Damn Shaw and Blades rock

For most of the 80's I had to defend Tommy Shaw of Styx.  I have mentioned in earlier posst I love Styx and I have taken grief for it most of my life.  Another band I got grief on that has also been mentioned in earlier post is Night Ranger.

Well in 1990 Shaw and Blades came together in a true Hard Rock band, Damn Yankees.  And just in chase anyone doubted their Rock status they added the Nuge, yes the Motor City Madman made sure the edge was in every song.  I was in heaven.  I still remember hearing the first track, Coming of Age. Just straight hard guitar, ah I knew these guys could Rock and I finally had the proof.  I bought the CD the first day it came out.

I loved the whole CD and not a filler track on it.  In fact, the single High Enough gave Ted Nugent his first top ten single.  I will get to that ballad in a minute.  Like I earlier said there isn't a filler track on the whole album it is all guitar driven songs.  So to my friends and doubters I said listen Shaw and Blades can rock, it is just awful record companies that push the rock ballad bullshit.

Now to my rant about the 90's and Hard Rock and even some Metal bands.  There was a formula that the record companies, and I blame MTV too, came up with to push and make Rock more to the masses.  First track from the CD was a rocker and then the ballad.  Every major Hard Rock and many Metal bands fell into this trap which ruined rock for the decade and it took until the 2010 to really come back.  I can't fully blame the artist, you got to eat and the bands that did it made money.  Then they drank and whored it away but hey that's Rock and Roll. But the few bands that didn't fall into the trap are still around and most produce new stuff and don't have fair well tours.

Now back to Damn Yankees the other thing that stands out about the band is the name.  How they talked a good southern boy like Tommy Shaw into being in a band with Yankee in the title is beyond me. The other neat thing is that the artist are from all over America, Shaw the South, Blades the West Coast, Ted Nugent the Midwest.

Any one who wants to listen to a great Rock CD, it is a good listen.

Be good to your ears - they deserve it.