A Late Start (1989)

As the 1980s began to close and the influence of grunge started to spread like wildfire, some bands still continued to produce music. Late to the world of 80s rock, Skid Row released their self-titled debut in early-1989. I have found out that many people do not really know who Skid Row is, or have only heard "I Remember You." I first discovered the uncommon band when I heard them on the radio years ago. Looking up their discography, I realized how late to the game they were. However, that does not matter as I went ahead and listened to the entirety of Skid Row anyways.

First of all, this album is a hard rock gem. Some listeners may even categorize it as a heavy metal album. Being one of my favorite albums from the late-1980s, I think almost every track is great. While Skid Row may not been known to many, the album amassed mild success while spawning four singles. The four singles on the album consist of "Youth Gone Wild," "Piece of Me," and the two most popular, "18 And Life" and "I Remember You."

Right off the bat, the band introduces themselves as one not to mess with. The first track, "Big Guns," shows the world the potential Skid Row is capable of. Heavy distorted guitars, thumping bass, crashing drums, and Sebastian Bach's unbelievable vocals. The background vocals also demonstrate the toughness of this band. This song definitely prepares the listener for what is ahead on the rest of the album.

Even though it is not a single, "Can't Stand The Heartache" may be one of my favorites on the album. Similar to the first two songs on the record, something about this song sticks out to me. I believe I like this track the best because of the chorus. From a musician's standpoint, the chorus just sounds so fun and makes you want to strike some power-chords yourself.

About halfway through the album, the track that gained Skid Row much success appears. The song, "18 And Life," opens with a slower start compared to the rest of the songs. The lyrics are definitely ear-catching as they depict an eighteen year old being sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. Besides the dark lyrics, I believe this song demonstrates the band's musicianship the best. The distorted guitars sound amazing, and Bach demonstrates to the world his incredible vocal range before the solo. Man, the main solo and ending one are just so fun to play!

Very similar to "Big Guns," "Youth Gone Wild" possess the same composition. The song is more toned down during most parts but picks up during the chorus. As stated earlier, the chorus in this track is very forceful and demonstrates firmness very clearly. Listeners can also hear the true power in Sebastian's vocals throughout the entirety of the song.

The songs in between "Youth Gone Wild" and the next single "I Remember You," are great songs, but they pretty much sound the same. Nevertheless, they still demonstrate that "bad-boy" tone the band possessed. The band's second heavy air-played song, "I Remember You," is the second to last track. The song definitely sounds a little bit more cheerful with the acoustic guitar, but still contains that late-80s metal tone. Like I said before, everything about this song and its composition are great. Skid Row produced an amazing song that will be prominent in the rock world forever.

Overall, even though Skid Row was late to the game, they still achieved mild success. If they made their debut in 1986-87, they probably would have had much more success. Despite "18 And Life" and "I Remember You" being the most famous songs, the rest of the Skid Row album contains hidden gems all over. If you are one who enjoys heavy distorted guitars that are very melodic, pounding drums, and incredible vocal ranges, Skid Row's albums from the late-80s to early-90s should be listened to.