They had an enthusiastic little crew that went ape for them, but they were nothing to write home about. I and everyone I knew seemed to regard them the same way: a bunch of poseurs who didn't have the talent or the chops to stand next to the real speed masters of the day, i.e. DRI, COC, Slayer, etc. The rhythm section was a joke, playing material that was clearly beyond their abilities. Their riffs were just... what's the opposite of catchy? Forgettable? Unappealing? Not many people took them seriously. The one thing I did like about them was Bill Crooks' singing. That guy had a scream that was like a sand blaster going straight into your brain through your ears. I dunno, maybe they found "legions of fans" when they went on tour? Odd that I never knew about it until 20 years later. I have to admit, listening to Convicted and Money Talks now, they're a little better than I remembered. The only record of theirs that I liked (or at least didn't hate as much as the others) was their third album Stream of Consciousness. Ironically, the incredibly bad production values actually made the songs seem better. Far less sterile than Money Talks, anyway. And I also find it ironic that it's the only of their albums that isn't available on CD.

incredible album from CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER,i remember listening to this when it first came out..WOW..the only down side is it is all a bit one dimentional...all very similar thats why i gave it 4stars and MONEY TALKS 5stars

This is a wonderful example of the mid-80s crossover sub-genre. Earlier, metal and punk were binary opposites, but all of a sudden, bands that mixed the genres with rather noisy results began to surface. Compared to other renowned albums from the time, such as Corrosion of Conformity's 'Animosity' and D.R.I.'s 'Dealing with It', 'Convicted' comes across somewhat punkier. In my opinion, this is hardcore punk - ok, so they do have some guitar solos - but both in terms of the lyrical universe and the intense, yet simple riffing, this album belongs in the punk corner. It's blisteringly fast - I can't imagine that anybody else played at that insane pace in 1986. If you like your music loud and fast, 'Convicted' is probably the most fun you'll have this year.

Cryptic Slaughter is one of the most underrated bands in the history of music. These guys were revolutionary. They were on of the first truly extreme bands. These guys were talented too. To give you an idea of how talented they were Rob Nicholson, their bass player, is now playing for OZZY OSBOURNE! CS play so fast that it is almost a blurr, you can't even keep up if you have the lyrics in front of you. Along with S.T., D.R.I. AND C.O.C. CS were one of the first bands to combine metal and punk and they did it terrificly. This release also comes with the Life in a Grave demo which might even be better than Convicted! There are also a ton of live tracks. Everyone must buy this CD right now!

A long time ago, in dark aeons of 1986, Cryptic Slaughter become the first truly extreme band i ever heard. There were Venom, SOD, Slayer, Metallica and Celtic Frost. And no Napalm Death records was released yet. "Convicted" was a real shock to the sound system. It was 100 times more intense, frenetic and angry than anyone else.
And now, 18 years later, it's still sounds fresh and exciting! Their next LP "Money Talks" offered a slightly better songwriting, but now "Money Talks" sounds a little too outdated. "Convicted" stood the test of time more effectively. This classic hardcore album still able to devastate any speakers with most impressive wall of sound since Discharge's "Why".
All thumbs up!
P.S. Also i can recommend 3rd Cryptic Slaughter album "Stream Of Consciousness" - it's the really great piece of raw hardcore action. Unfortunately, it now very difficult to find, 'cause it out of print for about ten years.

I think this cd is one of Alvin's best live recording he has made with Hosanna! Music. He is joined by four world-class musicians like: Abraham Laboriel on Bass, Phil Hamilton on Guitar, Carl Albrecht on Drums, and producer and arranger Tom Brooks on Keyboards. They set the house on fire with their amazing talents. For those of you who havent heard this cd. I highly recommend that you get this cd. You wont be disappointed with it at all.

I NEVER RECEIVED THE "GOD CAN" CD/ BUT WAS CHARGED FOR IT/ THEREFORE

I CAN'T TRULY RATE ANYTHING/ I HAVE SENT AN E-MAIL TO THE SELLER / SO FAR NO RESPONSE/ AND AFTER READING SOME OF THE OTHER RESPONSES FROM PAST CUSTOMERS OF THERE'S / THERE EXPERIENCE WAS NOT SO GREAT IETHER/ HOW LONG CAN A SELLER WITH THIS KIND OF REP REMAIN AN AMAZON SELLER?

Alvin Slaughter, in his unforgettable voice, will take you to the Mountaintop to worship God and bring you back down to the valley to walk with Him. This is full Gospel worship at its best. Your heart will soar with love for the Father as you sing along to a stiring rendition of Halleluliah and your tears will flow as Alvin sings direct to those whom are hurting and in need of not only peace but restoration within their own lives. Worship music at its soulful finest. Highly recommended.

Slaughter(not the gay hair-metal band)released this album in 1986. I think it was recorded in a single day! It possesses some of the most brutal chainsaw riffs I've ever heard, and for 1986, this was UNBELIEVABLY fast & heavy. Listen to songs like "disintegrator" and "death dealer", NOBODY was this fast & brutal 22 + years ago. The album loses a star for pretty crappy vocals and really cheesy lyrics("prepare yourself for torture, prepare yourself for screams/ this ain't no bloody story, ain't no f-ing dream", "howl of the witch, flight of the bat/ howling from hell, like a screaming cat"), but if you're a death metal maniac, you need this album...this is where it all TRULY began...