Warrant-Cherry Pie

Post #169  [Poll winner: Favorite Warrant album '89-96]

The theme for polls this past summer and fall has been the 90's. While most of these polls have focused on the trend the rose in popularity during that decade-Grunge, this post allows me to focus on one of the trends that faded during the 90's: Hair Metal. Within the Hair Metal scene, Warrant were already late-comers, with their debut album being released in January '89. By '93 the Hair bands were, by and large, struggling to maintain their platinum-selling status.

With the recent passing of Jani Lane, the founding front-man of Hair-Metal legends Warrant, I took the time to reminisce on some of my favorite tracks in post # 156 on August 19th. Soon after, I posted the poll asking your opinion for favorite Warrant album. The resounding answer was Cherry Pie.

Cherry Pie, Warrant's second release, may have had perfect timing, hitting the charts in 1990. The album is still well known for its title-track, a song that has been typified as stereotypical, cliche Hair Metal. Lyrically the  song is virtually 100% innuendo, but the heavy, pop-rock tune has a catchy chorus that is difficult to forget. If you take the time to look past this over-inflated, trade-mark title track, you will discover the true greatness of this album. The other singles it produced; 'I Saw Red', 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', and 'Blind Faith' each give more merit to this album's solid songwriting.

'Uncle Tom's Cabin' in particular shows the versatile side of Warrant. Beginning with an acoustic intro, adding a banjo to the melody, and changing tone a few times throughout as the guitars flip between electric and acoustic, this song gives you just about everything Warrant is capable of. However, what truly makes this song memorable is the narrative style of the lyrics. The song tells the story of a corrupt sheriff and deputy who dispose of a dead body in a swamp. The narrator, who observes the event along with 'Uncle Tom', portrays the weight of this circumstance quite well.

If you want to rediscover Warrant's Cherry Pie album, here are my top recommended songs:
-Cherry Pie
-Uncle Tom's Cabin
-Sure Feels Good to Me
-Mr. Rainmaker
-Train, Train (Blackfoot cover)

Remembering Jani Lane (1964-2011)

 Post #156

On August 11th, 2011, Jani Lane, former lead-singer/songwriter of Warrant, was found dead in his hotel room. Though he, and his band, had been labeled as 'Hair-Metal', and as such saw their popularity decline in the late 90's, Lane was truly a talented song-writer. I'll take a moment here to remember and honor him, and the music he gave us.

Warrant released their debut album, 'Drity Rotten Filthy Stinkin' Rich' in 1989, right in the middle of the 'Hair-Metal' era. The top-ten hit ballad 'Heaven' solidified their significance for this genre. As their career progressed, they expanded their sound, and actually migrated away from the stereotypical 'Hair-Metal' sound in the mid-90's. However the rise of alternative rock and grunge was too strong to afford as large a fan-base for Warrant as they enjoyed in the late-80's.

With the passing of Jani Lane, far too young at the age of 47, now is the perfect time to go back and discover some of the best music Lane ever wrote. Myself being a huge fan of the whole Hair-Metal scene, I kept up with Warrant through the years, at least until the band parted ways with Jani around 1999 or 2000. So let me be your guide into the somewhat obscure works of Warrant. I'll share with you today the tracks I compiled on a mix CD of my personal favorite Warrant tracks.

The Best Of Warrant (1989-1996)
1-Down Boys
2-The Hole In My Wall
3-Cherry Pie
4-Stronger Now
5-April 2031
6-Sure Feels Good to Me
7-A.Y.M.
8-Uncle Tom's Cabin
9-32 Pennies
10-Followed
11-Andy Warhol Was Right
12-Sometimes She Cries
13-Indian Giver
14-Chameleon
15-The Bitter Pill
16-Train, Train (Blackfoot cover)
17-Vertigo
18-Undertow
19-Inside Out
20-Heaven
21-In The End (There's Nothing)

Color-coded album reference: Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinkin' Rich ('89), Cherry Pie ('90), Dog Eat Dog ('92), Ultraphobic ('95), Belly to Belly ('96)
(Compiled by the HappyHeadbanger on 8-18-11)

Other good tunes that I had to exclude to fit this compilation on an 80 minute CDR: Machine Gun, Ultraphobic, and Family Picnic

Rest in peace, Jani Lane. I know I will miss you and the music you might have brought to us had you lived on. I hope many others out there will miss you as well. Click the image of Jani above to visit his official website.