Yesterday And Today/Y&T

Yesterday And Today (1976 London Records)

1. Animal Women
2. 25 Hours A Day
3. Game Playing Woman
4. Come On Over
5. My Heart Plays Too
6. Earthshaker
7. Fast Ladies (Very Slow Gin)
8. Alcohol
9. Beautiful Dreamer

Derek's Review
Dave Meniketti sounds like he's still searching for his voice and sound on this album; but that's okay, because that is what a debut album is for. They released this album under the band name Yesterday And Today. This band name would only last for one more release, Struck Down, before Dave would change the band name to Y&T. Dave Meniketti seems to sing higher here than he does on following releases. "25 Hours A Day" still has the same punch as it does on subsequent live releases. The band definitely sounds more raw on this release, and you can tell it's a 70s album by listening to the production. "Game Playing Woman" has this psychedelic slow section in the middle of it, and you can tell Dave and the boys want to experiment with the sound a little. Dave then goes into almost a David Gilmore (Pink Floyd) guitar solo before deciding to go crazy and start shredding. "My Heart Plays Too" has a slow, trippy beat to it, and I don't think it sounds like anything else in the Y&T catalog. "Earthshaker" is a frantic-paced number. The name of the song would later be used as the title for one of Y&T's best albums. "Alcohol" is one of the album's highlights, and just kind of a funny song in general. "Beautiful Dreamer" is a great Y&T song that is thankfully still recognized and played in concert. I can't think of a better way of ending this album. I have to admit, this is a really heavy release considering it was released in 1976, and Dave's guitar playing is great. Y&T sound kind of like a heavy bar band at this point in their career. This is a solid debut album that shows potential and Y&T would later maximize their potential in turning out some great heavy metal albums later in their career.

Derek's Picks: 25 Hours A Day, Beautiful Dreamer, Alcohol

Derek's Rating

This album is no longer in print in the United States, but can be found as an import from Japan at specialty CD stores.

Earthshaker (1981 A&M Records)

1. Hungry For Rock
2. Dirty Girl
3. Shake It Loose
4. Squeeze
5. Rescue Me
6. Young And Tough
7. Hurricane
8. Let Me Go
9. Knock You Out
10. I Believe In You

Derek's Review
With their third album, Yesterday And Today not only changed their name, but also changed their sound. Earthshaker is an extremely underrated beast of an album. It delivers mostly hard punches ("Hurricane," "Young And Tough") and a few great ballads ("Rescue Me," "I Believe In You"). These aren't light ballads of the 80s, but old school metal power ballads. "Dirty Girl" is an excellent track that shows that Y&T can slow it down a bit and still rock hard. Frontman Dave Meniketti doubles as both lead vocalist and guitarist, and is sorely underrated in each category. Meniketti's voice has quite a range, and he is an effective low and high note singer. He really shreds in tracks like "Squeeze" and "Young And Tough." "I Believe In You" is a perfect way to close out a killer album.

Derek's Picks: Rescue Me, I Believe In You, Hurricane, Dirty Girl

Derek's Rating

This can only be found as an import now, normally going for $20-25; pick this up if you find it used, you won't be disappointed.

Open Fire (1985 A&M Records)

1. Open Fire
2. Go For The Throat
3. 25 Hours A Day
4. Rescue Me
5. Summertime Girls (studio version)
6. Forever
7. Barroom Boogie
8. I Believe In You

Derek's Review
This is Y&T's first live offering, and it's a great one. Many critics have stated that Y&T never quite got it right in the studio, but were an excellent live band. While I don't necessarily agree with the first statement, I fully support their latter claim. This is an explosive live album. "Open Fire" is a great way to start off this live album. You can tell the band is really pumped and "in a rocking rage" when playing in front of an audience. "Go For The Throat" is the live version of a song that originally appeared on the Hear 'n Aid album. You can tell the band has come a long way since their debut Yesterday And Today, and it's nice to see "25 Hours A Day" get included, because it is one of my favorite Y&T songs. One of the most impressive things about this album is the energy that's on it. "Rescue Me" slows things down slightly and then gets really heavy, which sounds awesome in a live context. After this, we get "Summertime Girls," but unfortunately it's the studio version. I guess I can see why they want to push the song, because it's a great song, and perhaps the best song David Lee Roth never wrote, but it does disrupt the live feeling of this album slightly. "Forever" is done extremely well. "Barroom Boogie" is a change of pace and sounds really, really cool. I'm glad they decided to include this one. This leaves us with the last track, "I Believe In You" and Y&T doesn't disappoint. They have been solid so far and continue to do so until the very end. Meniketti sets the tone with his guitar and the song builds around his simple riff.

Perhaps the worst part of this album is that it's simply not long enough. I'm sure a lot of Y&T fans would love to hear certain songs in a live format. I know I would love to hear "Dreams Of Egypt," but that's okay, because what is presented is done extremely well. I do find it odd, though, that there aren't any tracks from their great studio album In Rock We Trust, or their most current album at the time, Down For The Count, on this live album. At least Y&T would later put out another two live albums, Yesterday & Today Live and BBC Live In Concert, so that we can hear a different set of songs live from their excellent catalog.

Derek’s Picks: Open Fire, 25 Hours A Day, Barroom Boogie

Derek’s Rating:

This album is out of print and extremely, extremely difficult to find. If you can find it on record for a decent price, I would advise you to pick it up, but a CD will cost you between $50 and $100 on eBay. Keep your eyes open and good luck.