Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

Metal Health

 
Album Review: Metal Health

  • Artist: Quiet Riot
  • Rating: StarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: 1983
  • Total Time: 40:57
  • Type: Contains explicit content
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Quiet Riot seemingly came out of nowhere in 1983, racing up the singles charts with their over-the-top cover of Slade's "Cum On Feel the Noize" and crashing the Billboard album chart's number one spot with their multi-million-selling Metal Health LP -- the first heavy metal record to ever do so. Prior to their "overnight success," QR had been toiling in relative obscurity for years, so that by the time they finally turned the corner, Metal Health's meteoric success must have surprised the band even more than it did their critics and newfound fans. Though it has received its fair share of criticism, Metal Health isn't nearly as average as some would have you believe. Say what you will, but the album's title track continues to deliver after all these years. With its crushing guitar riff, inane lyrics, and goofy bravado, it's heavy metal personified in all its glorious, ridiculous excess. The surprisingly laid-back groove of "Don't Wanna Let You Go" follows the storming "Cum On Feel the Noize," which leads into the slightly '50s-ish "Slick Black Cadillac," a rehashed early band favorite. "Love's a Bitch" closes side one with plenty of venom and attitude, but despite a valiant attempt by the driving coulda-been-a-hit "Breathless," side two falls way short of the mark. Even though "Run for Cover" is quite a stomper, the closing triplet of "Battle Axe" (Carlos Cavazo's half-assed guitar showcase), "Let's Get Crazy" (downright embarrassing jock rock), and "Thunderbird" (painful sub-Journey balladry) tend to understate the hugeness of the occasion. Still unquestionably the band's best effort, Metal Health would eventually earn one-hit wonder status thanks to Quiet Riot's inability to deliver anything resembling a decent follow-up. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia & John Franck, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Metal Health Frankie Banali, Carlos Cavazo, Kevin DuBrow Quiet Riot (5:17)
Cum on Feel the Noize Noddy Holder, Jim Lea Quiet Riot (4:50)
Don't Wanna Let You Go (Lyrics) Carlos Cavazo, Kevin DuBrow Quiet Riot (4:42)
Slick Black Cadillac (Lyrics) Kevin DuBrow Quiet Riot (4:12)
Love's a Bitch (Lyrics) Kevin DuBrow Quiet Riot (4:13)
Breathless Carlos Cavazo, Kevin DuBrow Quiet Riot (3:51)
Run for Cover (Lyrics) Carlos Cavazo, Kevin DuBrow Quiet Riot (3:38)
Battle Axe Carlos Cavazo Quiet Riot (1:38)
Let's Get Crazy (Lyrics) Kevin DuBrow Quiet Riot (4:08)
Thunderbird (Lyrics) Kevin DuBrow Quiet Riot (4:42)

Credits

Quiet Riot (Main Performer), Quiet Riot (Artwork), Riot Squad (Vocals (Background)), Charles Wright (?), Frankie Banali (Percussion), Frankie Banali (Cymbals), Frankie Banali (Drums), Frankie Banali (Vocals (Background)), Frankie Banali (Tympani [Timpani]), Frankie Banali (?), Duane Baron (Engineer), Carlos Cavazo (Guitar), Carlos Cavazo (Guitar (Electric)), Carlos Cavazo (Vocals (Background)), Carlos Cavazo (?), Kevin DuBrow (Vocals (Background)), Kevin DuBrow (?), Tuesday Knight (Vocals (Background)), Spencer Proffer (Vocals (Background)), Spencer Proffer (Producer), Pat Regan (Keyboards), Rudy Sarzo (Synthesizer), Rudy Sarzo (Bass), Rudy Sarzo (Guitar (Bass)), Rudy Sarzo (?), Chuck Wright (Guitar (Bass)), Chuck Wright (Vocals (Background)), Donna Slattery (Vocals (Background)), Jay Vigon (Art Direction), Jay Vigon (Design), Sam Emerson (Photography), Stan Watts (Illustrations), Ron Sobol (Photography)
Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
Wikipedia: Metal Health
Top
Metal Health
Studio album by Quiet Riot
Released March 11, 1983
August 28, 2001 (bonus tracks)
Recorded 1982
Genre Heavy Metal, Glam Metal
Length 40:57
Label Pasha/Sony/Columbia
Producer Spencer Proffer
Professional reviews
Quiet Riot chronology
Quiet Riot II
(1978)
Metal Health
(1983)
Condition Critical
(1984)

Metal Health is the third album by American heavy metal band Quiet Riot. It is their first record without guitarist Randy Rhoads. It was released on March 11, 1983, bolstered by the #5 hit "Cum on Feel the Noize" and the #31 hit "Metal Health". It knocked The Police's Synchronicity out of #1 in the U.S.,making it the first heavy metal album to go #1. The album went on to sell more than 6 million copies and is considered a classic among heavy metal fans to this day. However, some critics such as Allmusic [1], perceive it as a one-hit wonder, owing to Quiet Riot's relative lack of critical and commercial success with following albums (and subsequent disintegration) towards the end of the 1980s. The title track was ranked #35 on Vh1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs.

The band went on a tour the same year and also supported Black Sabbath on their Born Again tour in the U.S.

Contents

Track listing

  1. "Metal Health" (DuBrow/Cavazo/Sarzo/Banali) 5:16
  2. "Cum on Feel the Noize" (Holder/Lea) 4:51
  3. "Don't Wanna Let You Go" (DuBrow/Cavazo) 4:42
  4. "Slick Black Cadillac" (DuBrow/Rhoads) 4:12
  5. "Love's a Bitch" (DuBrow) 4:11
  6. "Breathless" (DuBrow/Cavazo) 3:51
  7. "Run for Cover" (DuBrow/Cavazo) 3:38
  8. "Battle Axe" (Cavazo) 1:38
  9. "Let's Get Crazy" (DuBrow) 4:08
  10. "Thunderbird" (DuBrow) 4:43
  11. "Danger Zone" (DuBrow)* 5:06
  12. "Slick Black Cadillac" (live) (DuBrow)* 5:14
  • On Metal Masters Remaster*
  • "Slick Black Cadillac" is a re-recorded version of the same song from Quiet Riot II.

Credits

Quiet Riot

Additional musicians

  • Chuck Wright - bass on "Metal Health", "Don't Wanna Let You Go", "Danger Zone" and all backing vocals
  • Pat Regan - keyboards
  • Riot Squad - backing vocals
  • Tuesday Knight - backing vocals
  • Spencer Proffer - backing vocals
  • Donna Slattery - backing vocals

Production

  • Spencer Proffer - producer
  • Duane Baron - engineer
  • Dale Lavi - mastering
  • Quiet Riot - artwork
  • Jay Vigon - art direction, design
  • Sam Emerson - photography
  • Ron Sobol - photography
  • Stan Watts - illustrations

Chart positions

Album

Year Chart Position
1983 Billboard 200 1

Singles

Billboard Music Charts(North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1983 "Metal Health" Mainstream Rock 37
"Cum on Feel the Noize" 7
"Slick Black Cadillac" 32
"Cum on Feel the Noize" The Billboard Hot 100 5
1984 "Metal Health" The Billboard Hot 100 31

References

  1. ^ [1], Metal Health article on Allmusic


Preceded by
Synchronicity by The Police
Billboard 200 number-one album
November 26 - December 2, 1983
Succeeded by
Can't Slow Down by Lionel Richie

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Metal Health" Read more

 

Mentioned in