Tangerine Merced CA

Tangerine

Vixen

CMC International Records, 1998

REVIEW BY: Paul Hanson

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 06/26/1998

I got a hold of this disc more because I was curious what thisband would sound like in 1998. I think their last album was Rev It Up but from what I remember of it, it wasn't verymemorable. They had a mildly successful radio hit with "Edge Of ABroken Heart" from their first self-titled release.

Selective amnesia has worked wonders for other bands and Vixenmight be another wonder. The press kit that came with this discbounces over the hairspray, cliche, and music from their earlierreleases to portray this as a new band. After listening toTangerine, I'd agree the band has gone in a new and betterdirection. Vixen have reinvented themselves and, unlike Dokken andMetallica, their redirection is successful.

Tangerine finds the band totally reworking their sound intoa more 90s sound. For example, track one "Page" sounds like Alicein Chains. By second track "Tangerine," all memories of leather andhairspray are gone. There's a bite to this new sound that iscatchy, heavy and radio-friendly all at once.

This disc satisfies on all levels. "Never Say Never" is destinedto be a radio smash with its unbelievably catch chorus: