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Rating: Twisted Sister was formed in 1973 in New York around guitarist Jay Jay French, with a lineup that would change continuously until '78: the definitive lineup gradually formed with the addition of Eddie Ojeda, Dee Snider, and Mark “The Animal” Mendoza. The only change from what is considered the "classic" lineup was drummer Tony Petri, the driving force of the "Twisted Sister" until 1980, the year he joined the Plasmatics.
With this lineup, they gained popularity in their city's clubs and recorded the single “I’ll Never Grow Up, Now!/Under The Blade”, which did not achieve much success. Twenty years later, Jay Jay French and Mark Mendoza became producers and released “Club Daze Volume I: The Studio Sessions,” which included recordings from that period, such as the aforementioned single and strong versions of “Shoot ‘Em Down” and “Leader Of The Pack”, which found their place in the band's subsequent LPs.
As evidence of the band's quality even back in the 70s is the fact that the aforementioned songs were re-recorded in official releases (probably to align them with the sound of the various albums) but with an unchanged structure compared to the versions here. Within the album reigns a bare and raw hard rock, far from the stadium choruses that our band would offer us in the years to come, inseparably linked to the lesson imparted a few years earlier by the forefathers of the genre.
The album opens with the powerful “Come Back”, where musical aggression perfectly marries Snider's roar, and continues with the lively “Pay The Price” and “Rock’n’Roll Saviors”; particularly in the latter the Twisted Sister proclaim themselves staunch defenders of rock’n’roll and declare all-out war on disco music, which was gaining ground in those years. It continues with easy listening rockers “High Steppin” and “Big Gun”, before encountering a pair of tracks performed by Jay Jay French, “TV Wife” and “Can’t Stand Still”, of more bluesy inspiration, while the lead singer returns forcefully with “Follow Me”, which precedes the band's adolescent manifesto, “I’ll Never Grow Up, Now!”, a raw rock’n’roll with a punk aftertaste, an anthem of rebellion against parents who want their children to be all about school and home, impossible to resist!
After this little gem, there's another excellent composition, “Lady’s Boy”, once again tinged with blues but this time hampered by an imprecise production: it would find its ideal dimension live, as evidenced by the subsequent Club Daze Volume II: Live In The Bars. Finally, we have the trio “Leader Of The Pack”, “Under The Blade”, “Shoot ‘Em Down”, which serve as a bridge between this record and the rest of the group's production.
In conclusion, the album is an excellent testimony of the early phase of our band's career, which would soon conquer America through their wild shows, and here show what their roots are, far from glam in favor of fresh hard rock. Two years later, Spitfire Records would release Club Daze Volume II: Live In The Bars, which, divided into three parts, re-proposes a radio show broadcast in far-off '79 and whose listening is entirely complementary to this.
Not an album that has set standards (also due to the date of publication), but a recommended listen for all lovers of classic 70s hard rock, as well as all fans of the old Twisted Sister.
Tracklist and Lyrics
07 Can't Stand Still (03:58)
Well, I remember the day that it ended, it was a scene that I never intended
My heart just hasn't been mended from that day on
You looked at me so sadly, you said I treated you badly
You said you want something madly, but now it's gone
Well baby, when, when, when I was in a rock 'n' roll band and I was playin' a one night stand
And I said I wanna be your man and it was fine
The situation is jaded and it's a crime
But T said that we hadn't made it, although so invaded
Well, I just can't stand still for a minute, I gotta move
And don't you know that I just can't stand still for a minute, too many memories ended
Well, I just can't stand still for a minute, I gotta move, oh oh, go Eddie, go
Well, I just can't stand still for a minute, too many memories ended
[Solo - Eddie]
Well, I just can't stand still for a minute, I got to move
Well, I just can't stand still for a minute, I gotta move
Well, you know that I just can't stand still for a minute, baby, too many memories ended
Well, I just can't stand still for a minute, oh no no, too many memories ended
Well, I always been a long gone ember for my love that I always remember
Because I know deep down in my soul, it's a feelin' that I'll never control
You know it ended up bleed out December, I never forget, no I never forget
I'll just keep playin' my rock 'n' roll and I'll make it there
Well, I just can't stand still for a minute, I got to move
Well, you know that I just can't stand still for a minute, too many memories ended
Well, I just can't stand still for a minute, baby, too many memories ended
Oh, I just can't stand still for a minute, I got to move
Oh, I just can't stand still for a minute, I got to move
Baby, well, why you treat me so bad, I can't stand it anymore
Well, I just can't stand still for a minute
Pack all my bags and get the hell outta town, yeah
11 Leader of the Pack (03:56)
-----------------------------------Hey, is he really goin' out with her?There he is, let's ask himHey man, is that your ring she's wearin'?Uh, huhMan, it must be great ridin' with herAre you pickin' her up after school today?Uh uhBy the way where'd you meet herI met her at the candy storeShe turned around and smiled at meYou get the picture?Yeah, we seeThat's when she fell forThe leader of the packHer folks were always putting me downThey said I came from the wrong side of townThey told her that I was badBut she knew I was sadThat's why she fell forThe leader of the packOne day her dad said find someone newShe had to tell me that we were throughI stood there and asked her whyBut all she could do was cry
"I'm sorry I hurt you"The leader of the packShe was so smallAs she kissed me goodbye,Her tears were beginning to showAnd as she drove away on that rainy nightI begged her to go slowIf she heard I'll never knowNo, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, noI felt so helpless what could I do?Remembering all the things we'd been throughThe gang they all stop and stareI can't hide my tears but I don't careI'll never forget herThe leader of the packLeader of the packAnd now she's goneLeader of the packAnd now she's goneLeader of the packAnd now she's goneLeader of the packAnd now she's goneLeader of the packAnd now she's goneLeader of the packAnd now she's goneLeader of the packAnd now she's goneLeader of the packAnd now she's goneLeader of the packAnd now she's goneLeader of the packAnd now she's goneLeader of the packAnd now she's goneLeader of the pack
12 Under the Blade (04:31)
UNDER THE BLADE
A glint of steel, a flash of light
You know you're not going home tonight
Be it jack or switch, doctor's or mind
Nowhere to run, everywhere you'll find
You can't escape from the bed you've made
When your time has come,
You'll accept the blade!
You're cornered in the alley way
You know you're not alone
You know it's gonna end this way
The chill goes to the bone
Now here it comes that glistening light
It goes into your side
The blackness comes, tonight's the night
The blade is gonna ride
'Cause you're under the blade,
Oh --
You're under the blade.
It's not another party head
This time you cannot rise
Your hands are tied, your legs are strapped
A light shines in your eyes
You faintly see a razor's edge
You open your mouth to cry
You know you can't, it's over now
The blade is gonna ride
'Cause you're under the blade
Oh
You're under the blade
A glint of steel, a flash of light
You know you're not going home tonight
Be it jack or switch, doctor's or mind
Nowhere to run, anywhere you'll find
You can't escape from the bed you've made
When your time has come,
You'll accept the blade!
You've tried to make it to the front
You're pinned against the side
A monster stands before you now
Its mouth is open wide
The lights go on, the night explodes
It tears into your mind
When the night does end, you'll come again,
The blade is gonna ride
'Cause you're under the blade
Oh
Under the blade
Here it comes, baby ...
Oww.
13 Shoot 'em Down (03:43)
Come on boys!
She looks so fine
Like champagne or wine
No one ever gets her
Oh ain't she cool
Plays us for fools
If we wanna let her
Across the room she's sees some buffoon
Blown away by her style
She goes out of her way so that she can play
And make him beg for a little while
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot 'em down to the ground
Like caviar
Or a fine foreign car
He's a motivator
Dressed to the T's
They're down on their knees
He's a master baiter
He'll make 'em crawl for the hell of it all
He likes to see 'em cry
And then just for fun he'll say she's the one
And then he'll make her die
He's gonna
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot 'em down to the ground
They don't care about feelings
They were meant to be stepped on
And while one is healing
They go and step on another one
Now, these people prey
On us everyday
Some are bad, some badder
They think we're fools
So they make their own rules
It only gets us madder
Well they think they're hot
Well I say they're not
They shoot us down for fun
If they wanna play
Let's make 'em pay and
Shoot them down with a fuckin' gun
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot 'em down to the ground
Come on now!
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot 'em down to the ground
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot 'em down, shoot 'em down
Shoot them down
Come on honey
Shoot them down
Come on shoot 'em down
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