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Long Cold Winter
Cinderella
Mercury Records, 1988
REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 07/17/1999
Following the success of their debut album Night Songs, one had to wonder what was next for the hardrock quartet Cinderella. Would they fall prey to the dreaded"sophomore slump", or would they put out an album that solidifiedtheir position as one of the genre's leading acts? (I'm going totry very hard to refrain from making any "fairy tale"references.)
The answer came in 1988 with the release of Long Cold Winter. Spawning a few chart successes, includingthe ballad "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)", Tom Kieferand crew seemed to prove that they were no mere flash in the pan.Eleven years after its release, it's still a fun album to listento.
Long Cold Winter was the first album where the unofficial"fifth" member of Cinderella, keyboardist Rick Criniti, wasformally credited. (The band had taken some heat for not disclosingthat they were using a keyboardist on Night Songs and on tour.) One thing that strikes me as oddabout the album is the plethora of guest musicians, includingdrummers Denny Carmassi (then of Heart) and the late Cozy Powell.Granted, I really can't hear where their contributions come intoplay on the album, but it seems strange that Cinderella would needsuch high-octane help.
After the country-blues opener "Bad Seamstress Blues" (aforeshadowing of what was to come on the band's third album Heartbreak Station), Kiefer, lead guitarist Jeff LaBar,bassist Eric Brittingham and drummer Fred Coury kick things intohigh gear with the groove-oriented "Falling Apart At The Seams".This is a track that I don't believe got much attention when thealbum first came out, but is a solid rocker which rightfullydeserves your attention.
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