Club Daze Volume 1: The Studio Sessions
Twisted Sister
Spitfire Records, 1999
REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 04/14/2000
Some people might wonder what relevancy Twisted Sister has inthis day and age. They had their moment of glory in the mid-80swith hits like "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" beforefading out into the sunset. With the exception of the Strangeland soundtrack, Dee Snider and crew haven'tapparently done like many other bands and get back together to ridethe coattails of the resurgence of metal's popularity. If anything,they've stayed in the news thanks to their request to not have "IWanna Rock" played as the theme music for Atlanta Bravesreliever/resident asshole John Rocker. (Yeah, I bet I get a fewletters for that one.)
Are Twisted Sister still relevant in 2000? Actually, it's tooearly to tell that - but if the recent release Club Daze Volume I: The Studio Sessions is any indication,they're still kinda fun to listen to. And in the end, I think thatSnider and crew would be pleased with that view.
This disc collects some of the earliest (and oftennever-before-released) moments of the band circa 1978 through 1981.Of these, the only song that's seen major release was "I'll NeverGrow Up Now" (on the American release of Under The Blade). But if you pick this disc up thinkingyou're going to hear the early renditions of songs like "We're NotGonna Take It," you're going to be sorely disappointed. Clear yourmind, Grasshopper, and let's approach this one like a blank pieceof paper.
For starters, Twisted Sister didn't begin their lives as a metalact; if anything, they combined their love for glam rock a la NewYork Dolls with a passion for blues-boogie like AC/DC. Once youknow that piece of history, you can more easily understand wherethe genesis of tracks like "Rock N Roll Saviors," "Pay The Price"and "High Steppin'" come from. And, looking back some 22 yearsafter these were recorded, they really were pretty good.
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