Well, I think I may be a bit hung up on what this could’ve been.
This could’ve been great…
A bit of history, the band was never happy with their classic album “Stay Hungry.” They felt the sound was too weak and that the producer really forced them to make them a lighter album with less impact than they wanted. I don’t doubt this. So, it’s twenty years later and the band wanted to correct the problem by re-recording the album.
The problem of course, is that it’s twenty years later. The band does not sound as hungry, they don’t sound as energetic, they sound like some guys going back and reliving the fun days of the past. There’s nothing wrong with that, in fact that could be cool.
This could have been cool if they did it just a bit differently. First off, do the master tapes still exist? With modern technology they could have easily do a major remix and really pumped up the sound. Have you heard the remix/remaster of Megadeth’s “Killing is My Business”? It sounds like a different album: loud, clear, heavy, and hundreds of times better than the original. That would have been ideal. A rerecording like this is even more acceptable since this reunion lineup is all of the original guys, it's not like you have Rober Trujillo rerecording Bob Daisley or anything...that's a sin.
Now, let’s say that the original tapes just sounded weak and could not be remixed. As long as it was clearly explained, then the band could’ve rerecorded some of the instruments to add a bit more power. I don’t know exactly what was done with the songs “Never Say Never” and “Blastin’ Fast and Loud” but I am under the impression that’s what the band did…the recordings weren’t quite done, so they redid some of the instruments and gave it a nice full sound. The vocals are clearly from the old days as Dee sounds powerful, young, hungry, and crazy.
But now let’s just say, the tapes are gone, it can’t be remixed and you can’t add layers to what’s there to make it sound better.
Here’s what they could’ve/should’ve done. Find a club that they used to play back in the day and book a show there. Hell, book three shows there. During the show play the entire “Stay Hungry” album in its entirety. Then, go back, take the best performances, edit them together as a live show and boom, “Still Hungry: Stay Hungry Live!.”
The reason why this would be better is because any flaws with the recording can easily be forgiven…the band is playing live. Any performance gripes would be attributed to that…it was a live show, the band wanted a raw sounding, energetic, powerful record. I saw the band a few months back and let me tell you, they kicked much ass.
So, what’s the problem? I love Dee Snider…I think he’s a phenomenal frontman, a great singer and songwriter…his work with Van Helsing’s Curse is cool…his solo album is great…Widowmaker is awesome as well. So, here’s the problem…after twenty years, no matter how great you are, you’re going to sound older. Once again, in a live setting any flaw is acceptable. In the studio every time he sounds a bit too forced, and every time he sounds hoarse, every time he sounds weak, it’s glaring and it’s distracting. Listen to the hits…the original “We’re Not Gonna Take It” is angry, cocky, and snotty…this just sounds like the guys going through the motions twenty years later. It didn’t fix anything, if nothing else it just put another inferior version of the album out on the streets.
Musically, while everything seems fine, it sounds like everything is being played a bit slower than the original. Sometimes slowing things down adds some “heaviness” this sounds tied down, almost like they’re holding back. Even the mix doesn’t sound all that great. I suppose it’s fuller but the occasional lackluster vocal performance and the slowed down music take away from any power.
Inevitably, this will be compared to the original. The original is better.
But here’s the thing…the band hasn’t lost it. Check out the “bonus tracks.” These are reworked versions of early club songs that weren’t on any of the original albums (except the more recently released “Club Daze” discs). The songs are great, the band sounds good, and while there still are some problems with the mix and vocals, it still sounds damn good. It sounds good because these aren’t classic songs that we’ve been listening to since 1984. As I said, the two polished old songs sound excellent. The other four unreleased tracks are old songs that the band rerecorded this year. They sound fine, but they sound fine because there is no great sounding reference point. Yeah we have demos and live versions but nothing polished and professionally recorded.
The booklet is nice…all the lyrics, including the bonus songs, thanks, some notes on the rerecording and a photo. It’s a sharp looking package, but a lackluster disc.
I guess I see why they did it…it’s their right to go back and fix what problems they felt the old record has but rarely (I can’t even think of one) do rerecordings top the original. It’s a shame because I really feel this could’ve been better. It’s an interesting listen and should you find it used or bargain binned, and you’re a fan then I’d suggest picking it up. But really, unless you are already a TS fan, steer clear and wait for the live DVD.
