Vinyl Research #3: Ratt - "Invasion of Your Privacy"
For this series, I pick the records at random. It's not 100% random as my vinyl is organized both alphabetically and by category. So I have a general idea that I'm reaching into the "S" shelf in the general section. In this case I went somewhere near the end of my metal section. I think it is debatable whether I should really keep thrash metal, death metal, NWOBHM and 80s butt rock glam metal on the same shelf but that's how I've always organized it. I have a lot of glam metal. I've sold some recently. I kind of like some of it.
This is the band's second full length LP. This cover is just downright creepy. It might be alright if not for the name of the album making it clear that someone has apparently snuck in through the open windows and has been spotted while spying on this woman getting dressed.
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I guess I'm really not much of a fan of Ratt (with two t's). Speaking of the number two, for some period in the first decade of this century there was a trend of intraband rivalries creating two versions of the same band. These bands toured at the same time creating confusion for fans. So there were two LA Guns, two TSOLs, two Sham 69s, two Dr. Hooks and two Ratts. And apparently since 2015, they have split once again into two bands called Ratt (someone should start a band called "two bands called Ratt").
I would love to go into the details of the rival Ratt bands, but just trying to make sense of it is giving me a headache. Take a look for yourself:
Their Wikipedia page has some summaries of the dispute as well, but I'm still lost.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratt
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I listen to the records while I write these posts. Look, I do have a soft spot for their first big hit "Round and Round." I remember liking their self-titled EP when I was a young teen. But listening to this record just feels like they are repeating a very stale sound. You know it's Ratt and it gets old. I know the Ramones had a specific sound too, but they were actually great at coming up with catchy hooks and get a total pass for self rip-off in my opinion.
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I guess I'll get to the record's center label. This is that boring Atlantic green white and orange label that I remember from a ton of early 80s and I believe late 70s records. I feel like all the major labels (with the exception of Casablanca) had dull boring label designs from the late 70s to the first death of vinyl when CDs took over. This same dull design followed its way into the CD market where CDs rarely had anything more than a label logo, copyright info and a list of songs. Anyway, the center label is ugly.
Discogs has many versions. It looks like I could get $12 on there, but I'm guessing $8 is more realistic.
https://www.discogs.com/Ratt-Invasion-Of-Your-Privacy/release/9248333
I don't remember anyone really liking this record. They did have some hits. I found an essay by footballer Alexi Lalas who wrote that this album changed his life. He writes "to this day, when I hear the opening riff of “Lay It Down,” I immediately stop what I’m doing and prepare myself for the beautiful crush that’s coming."
source=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/ratt-invasion-of-your-privacy-alexi-lalas/
Alright, I guess this is where you should watch the video and see if you feel a beautiful crush coming.
If you like Ratt and this was too harsh, I apologize. I mean if you're into this, you're into this. Perhaps they are the glam metal Ramones, except at least the Ramones managed to stay as one band no matter how much they hated each other. And if you think my comparison is ridiculous, I swear I only just found this article right now as I was preparing to hit "Post:"
https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/29/magazine/the-lives-they-lived-the-ratt-trap.html
Edit: I might as well add some more links. Here's the video for"You're in Love:"
The band Old Lady Drivers had a song called "Urine Love," which I assume was a parody title. Not sure if it made it onto an album. I recall it being on a demo tape I bought from them.
Here's the full album on YouTube: