Ratt-Invasion Of Your Privacy : Must Own Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Albums
Must Own Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Albums :
Artist : Ratt
Album : Invasion Of Your Privacy
Released : June 13, 1985
M.M. Album Rating : 4.5/5 (A Glam Metal Classic)
It was very impressive the way the band Ratt followed up their major label debut album “Out Of The Cellar”, with a record just as good, or arguably better now known as “Invasion Of Your Privacy” just a year later. After all, Ratt had set themselves up perfectly for what is known as “the sophomore slump” record. Out Of The Cellar was so successful that basically any follow up was destined to fail in comparison. Plus let’s be honest, the band was hardly focused by this time. They were living the Rock N’ Roll lifestyle that would catch up to them (especially guitar player Robbin Crosby) in years to come. That being said, Invasion Of Your Privacy was a testament to how talented the original lineup of this band was.
The second record would pretty much use the same schematic/formula as the first. A cover with a beautiful girl on the front. A killer opening song (You’re In Love) and the third track being the lead single (Lay It Down). Most importantly though they brought their unofficial sixth member producer Beau Hill to produce the record with the same classic rock, but glossy sound as the first album. Coming out just a year after Out Of The Cellar, this record was a continuation of that sound, and actually both records play like a double album together. It’s just too bad that their second album would also pretty much be their peak. The band would never make a record as consistent as the first two were again. Substance abuse, and fighting would damage the original chemistry they had together when they first were signed to Atlantic Records. This record is the band at not only their peak , but most confident too. This should’ve been the beginning, not the beginning of the end. A great band that we never truly got to see their full potential.
As history proves, after this record it was never quite the same. Both Out Of The Cellar, and Invasion Of Your Privacy would both reach the top 10 on the billboard album charts, yet the follow up “Dancing Undercover wouldn’t break the top 10. Ironically it would be the bands that would open for Ratt like Poison, Cinderella, Queensryche, and especially Bon Jovi that would become superstars of the music scene while Ratt would see their popularity wither away. Within a few years due to major drug, and alcohol problems their leader Robbin Crosby would be out of the band. Bass player Juan Croucier would also leave, and soon after that Ratt would become yesterday’s news.
In 2017 Ratt’s reputation has improved somewhat, especially after their excellent 2010 reunion/comeback album “Infestation.” Nowhere near to the levels of a Def Leppard, Motley Crue, or even Poison for that matter. Granted the band is mostly to blame. Especially original drummer Bobby Blotzer who has done everything he can to try to destroy what little legacy the band has left by taking the band on the road with a bunch of hired hands. Thankfully the other surviving original members, guitar player Warren DeMartini, Bass Player Juan Croucier, and Lead Singer/Frontman Stephen Pearcy were able to stop Blotzer, and as for now have been able to take control of the name. Hopefully no more damage will be done to the legacy of this once great band.
–IV
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