50SHR #15: JRK (Iowa)

 
50 STATES OF HARD ROCK #15: IOWA

 

Band: JRK
Release: Freedom's Road
Year: 2005
Line-up: Unknown

Track Listing:

1 -    Whiskey and Water 2 -    Broken Eyes 3 -    Fame 4 -    Ladies of The Night 5 -    Angel 6 -    Where's My Bike 7 -    Freedom's Road

Fletchanator's comment: Unusually for a band that has released two albums in the 2000s, I couldn't find out much about JRK other than that they are from Iowa. I couldn't even find a listing for the band members anywhere on the internet.
Freedom's Road is the band's second album, following 2003's Live to Ride. Those two album names, the cover for this one (which you can see above) and the the song title Where's My Bike should give you all the hints you need about JRK's style. Here's a quote from the band themselves: "This album was written to let loose the energy that one feels when sittin on a big bike and goin down the road with not a care in the world. We enjoy playing oldstyle metal with a southern touch. We all ride and know what it is like to be on a sunny day and a long stretch of road ahead"
Despite the use of the word "metal" by the band, JRK aren't heavy enough to warrant it. They're straight forward hard rock with southern rock and blues influences. Check them out - if you like what you hear you can support the band by purchasing the album or individual tracks at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jrkrock

 

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Skid Row and Sebastian Bach demos - Reckless Youth (2005)

 Country: USA, Canada
Year: 2005 (CD released), 1985-2000 (material recorded)
Line-up: Various

Track Listing:
CD1 - Skid Row demos 1988-89

1.   Makin' a Mess 2.   Midnight/Tornado ver 1  3.   Walk with a Stranger  4.   In it to Win  5.   Knock Knock  6.   Shame Shame 7.   Can't Stand the Heartache 8.   Love Comes Down  9.   Rattlesnake Shake ver 1 10.   Edge of the Night

11.

Can't Wait 'til it's Here

12.	Midnight/Tornado ver 2

13.

18 & Life

14.	Rattle Snake Shake ver 2

15.	Shine in the Night

16.	Dirty World

17.	Waiting for Me

18.

Piece of Me

CD2 - Other demos

1.	Kid Wikkid - Take a Look at Me
2.	Kid Wikkid - Money in a Hurry
3.	Madam X - High in High School
4.	Madam X - We're Gonna Have
5.	Madam X - She's Hot Tonight
6.	Madam X - Dirty Girls
7.	Madam X - Heavy Metal in my Veins
8.	Madam X - We Reserve the Right
9.	Madam X - Good with Figures
10.	Madam X - Cat Got Your Tongue

11.	Madam X - We Want Rock

12.	Madam X - Stand Up and Fight

13.	Skid Row - Thick is the Skin (Johnny Solinger on vocals)

10.	Skid Row - Youth Gone Wild (Johnny Solinger on vocals)

Requested by: Jani

Fletchanator's comment: This double CD was released in 2005 by Metal Sword Records and gathers together a whole bunch of demos from the career of Skid Row and their one-time enigmatic frontman Sebastian Bach. Because there are demos the quality ranges between "close to the finished product" and "barely listenable".
CD1 is the demos Bach and Skid Row recorded for their first album in 1988 and 1989. A bunch of the songs didn't make the cut, while some of the familiar tracks from the self-titled album are there - 18 & Life, Piece of Me, Midnight/Tornado, Makin' a Mess etc. This CD is the stronger of the two, giving an insight into the very early days of Skid Row, before they became superstars.
CD2 is a mishmash of demos from Bach's pre-Skid Row bands (plus a couple of post-Bach demos thrown on at the end for some reason). The Kid Wikkid songs are pretty good, showing that even as a teenager Seb had great pipes. The Madam X songs are also good, but I have to point out that I'm not convinced that's Bach singing on these demos. The CD says they are 1986 demos, and Brett Kaiser had left Madam X by the end of 1985, but it doesn't sound like Bach. Let me know what you think in the comments.
Overall this CD is made for Skid Row/Sebastian Bach fans. If you count yourself in that group, you'll enjoy it. If you could take or leave them, this won't change your mind. They're rough demos afterall.

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Blue Tears - Mad, Bad and Dangerous [2005]

Country: USA
Year: 2005
Line up: Gregg Fulkerson (vocals / guitar), Michael Spears (bass), Bryan Hall (guitar), Charlie Lauderdale (drums)

Tracks

1.	Long Way Home
2.	Girl Crazy
3.	With You Tonight
4.	Mystery Man
5.	Rock You To Heaven
6.	Evidence Of Love
7.	Mad, Bad & Dangerous To Know
8.	Misty Blue
9.	Kisses In The Dark
10.	Everywhere I Go
11.	Midnight Train
12.	Follow Your Heart
13.	Russia Tonight
14.	Love Machine
15.	The Last Serenade
16.	Live It Up

Fletchanator's comment: An album from 2005? Doesn't that go against what this blog is all about? Don't worry - the material on this album was recorded for Blue Tears' second album in 1992, but it never got released. Years later, Suncity Records released that material, along with some songs written prior to the band's first album in 1990. This is fantastic AOR which at times sounds so close to Bon Jovi that you'll swear it's Jon singing (check out With You Tonight to see what I mean). Don't miss this one!

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)