This week we talk move on to the 90’s and first up is a Glam Metal / Hair Band era little nugget. It is the epitome of everything that was wrong with the era, but does that mean it was bad…check it out to see. It is the 1991 release for Danger Danger called ‘Screw It!’. Does Ted Poly, Bruno Ravel, Andy Timmons, Steve West and Kasey Smith suffer from the Sophomore Slump or do they hit it out of the park? This rock era was about to die a fast sudden death and I hated to see it die, but it need to die I guess. We will find out if this is worth your time or not so join me as I walk through the album song by song.
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For My Sunday Song #419, we have another song from The Defiant’s. This time around it is “Fallin’ For You” from the bands second album, ‘Zokusho’. It was written by Paul Laine and his buddy Bruno Ravel. If you thought the first album was good, then this one will not disappoint. A band that is celebrating that 80’s rock sound and this particular song is all that and more. This one was a single and even had a video. You gotta love that.
Lyrically, the song is about a woman that comes in to his life when he wasn’t looking for love. Heck, she wasn’t either as she just got out of a relationship. They were both wrong place, wrong time, but the heart wants what the heart wants. He has fallin’ for her hard and wants to know what to do. How can they make it work despite everything saying it can’t. A classic love story that has been in every Rom-Com out there.
With a little keyboard opening and then a gritty guitar riff, we get a classic Danger Danger style rocking love song. You get swept up in those big choruses, catchy hooks and that Paul Laine vocal. He was made for these type of songs. The guitar solo is huge, crazy riffs, fast flying fingers. It all screams 80’s and I scream along with it…Hell Yeah!!! A fun song that will get stuck in your head for days.
Give the song a listen and tell me that music doesn’t take you back to the 80’s. 80’s music was the best as it was the most fun and I am thrilled The Defiants are celebrating that sound. It makes you feel so good. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed this week’s song. Have a wonderful and Happy Sunday!!
“Fallin’ For You”
I wasn’t looking for somebody to love me I wasn’t waiting for a second chance You know I’ve never really been that lucky I’d given up trying to understand You were getting over some old heartbreak You never counted on me walking through your door, yeah
I didn’t know I was waiting for you It’s out of my hands and there’s nothing I can do
Girl, I can’t help it (I can’t help it) There’s something in the air tonight I just wanna tell you (wanna tell you) That my heart’s got nothing to hide I can’t hold back even if I tried Tell me what I gotta do ‘Cause girl, you got me Fallin’ for you (fallin’ for you) What’s a boy to do? (Fallin’ for you) You got me fallin’, fallin’ for you, oh
I was runnin’ in the wrong direction I was headed down a dead end road In the mirror was my own reflection Telling me you’re better off alone All I knew is there was someone for me Someone out there with a heart that beat like mine, oh
You were the one I was dreaming about I’m head over heels and there ain’t no doubt
Girl, I can’t help it (I can’t help it) There’s something in the air tonight I just wanna tell you (wanna tell you) That my heart’s got nothing to hide I can’t hold back even if I tried Tell me what I gotta do ‘Cause girl, you got me Fallin’ for you (fallin’ for you) And there ain’t no use (fallin’ for you) You got me fallin’, fallin’ for you
‘Cause that’s the thing about love when you find it Try to hold on and never let go It’s the chance that you take Between love and fate And only your heart will know
I didn’t know I was waiting for you It’s out of my hands and there’s nothing I can do You were the one I was dreaming about I’m head over heels and there ain’t no doubt
Girl, I can’t help it (I can’t help it) There’s something in the air tonight I just wanna tell you (wanna tell you) That I’m ready to give you this heart of mine I can’t hold back even if I tried Tell me what I gotta do ‘Cause girl, you got me Fallin’ for you (fallin’ for you) Girl, I’m stuck on you (fallin’ for you) (Fallin’ for you) and there ain’t no use
what’s a boy to do? (Fallin’ for you, fallin’ for you) oh girl, you got me fallin’ (Fallin’ for you) hey (fallin’ for you) oh, oh, I’m fallin’ (Fallin’ for you, fallin’ for you) fallin’ for you (Fallin’ for you) fallin’ for you (fallin’ for you) fallin’ for you (Fallin’ for you) yeah, you know I can’t help it (fallin’ for you) Oh, I wanna tell you (fallin’ for you) There’s something in the air tonight (fallin’ for you) hoo
For My Sunday Song #418, we are talking about Danger Danger’s song “Wide Awake And Dead” off the band’s third album ‘Dawn’ from 1995. Technically, their fourth recorded, but third release but that is a story for another time. The song was written by Paul Laine and Bruno Ravel. Although not a single, the song was one that connected to me for its dark tone and subject matter.
The song is about some major daddy issues. The child is in pain but the dad doesn’t seem to ever listen to him and care. It was as if no father was ever there. The darkness has filled the boy and he is ready to kill his father. The emptiness he feels has left him emotionless. He is wide awake, but dead inside. It is a horrible situation. Read the lyrics below and see how dark this thing gets. No child should ever feel that way.
The music matches the lyrics. This is 1995, the music scene had taken a darker turn from the party time of the 80’s and the earlier Danger Danger albums. To fit with the times, we get this brilliant song. The more somber tones, the heavier beats, the rich bass all giving to the dark soulless feelings of this little child. The guitar solo screams out with pain. If that isn’t enough, the guitar riff from Bruno that is thrown in every now again after the chorus is so cool. Paul’s vocals show the hurt and despair the child is feeling. There is a spoken part from Paul that is hidden behind the instrumental break that you have to listen close. It gives you more insight to the song. For such a depressing song, you can’t helped but be mesmerized by its beauty at the same time. One of the coolest songs on the album.
For My Sunday Song #416, we are going back to The Defiants and this time around we are talking about “Save Me Tonight” from their self-titled 2016 album. The Defiants are Paul Laine, Bruno Ravel and Rob Marcello and basically they are Danger Danger 2.0. Better, stronger and have aged nicely. The Defiants don’t get much notice here in the States and that is too bad as songs like this show this band has the goods to take over the world. If this was the 80’s, they would be as big as Bon Jovi…at least I think they would…they are better then today’s Bon Jovi at least.
A ballad that is full of so much heartbreak and heartache. The song is about a man who is fallen so deeply in love with this woman, but she is leaving and it is over. He is in so much pain and he wants her to come back and save him and give their love one more chance. There are some great lines that highlight the pain such as “They say love never dies but it sure leaves a scar” and “And all that’s left behind is a tattoo on your heart”. A beautifully written song.
But how beautiful is it really? Is it too sappy? No, not in the least. The Defiants put on a master class on how to perform a ballad. The music is tender, heartfelt and aches with the pains of the lyrics. The opening synths give it an almost atmospheric tone like floating through the air. The guitar tone is almost weeping and that solo will leave you breathless. But the winner is those vocals by Paul Laine. The notes he hits are amazing, the angelic tones, the emotiveness of his words is crazy good. Paul is still one of the finest vocalists out there today. He still has it in spades. If you ever thought the ballad was dead…here is proof it is alive and better than ever.
My Sunday Song #415, we are back to Danger Danger and this time around “Six Million Dollar Man” off the band’s fifth album ‘The Return of the Great Gildersleeves. The album is from 2000 and the song was written by Paul Laine, Bruno Ravel and Steve West. It wasn’t a single, but maybe that was a missed opportunity.
The song is from the big nerd side of Paul. I mean you have to be a nerd to write a song about the “Six Million Dollar Man”. Now, he admitted that he was one to me. He had been writing songs for his next album not expecting there to be another Danger Danger album and lo and behold, they did another one and this song wound up on it. There is no hidden meaning behind the song, it is truly about the TV show and even has a shout out to Jamie Summers and Oscar Goldman.
The song has the lines from the T.V. show…”Steve Austin, astronaut. A man barely alive. We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better…stronger…faster.” And no, they didn’t get permission to use the audio from the show. Shhh…don’t tell anyone. The song is a rocker, party anthem with killer, powerful drumming by Steve West and some killer guitar work from Bruno and I think the solo was actually done by Paul. He also handled the keys and vocals. There are a lot of electronic, sci-fi type sounds with lasers and robots. The song is meant for fun and delivers in spades.
For My Sunday Song #413, we are tackling the power ballad “Another Time, Another Place” by The Defiants. The song is off the band’s third and latest album, ‘Drive’ and it was written by Bruno Ravel and Paul Laine. You have Paul on vocals and keyboards, Bruno Ravel on bass and Rob Marcello on guitars with Van Romaine on drums. The song did not chart and heck I don’t even know if it was a single, but I do know that if this song was released in the mid to late 80’s it would be #1.
The song is about a love that could have been and doesn’t fall in to the abyss of a love that never was. There was someone in the past that he can’t stop thinking about and he longs for her, but they never became lovers. He dreams about that time in the future in another time and another place where that longing gets fulfilled and they fall in love and are together forever and a day. It is rather heartbreaking to want someone so much and long for them like that and yet nothing to satisfy that desire…at least not yet.
This is more like a Journey ballad as “Another Time, Another Place” might be the best ballad by any band in decades. Yes, it is that good to me. Steve Perry look out. I get lost in the chorus as Paul’s vocals will take over your ears and surround you in comfort and a magical bliss. The chorus is huge and so catchy. It draws you in and won’t let go. The scream Paul has at the end is such a surprise and so cool. I mean it isn’t Rob Halford type of cool, but still pretty awesome. The song is pure perfection again. When it comes on and I’m driving in my car, I keep hitting repeat and can never get enough. It usually accompanies for the rest of the drive. “Drive”…isn’t that the name of the album…how funny.
For My Sunday Song #412, we are going to discuss the song “Captain Bring Me Down” by Danger Danger. The song was off their fourth album called ‘Four the Hard Way’ and written by Paul Laine and fellow bandmate, Bruno Ravel. For the song, you had Paul on vocals and on keyboard, Bruno on bass, Tony Bruno on guitar and Steve West on drums. I don’t believe the song was a single, but it might be the best song on the album and the most saddest of stories.
The story behind the song is a little heart wrenching. In an interview Mike Ladano and I did with Paul, I brought up this song and mentioned it was my favorite on the album and Paul graciously told the story of the song despite how personal the song was to him. He was working with a friend of his on his friend’s album and they were sharing stories together of how they were both bullied when they were kids and in school. After working on the album, his friend, Randy, went to visit his brother and ended up doing heroin with his brother and died. Paul was moved by the stories he and Randy had discussed on bullying and turned it in to a song. It is about meeting your bullies years later and they treat you like you are best friends. They were the cool kids and school and now they drown their sorrows in alcohol.
The song opens with Paul’s keyboards and Tony on acoustic guitar. The keyboards are like violins and string orchestration and are so powerful sounding. The vibe is somber and the tempo is slow and the lyrics hit you right in the heart and the stomach. The percussion and drums on the song were used perfectly as emphasis of the sadness. The guitar solo is so tasteful and played for the song as it is not a time to showboat. So well done. Paul delivers one of his best vocal performances on this album with this song as he makes you feel every word and every note. I have never listened to this song the same way after I heard Paul’s story. It was great before, but now it is one of the best songs I think he has ever done.
The boys are back with their third album. The boys, of course, are Paul Laine, Bruno Ravel and Rob Marcello or more properly known as The Defiants. The band was brought together back in 2016 thanks to Frontiers Records. I was worried this was going to be a one and done, but thankfully that wasn’t the case.
I spoke with Paul Laine a couple years ago and I knew he was working on this album. And about 6 months later, when I was exchanging emails with him, he was coming up on his deadline to submit the album to Frontiers. He seemed a little stressed, but in a good way. This was around January 2022. I am not sure what happened, but the album didn’t see the light of day for another 18 months. I hope to talk with him again soon and I will make sure to see what was going on. Regardless, as of June 7, 2023, we have the new Defiants album and I couldn’t be happier.
The guys had worked together before in a band called Danger Danger, you remember them from the late 80’s and 90’s. The Defiants were made to recapture that 80’s rock magic and capture it they did. I will try not to be biased as I am a huge Paul Laine fan and I pretty much love everything he does and there is a reason for that…he is one of the best vocalists in the business and his voice gets stronger as he ages. He does not disappoint here either. In fact no one does. This is my album of the Summer and in fact, could wind up as album of the Year. Yes, I said it! And here’s why…
The album opens with a scorcher in “Hey Life” which is a massive anthemic rocker. And listen to that opening guitar riff…does it not sound like “Rise” by Extreme??? Which is wild as both albums came out on the same day. Paul’s vocals soar as he tells life to get out of his way. The drums are pounding, the guitars are a rip-roaring shredfest and the song makes a massive opening statement.
Alright…You Picked It! And this one really surprised me as I didn’t expect this one to get picked or many votes at all. But I am glad it did as I do enjoy this one a lot! A guilty pleasure you could say. The winner was Danger Danger’s 1991 album ‘Screw It!’ which is one I do have in my collection. Here are the results.
Danger Danger – ‘Screw It!’ – 9 votes
Neil Young – ‘After the Gold Rush – 5 votes
Halestorm – ‘Back from the Dead’ – 4 votes
Boston – ‘Boston’ – 3 Votes
Miranda Lambert – ‘Revolution’ – Sadly, 0 votes
Thanks to all for participating. The July choices will be up on Saturday!
DANGER DANGER – ‘SCREW IT!’:
Danger Danger’s second album was not a repeat of their debut, but an improvement. It was more polished, more naughty and well…more everything. They recorded at in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl at New River Studios where Skid Row recorded their album ‘Slave to the Grind’. The funny thing is both bands put out singles called “Monkey Business” in the same year. Danger Danger was going to call their album ‘Monkey Business’, but changed their mind. I think they had trouble finding a name for the album and they said screw it! So, that became the name of the album ‘Screw It!’. And based on the lyrics in the album, there is a lot of that going on.
The band Danger Danger consists of lead singer, Ted Poley, guitarists Andy Timmons, Kasey Smith on keyboards, Bruno Ravel on bass and Steve West on drums. These guys were awesome. They were a true hair metal band and their music was the epitome of the genre. It was rude, crude, and anthem rocked out. It was one of the most sexualized albums I have ever heard and yet, even in today’s #MeToo Movement, I lover every minute of it. There is no denying their target audience with this one…young teenage boys…who had hot chicks as friends. I first heard of them because in 1990, they opened for Kiss. After I got that taste, I went and bought the debut and then was a day one shopper when this was released and I have loved it ever since. In fact, it is my #1 album on their Worst to First Ranking. I guess I have now spoiled the review…oh well…here it goes anyway.
Recently, I looked up the definition of the word “fun” in the Oxturd Dictionary and it told me the definition was “to be Defiant”. I thought that sounded about right. So, how could I be defiant. Well, the quickest and easiest way was to pick up the latest release by the band The Defiants. I figured that fit the bill of “fun” quite nicely.
And I was right!
The band consists of three members all stemming from the band Danger Danger. They are Bruno Ravel on bass, Rob Marcello on guitar and Paul Laine on vocals. And to make the Danger Danger connection even stronger, drummer Steve West filled in on the kit for this recording. Since Danger Danger still exists with lead singer Ted Poley, they couldn’t use that name so they came up with their own.
‘Zokusho’ is the band’s second album and the word actually means “sequel” or “next chapter” in Japanese which is actually what this record is. The band picks up right where they left off on their debut. If you liked 80’s rock and the whole melodic rock scene, let me tell you that it doesn’t get much better than this.
2 Loud 2 Old Music 