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Rating: Los Angeles, California, 1986: neon lights, fast cars, flashy colors, a life of excess, a desire to put all this into music...: that's how I started the previous review on "Street Lethal," the debut album by Racer X. The same introduction, with a few tweaks, could very well be used for this second work by the band, "Second Heat," released in 1988.
The basic ingredients of the band's musical proposal, already so evident in the debut, are still present in abundant doses in this follow-up; therefore, great skill and ability of the individual musicians and still lots of speed, elements that intertwine in short, fast tracks bursting with high technical solos, without ever falling into excessive and redundant virtuosity (although the teachings of Malmsteen are still very present in Paul Gilbert's head and are still felt in the form of numerous purely neoclassical solos).
However, there are some "small" novelties that make themselves heard: first of all, the most important one is regarding the lineup that goes from a quartet to a 5-member band, with the entry of Bruce Bouillet as a second guitarist and the defection of Harry Gschöeuter on drums, replaced by a certain Scott Travis, who only a couple of years later would become known to the metal world for his contribution to the Judas Priest cause (by the way, it won't be the last time the Priest of Judas appears in this review…).
Substantially, the album does not deviate much from what the band showed and played in their debut: a handful of songs all around 4 minutes, with high-speed whips like the opener "Sacrifice" or the celebratory "Motor Man" (with lyrics about speed and engines, just for a change), alternate with more paced pieces ("Gone Too Far" and the closing "Lady Killer") and yet others where speed at all costs is replaced by a remarkable melodic search: such is the case with the engaging "Hammer Away" and even more with "Living the Hard Way," perhaps the most melodic and potentially commercial track of the group, with its catchy chorus, not far from certain glam atmospheres of the period. Among the tracks, there is also a notable ballad, "Sunlit Nights," an unusual David Bowie cover ("Moonage Daydream," here in "shred version") and the indispensable instrumental piece named "Scarified," where first Gilbert, then Bouillet and finally even Alderete and his bass have plenty of room to demonstrate what they're made of.
A good album, definitely more varied than the previous one, and similarly characterized by the undoubted technical rate of each component and also by Jeff Martin's powerful yet once again out of control voice, which is decisively better in the more melodic parts and not when he seeks high notes at all costs. An album that will turn out to be the last of the band's first career phase, which, after a couple of live shows, will disband (and its members will migrate and find better fortunes elsewhere, in bands like Mr. Big and Badlands, to name just a few…) before the late '90s reunion.
By the way, I mentioned Judas Priest before: by scrolling through the credits of the tracklist, one comes across track number 6, "Heart of a Lion," by Halford-Tipton-Downing… yes, exactly them: in fact, it's a track composed at the time of "Turbo," discarded and "sold" to Racer X, who later will repay the favor by lending Scott Travis to the English band. (For the record, the track turns out to be better than anything JP did on "Turbo," but that's another story…)
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Sacrifice (04:03)
From the first day you stole my heart
You took it for granted you broke it apart
Oh oh oh oh
You never wanted to be
Mine and now I see
It's touch and go
I know you know that I need you so
You've taken the stars you robbed the moon
My glass heart it shatters shatters for you
Ou ou ou ou
Cut on the jagged edge
I'm bleeding for you
My world is red
I'm fading fast
Don't think I can last
I feel myself goin'
Sacrifice
I'd die for you
You've sacrificed
Our love is true
I'll never see
Why you want me to be your sacrifice
I wished a thousand wishing stars
To Earth they come crashing since we broke apart
Oh oh oh oh
Up in flames go my dreams
Burnt into ash or so it seems
My world is black there's no going back
There's no starting over
Sacrifice
I'd die for you
You've sacrificed
How we are through
You've sacrificed
Our love could do
Why can't you see
What you're doin' to me
I'll never be
What you want me to be
Your sacrifice
05 Hammer Away (03:44)
Don't tell me you know
What it's all about
What it's about
Your thinking makes me scream and shout
I won't give out
You try and change my life
That cuts me like a knife
I'm gonna hammer Away
Won't listen to what you say
I'm gonna hammer away, hammer away
And do it my way
I'd love to tell a thing or two
Right to you
You've gotten under my skin
Well I'm through
Through with you
So I'm lowerin' the boom
Climbing out of this old tomb
And Hammer away
I'm tired of you
Layin' down the law
You make no sense at all
You'll never make me break down
And fall
No not at all
Don't you try and change my life
Cause that cuts me like a knife
I'm gonna hammer away
Won't listen to what you say
I'm gonna hammer away, hammer away
Make it some place
I'm gonna hammer away
Won't listen to what you say
I'm gonna hammer away, hammer away
And do it my way
I'm gonna
I'm gonna hammer away
07 Motor Man (03:45)
Mirrored reflections in your frames
Your tack is racing
10-40 weight runs in your veins
Your heart is pacing
Pushing to the edge
Cut air like a wedge
Racing the white line
Motorman
Speed is your lifeline
Motorman, man man
In a snap he bolts away
Screamin' steam roller
Mind and machine they're one the same
Throttle rolls over
Roaring pass the crowd
Leaves them in a cloud
Racing the white line
Motorman
Into the nighttime
Motorman, man man
Speed is his lifeline
Motorman
Push pass the redline
Motorman, man man
Hour to hour
He scowers the plains
Split second cruiser
Hydraulics run in his veins
Flesh into fiber
Clipping the air
Gears cam and pistons wind in to a
Race for the white line
Motorman
Into the nighttime
Motorman, man man
Speed is his lifeline
Motorman
Racing the white line
Motorman, man man man man
08 Moonage Daydream (03:30)
I'm an alligator
I'm a mama, papa callin' for you
I'm a space invader
I'll be a rockin' rollin' bitch for you
Keep your mouth shut
You're squawkin'
Like a big monkey bird
And I'm bustin' out my brains for the world
Keep your electric eye on me babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close mine luv
Freak out in a moonage daydream
Ohhh yeah
Don't fake it baby
Lay the real thing on me
The church of man love
Is such a holy place to be
Make me baby
Make me know you really care
Make me jump into the air
Whoa oh whoa oh whoa
Keep your electric eye on me babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close mine luv
Freak out in a moonage daydream
Whoa oh whoa oh whoa
Keep your electric eye on me babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close mine luv
Freak out to a moonage daydream
Ohh yeah
Whoa oh whoa oh whoa
Keep your electric eye on me babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close mine luv
Freak out to a moonage daydream
Ohh yeah
10 Lady Killer (04:00)
Rompin' and roamin' all over town
Pickin' you up and laying you down
Too big for my britches or so I've been told
Going through the emotions
I'll stop your heart cold
To the end
A girl's best friend
When you talk about love
(You need a)
Lady killer
If you're lookin' for a goodtime
(Come on)
Give it away
If you're feelin' lonely
If you feel sad
Just call the rock doctor
If you need it bad
Got prescription that I'd love to fill
Tell me who is your daddy
Who pays the bills
From the start
No one can warm your heart
When you talk about love
(You need a)
Lady killer
If you're lookin' for a goodtime
(Come on)
Give it away
I know you want
I got what you need
Face it babe
You're gonna plead, plead, plead
When you talk about love
(You need a)
Lady killer
If you're lookin' for a goodtime
(Come on)
Give it away
If you need a little love
(You need a)
Lady killer
When you're lookin' for the good life
(Come on)
Give it away
When you talk about love
(You need a)
Lady killer
If you're lookin' for a goodtime
(Come on)
Give it away
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