Album Reviews - D

Danger Danger - Screw It! (1991 Epic Records)
DangerDanger.com

1.1. Ginger Snaps (Intro)
1.2. Monkey Business mp3 clip
2. Slipped Her The Big One
3.1. C'est Loupe (Prelude)
3.2. Beat The Bullet
4. I Still Think About You mp3 clip
5. Get Your Shit Together mp3 clip
6. Crazy Nites mp3 clip
7. Puppet Show
8. Everybody Wants Some
9. Don't Blame It On Love mp3 clip
10. Comin' Home
11. Horny S.O.B. mp3 clip
12. Find Your Way Back Home
13. Yeah, You Want It! mp3 clip
14. D.F.N.S.

15. Just What The Dr. Ordered (bonus track on 2003 Bad Reputation reissue)

The 2003 Bad Reputation also includes a bonus disc of Danger Danger's Down And Dirty Live! EP, originally released in between the band's self-titled debut album and Screw It!

Mike's Review
Screw It! is a uniquely ambitious undertaking that you would only expect from a well-established, veteran artist with a large and loyal fanbase; not a relatively new band on their sophomore release. But Danger Danger pulls it off with such creativity, skill, and success that I fully laud their performance on this album. With fourteen diverse songs (original album), two of which are two-parters, one instrumental, and two experimental (all excellent, mind you), this album almost seems like a "best of" release, yet it simultaneously maintains its studio album identity. Screw It! flawlessly epitomizes the 80's hair metal sound. High-range vocals, crunchy guitar riffs, wailing guitar leads, steady bass, crisp drums, lush keyboards, airy backing vocals, and sound effects are all here. By the genre's standards, it's nothing short of a musical masterpiece.

Ginger Snaps (Intro) - Thumping drums, screaming monkeys, and background noise make this one crazy jungle scene. The climax of the song (literally) is a woman moaning and screaming.

Monkey Business - "Ain't no business like monkey business!" is what you'll learn from this upbeat rocker. If "Ginger Snaps" didn't get your blood going, this one will.

Slipped Her The Big One - There's nothing like a good kiss and tell story, and this mid-paced rocker provides it. Learn from the masters and go slip 'er the big one.

C'est Loupe (Prelude) - This brief, soft, neo-classical guitar/keyboard number makes the perfect prelude.

Beat The Bullet - A great melodic rock song about the ups and downs of love.

I Still Think About You - Although this ballad is unknown by most people, it's actually one of the era's best. The acoustic guitar intro recalls "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" (Poison), but the song picks up harder on the chorus. The song's heartfelt lyrics are given a genuine performance by vocalist Ted Poley, Andy Timmons' guitar solo wails, and Kasey Smith's keyboard fills make a nice touch. At the end, the song returns to the soft sound it began with.

Get Your Shit Together - This song begins with a funny audio clip of a black guy saying, "Please, please, please get yo' shit togetha!" and then jumps into a driven hard rocker. Everyone can relate to the message in this song, and the lyric "You've got your head buried so far up your ass!" is classic.

Crazy Nites - Reminds you of all the good times you spent with your buds doing the stupidest shit possible, but you wouldn't change a thing. The tempo is upbeat, the lyrics will make you chuckle, and the "whoa-oh-oh-ohs!" are irresistable. On this song, a fun time is had by all.

Puppet Show - Primarily a guitar solo, it begins with Andy playing his guitar on "clean" before being told to "crank it up!" He then does some cool shredding with stomps and claps supporting him in the background.

Everybody Wants Some - One of the lines goes, "I'm not the kind of guy to beat around the bush." and neither does this song. And who's going to argue with a lyric like "I say screw it, my mom and dad do it, and that's good enough for me!" The testosterone drive of the previous songs "Monkey Business" and "Slipped Her The Big One" is back, baby!

Don't Blame It On Love - Another melodic rocker about the tales of love, but this one has an even better chorus than "Beat The Bullet."

Comin' Home - Not a ballad, but softer. The song moves along nicely with a well-strummed acoustic guitar rhythm, and the electric guitar solo makes a fitting contrast.

Horny S.O.B. - Remember that testosterone I was talking about a few songs ago? Well it's in full force on this fast and hard rocker. This is pure rock fun, and the mention of "38DDs" always raises an eyebrow.

Find Your Way Back Home - The album's second ballad. In reverse of "I Still Think About You," this one opens with a keyboard line and acoustic guitar comes in later. Also unlike the former, "Find Your Way Back Home" never picks up as hard, which fits well with its own style.

Yeah, You Want It! - This is one of the best rap songs of all time. Wait! Rap? Mike, you hate rap!? Yes, I hate stereotypical rap, but this song is awesome. These guys aren't trying to "front," they're just having a fun time with a silly song. The song samples Danger Danger's hit "Naughty Naughty," and includes mentions of L.A. Guns, Enuff Z'Nuff, Poison, and Tipper [Gore]. And hey, there's still a guitar solo.

D.F.N.S. - Primarily a cappella, with a little acoustic guitar, it's a bunch of people singing some of the lyrics from "Get Your Shit Together" campfire style. A great way to close the album.

Just What The Dr. Ordered - Included as a bonus track on the 2003 Bad Reputation reissue. It's another fun, horny rocker.

Have I perhaps gone overboard with my praise of this album? No. Although Danger Danger isn't history-making, and none of its members are even recognized as some of rock's best musicians, the display of talent here is incredible. And the resulting album is even better. Unfortunately, not all rock fans will appreciate this one, but for fans of this particular genre, it's essential.

Mike's Picks: Picks? Did you read my review? PICK this one up!

Mike's Rating

Note: I always write my reviews of the original album. Unless otherwise noted, my review and rating apply to any and all reissues as well.

Rick Derringer - Derringer (1976 Blue Sky/Epic Records)
RickDerringer.com

1. Let Me In
2. You Can Have Me
3. Loosen Up Your Grip
4. Envy
5. Comes A Woman
6. Sailor
7. Beyond The Universe
8. Goodbye Again

Mike's Review
I was only familiar with Rick Derringer's signature hit, "Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo," when I bought this album for a dollar at a small shop in Wisconsin. At the time, I mostly only liked the first two songs, "Let Me In" and "You Can Have Me." Well, after reviewing it years later, I found that I enjoyed it a lot more, but I still think that those first two are probably the album's best. "Let Me In" has a crunchy, 70s radio rock riff, while "You Can Have Me" has that cool 70s style and attitude. "Loosen Up Your Grip" is a slow burner with fiery guitar work. I have read "Envy" described as disco, but I don't see that at all. It's just a catchy pop rock tune with female backing vocals. "Comes A Woman" slows things down again and isn't bad, but not as good nor as memorable as "Loosen Up Your Grip." "Beyond The Universe" is a ripping rocker with a killer ending. It would have made a great album-closer if the next song didn't clearly require that spot. "Goodbye Again" features keys performed by Edgar Winter (who Derringer was a former sidekick for), and the song, about a farewell, serves a dual purpose. This isn't a bad 70s rock album, but it's also not the best place to start.

Mike's Picks: Let Me In, You Can Have Me

Mike's Rating