Metal Health [Original recording remastered, Extra tracks]

 

 

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While my first rock album ever was Kilroy Was Here, by Styx, my first metal album ever was this one: Metal Health, by Quiet Riot. Some music, after 25+ years, you get tired of and are embarassed that you ever owned it. Not me, not this album. Since buying it in '84, I've owned this album on cassette, LP and twice on CD. This remastered disc is likely the last time I'll need to buy this album. It was, and always will be, one of my all-time favourites. Read on.

The year was '84 and I was in the sixth grade. The previous Christmas I had just discovered heavy metal music thanks to a friend of mine who loaned me Masters Of Metal II on cassette. When Metal Health came out, he introduced me to Come On Feel The Noize. I had to have this album. My mom took me to the store where I bought it on cassette (I still recall, the cassette shell was white) and I played the crap out of it annoying everyone.

Much like my first-ever rock purchase, Styx, there were songs I liked and songs I hated. Back then I hated ballads. Obviously, I hated Thunderbird although now I appreciate it. I also hated Don't Wanna Let You Go. Basically, we played side one of the cassette, rewound, and played it again. (Don't Wanna Let You Go was on side two of the cassette version).

Everybody knows the title track here, with its chorus of "Bang your head, metal health will drive you mad." There's no Dylanesque poetry on this album, and DuBrow was never a crooner. This is about loud guitars & drums, a singer who is screaming his face off, and songs about rocking. Clearly, nostalgia has a lot to do with why I rate this album so high, but I must be honest. I simply love it, always will, and there must be some sort of magic happening here in these songs for it to stand the test of time.

Come On Feel The Noize, the Slade cover, is now more famous than the Slade original or Oasis' version. It's a great tune, very well played and arranged, awesome backing vocals. Slick Black Cadillac is a remake of a song from the second QR album (cleverly named Quiet Riot II) although we didn't know that at the time. The lyrics to this song are so catchy, and soon you too will be singin' about those solid gold hubcaps.

Other standouts include Don't Wanna Let You Go, a great slow one about a girl that "everybody wants to have, but I'm the one and it's right." This one later hit me in my early teen years, all that teen angst! However it's just a great song with some disco sounding guitars by Carlos Cavazo. Future QR member Chuck Wright plays bass on this and a couple other songs. Breathless is a fast rocker featuring the steady pounding of Frankie Balali on drums. And, of course, Thunderbird, the piano-based ballad about the late Randy Rhoads. Didn't like it then, love it today, it's a beautiful song and maybe the best thing DuBrow's ever written.

Bonus tracks include a fun live take of Slick Black Cadillac (complete with DuBrow's "vrroooom, vrrrrroooom!" taken from a radio promo release. Also present is Danger Zone, an outtake that is not quite up to the album standards, but certainly close. Remastering is loud and clear, and liner notes are informative.

Enjoy. Doesn't matter if it's 1984 or 2009, this is a great album. Five stars.

Bang your head!...Metal health'll drive you mad! That line will stick in my head forever! This is the rock/metal album every headbanger should have in their collection. If you don't have it, and are thinking of getting it, think no longer! Get it NOW!
This is a cd that is sometimes very hard to find, but again, if you don't have it, try your darn best to get it! Here is my opinion on all of the songs:

Metal Health: Best track on the album. This is the headbangers ball! Usually title tracks aren't the best song on the cd, but this one is a grand slam. 5 stars

Cum on Feel the Noize: Second best song on the album. This is a party song and a good song all around. 5 stars

Don't Wanna let you Go: A ballad that rules...finally. This is the only ballad to ever get my attention. 4 stars

Slick Black Cadillac: Sliiiiiiick Blaaaack CADILLAC! Very cool song. 3rd best on the cd. 5 stars

Loves a Bi*ch: Uh... I don't know what to say about this one. All I have to say is it ain't metal. 2 stars

Breathless: Back to the good stuff. This is 4th best on the cd. The chorus is cool. 5 stars

Run for Cover: Pretty good track. Not as good as most but better than some. Good rocker. 4 stars

Battle Axe: Best instrumental of all time! I would have called this second best but it ain't really a song, but it is a guitar classic in my book. 5 stars

Lets get Crazy: 5th best on the album. This is a good track and an overall headbanger. 5 stars

Thunderbird: this is a pretty darn good slow song if you ask me. Theres nothing else I could say. 4 stars

BONUS TRACKS:

Danger Zone: Awesome song. Really cool chorus and really good guitar. Really good bonus track. 5 stars

Slick Black Cadillac (live): Pretty good. I don't know why this is on here, but it's a good enough live track.

ROCK ON!

Metal Health is a fantastic album. Featuring some of their best songs including their all time most popular hit "Come on Feel the Noise". In the 80's there was only one band that delivered Rock-em', Sock-em' heavy metal punch, and that was Quiet Riot. Who cares what's going on in the world, forget your troubles, and crank up Metal Health all the way to the party. The live cuts of bonus material also does the trick as it adds to the flare of digital remastering. Their follow up album 'Condition Critical' is another awesome album to have as it is also one of Quiet Riot's best including no shortage of the same On-the-floor, Out-the-door beats. Quiet Riot will not dissapoint, get this album!

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5.0 out of 5 stars number 1 for a reason
this album went number 1 when no metal or glam bands were this album is killer no filler everyone knows "cum on feel the noize" the big radio and video hit but trust me this album... Read more

Published 23 months ago by Frank Conrad Johnson

3.0 out of 5 stars "Cum on feel the noize" is a Slade cover!!
"Metal health" (1983) was the first metal album that reached no.1 on the Billboard chart, and it has sold over 6 million copies over the years. Read more

Published on May 13 2004 by L. B. Ivarsson

2.0 out of 5 stars most overrated metal album of all time
[come] on feel the noise and thunderbird are the only decent tracks on this album.the rest of the material is below average.it's beyond me why people consider this album a classic.

Published on Mar 31 2004 by gordon

2.0 out of 5 stars unoriginal, even compared to other hair-metal
METAL HEALTH was a fun and entertaining album, back when I was a teenager. "Cum on Feel the Noize" was on the radio, "Metal Health" was staple on MTV, and Quiet Riot and their... Read more

Published on Nov 19 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars THE band that started it all
imagine 1975: black sabbath [somehow] still a hit, the end of the vietnam war, and kevin dubrow and randy rhoades start making rock music together. Read more

Published on Nov 14 2003 by concertgoer

5.0 out of 5 stars An Album 2 Save From A Burning Building
This album although "cheesy" by today's standards was one of the most sought after gems in any musiclover's collection. Read more

Published on July 29 2003 by chilly

4.0 out of 5 stars Unjustly derailed and overpraised simultaneously!
After the unfortunate death of guitar wizard Randy Rhoads, bassist Rudy Sarzo participated with Ozzy on the "Speak of the Devil" live release (he did "Diary of a Madman" because... Read more

Published on July 26 2003 by Axel Law

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Band Ever
I got this CD a couple of days ago and I've listened to it at least 30 minutes every day. All the songs are awesome and they have great music. Read more

Published on Jun 24 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Quiet Riot was a solid band for Glam Rock
No matter what any of the other critics will say, Quiet Riot still has one of the most requested songs of all time in Metal Health. Read more

Published on April 24 2003

1.0 out of 5 stars THIS was the 1st metal album at #1?
I love heavy metal, including stuff that often gets slammed by critics as being cheesy "hair metal." You know the kind - American (usually Californian) bands trying to copy Van... Read more

Published on Oct 27 2002 by Bruce Levine

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