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QUIET RIOT - Rehab CD Review
This is the best Quiet Riot record ever released. I know what you're thinking after reading that opening statement. "He's just a big fan who wants to like the new stuff and is letting his excitement get the better of him." Wrong! I am a big fan of the band but I am not someone who is always blinded by new material. This album sincerely is the best they've ever done. The band has matured and incorporated a lot of diversity on display on "Rehab". Fans who liked their early material like "Metal Health" and "Condition Critical" will enjoy this record but will not get a carbon copy. The sound has changed a bit. But, if you are not desperately trying to relive your youth and actually are willing to give a new album by an established band a chance, I suggest you do give Quiet Riot's "Rehab" a chance as I promise it will surprise you. Diversity is the best one word description of this record. It really is a combination of all things that real rock is all about. It's got the metal feel of Quiet Riot's early work mixed with some blues and classic rock influence. A few songs are so well crafted, they almost sound like The Who with Kevin DuBrow screaming for them. A track by track review... "Free" is probably the heaviest song on the record. It does set a good tone for the record and has a very well crafted guitar groove and chorus. "Blind Faith" has a very strong chorus. "South of Heaven" is probably my favorite song off the disc at the time of writing this. It has a softer opening that leads into a great groove and very powerful lyrics... Yes, powerful lyrics. You can almost hear in the way the band plays this song that they are really loving what they're doing and are making music that they like and aren't overly concerned with billboard charts. If more musicians did that, there would be a heck of a lot more diversity in modern pop music. "Black Reign" has a very cool chorus with killer lyrics. This is the kind of mystical stuff that I miss in new records. A little touch of evil. :) "Old Habits Die Hard" has a good groove. Gospel singers join the fray in this track helping with the chorus. Yes, gospel singers on a Quiet Riot track. No, they have not gone artsy. It's just the most diverse I've ever heard the band! "Strange Days" is more along the lines of what you would expect from Quiet Riot. It's almost as heavy as "Free" and also has a very cool chorus and guitar groove. This song is probably the closest to classic Quiet Riot. The fact that "In Harms Way" isn't a big radio hit is a crying shame. The guitar groove, Kevin DuBrow's vocals, and Frankie Banali's drumming is very tight, clean, and together. The lyrics are very strong and the chorus puts the song over the top. "Beggars and Thieves" is another solid track with a well crafted chorus. The choruses (or is it chori?) on this record are what makes it a record you can listen to straight through. Very catchy. "Don't Think" is the song Frankie Banali posted on his site when the record was being mixed. Hearing that track gave me a bad feeling about the record to the point I didn't buy it until well after it came out. Curiosity finally got the better of me. This song is decent but not great. If you were put off by this sound sample months ago, rest assured it is the weakest on the record. "It Sucks to be You" is a fun little song with funny lyrics. I love how DuBrow takes the chorus of "it sucks to be you" and sends it into the guitar solo with "But it rocks to be me!" This track is probably more of a fun filler song for the band creatively but it will be something the classic Quiet Riot fan who probably will bitch about this, that, or the other thing on this record will probably like. "Evil Woman" is a cover of a classic Spooky Tooth song. Glenn Hughes joins Kevin DuBrow on vocals and really hits some fantastic notes. Solid song that stays true to the original. All in all, this record really is Quiet Riot's most complete sounding record. I stand by my claim that it is their best as there is a lot of original material and a great deal of heart and soul clearly went in to it. It might not have quite the "heavy metal cheerleader" feel of "Metal Health" but it does have a very mature, complete, and still very metal sound. If you like classic Quiet Riot, you'll like this (unless you're completely stuck in your childhood) and if you didn't, you should give it a chance as it shows a brand new side of the band I never knew existed. This is what a new record by a classic band should be. Complete, well crafted, and proof that you don't have to be 18 to make songs that people can relate to. In fact, your writing style can get better with experience. Quiet Riot have really reinvented themselves for their fans. Or, perhaps I should say, Quiet Riot have rehabilitated themselves!
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