It's always exciting for me to come across 80's albums from artists I've never heard of. It's like finding money in the couch cushions.
Danger Danger's self-titled debut not only checked the box of being a new 80's album but also featured a really cool cover. As an added bonus, being released in 1989, it's their only album from the era, making it even easier for me because there's nothing else to track down.
The band was in formed in 1986 by Mike Pont, Bruno Ravel, and Steve West, who brought in Al Pitrelli, and Kasey Smith. Pont would leave shortly thereafter and be replaced by Ted Poley. Though they tried, they would fail at creating a demo together. However, a retry would lead to Epic Records taking notice, and signing them. Pitrelli would also leave around this timeframe.
Tony Rey would briefly join, providing some guitar work for their self-titled debut album. He'd be replaced by Andy Timmons, who along with core members, Poley, Smith, Ravel, and West, completed the recordings. Hits, Naughty Naughty, and Bang Bang would emerge, with the former seeing steady rotation on MTV's Headbanger's Ball.
They'd support the album by embarking as a supporting act for the likes of Kiss, Alice Cooper, Extreme, and Warrant. Though they would remain unknown to me, the album would end up peaking at number eighty-eight on the Billboard 200. Bang Bang would also reach eighty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100, while Naughty Naughty wouldn't chart.
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Playing through it, it has a sound familiar to that of Warrant, Poison, and Firehouse, though perhaps not as catchy. Tracks, Naughty Naughty, Under The Gun, Bang Bang, Feels Like Love are serviceable enough to keep you listening. As a whole, it's not a bad album.
What it lacks is anything that feels memorable. By the time the songs end, they've all but left my head already. Further, if they did have any other albums from the era, I don't think I'd need them in my life.
Danger Danger would, however, continue on through the 90's, and early 2000's, releasing six more albums between 1991 and 2009, though it was far from smooth sailing. Poley would be fired in 2003, shortly after recording their third album, Cockroach. The band not only sighted internal tensions with him, but that they wanted to change musical styles, and go a different direction amidst the declining hair metal scene. Unfortunately, firing him also put them in litigation when Poley sued, blocking the album from being released.
Cockroach would eventually be released in 2001, and it's a unique album, to say the least. The two disc set features the original album with lead singer Poley on disc one, while disc two contains the album as sung by Paul Laine, who replaced Poley.
Further lineup changes saw the departure of Kasey Smith, and Andy Timmons. It's cited that Timmons left to follow a solo career back in Dallas. Smith, on the other hand, quit the band after the support tour for 1991's Screw It!, forming the group Shock. The two would rejoin the band briefly before departing again, and even Ted Poley would rejoin in 2004, remaining the lead singer to date.
The band continues to tour with Poley, Bruno Ravel, Steve West, and new(er) members, Rob Marcello, and Steve Brown. However, there has been no word on any new albums since 2009's Revolve.
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