That’s right ladies and gentlemen…”Monster Ballads” is back! Now you can enjoy your favorite tunes from the “hair band” era in this fabulous two-disc collection — “Monster Ballads Platinum Edition.” Even if you have the original “Monster Ballads” set, you will want to add “Monster Ballads Platinum Edition” to your collection. Some of the songs from the original two volumes are included, and there are some different songs on there as well.
This collection takes me back to my childhood. I was just a little girl when metal bands like Skid Row, The Scorpions, and Poison were popular. I was so young, in fact, that my mother left it up to my sister to make sure that I was not allowed to listen to a lot of the music. I remember in particular that she was not a fan of Skid Row and now look — here I am writing about some of the greatest music ever. Shame on me! Sorry, Mom, but I’m twenty-five now and I think it’s okay.
As I listen to this CD, I am reminded of a great era of music. The 1980’s music scene was a revolution. Not only did you have artists like Michael Jackson and Cyndi Lauper breaking out into the solo music scene, but there were the infamous hair bands who continued their plow into the early 1990’s. The guys liked to keep their hair long and shaggy and belt their lyrics to the best of their abilities. One such song included in this collection that brings back memories is “Heaven” by Warrant. My sister and I used to watch the MTV Video Countdown together in the late 1980’s and we remember “Heaven” was No. 2 for a long time. My sister got misty-eyed when Jani Lane (Warrant’s lead singer) came on the screen and began to sing the lyrics to this sweet song. This has been a favorite of mine for a while, also.
I remember falling in love with Skid Row’s lead singer Sebastian Bach when I first heard the song “I Remember You” on the radio. Even at the young age of nine, I recognized the way that he formed his words and it made my heart beat faster. When I saw the video, that was the beginning of the end. As I listen to this song, I can still picture his lips in my mind as he sang, “Through all the sleepless nights, through every endless day, I’d wanna hear you say, ‘I remember, I remembaahhhhh youuuuuu.’ Ohhhhh yeaaaaaah. Ooh whoooooaaaaah yeah!” That is the only way I can put it because that was the emotion that went into the song.
Of course there is also the song “Wind of Change” by the infamous German group The Scorpions. This song focuses on the socio-political changes that were occurring at the time in Eastern Europe and throughout the world as a result of the end of the Cold War. Most people just remember this as being one of the last singles to be a hit for The Scorpions.
“Monster Ballads Platinum Edition” will take you back to the time when guys wore their hair longer than ever and people held 25-cent lighters in their hands at concerts. This collection is a great memory in itself and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves this music.
“Monster Ballads Platinum Edition” Track Listing
Disc One
- Heaven – Warrant
- I Remember You – Skid Row
- When the Children Cry – White Lion
- Headed for a Heartbreak – Winger
- High Enough – Damn Yankees
- Love of a Lifetime – Firehouse
- To Be With You – Mr. Big
- Don’t Close Your Eyes – Kix
- When I See You Smile – Bad English
- Carrie – Europe
- Fly High Michelle – Enuff Znuff
- Love is on the Way – Saigon Kick
- The Flame – Cheap Trick
- House of Pain – Faster Pussycat
- Miles Away – Winger
- If You Needed Somebody – Bad Company
Disc Two
- Every Rose Has Its Thorn – Poison
- Don’t Know What You Got Til It’s Gone – Cinderella
- Fly to the Angels – Slaughter
- Silent Lucidity – Queensryche
- Love Song – Tesla
- Is This Love – Whitesnake
- Forever – Kiss
- I’ll Never Let You Go – Steelheart
- Only Time Will Tell – Nelson
- Wind of Change – Scorpions
- Angel Song – Great White
- I’ll See You in My Dreams – Giant
- More Than Words – Extreme
- When I’m With You – Sheriff
- Ballad of Jayne – L.A. Guns
- Honestly – Striper