Ratt & Extreme - East Meets West Tour '09

Two bands vastly different from each other touring together should make for some interesting shows, but this one seems strange to me.

From their 1983 EP Ratt, to Detonator in 1990, Ratt was always straight ahead hair metal that found little room for experimentation. Big, bombastic, and lots of crunching guitars sold the records, so why change? I thought the band tried for a change with 1997's Collage, a muddled affair of music that was more irritating than listenable. Only later did I find out the album was a collage of old or unreleased material that needed a lot more work than was given. Then in 1999, the self-titled Ratt was released. With fine production by Richie Zito, this CD sounded more like something from a 1970's AOR radio station than the hair metal I expected. Catchy, mature, and absolutely rockin', it proved to be a creative high point in a career that at that point was all but forgotten by the music buying public.


While they were latecomers to the hair metal stage, Extreme seemed adept at

experimenting with the sound and structure of their music. Rather than copying the same L.A. sound that was all the rage when their first two albums were released (Extreme in 1989, and Extreme II: Pornograffitti in 1990), they brought a funky groovyness to rock that seemed to channel R&B crossed with Led Zeppelin. A strange love child, I know, but at the time it worked. With III Sides to Every Story (1992), Extreme pushed the boundaries of experimental rock to new heights. Strange song structures combined with near perfect musicianship created an album for the ages. Unfortunately, grunge was raising it's ugly head at the time, and the band was quickly forgotten. Easily evidenced by the fact that their 1995 album, Waiting for the Punchline, was met with indifference, and another offering of new material didn't hit shelves until 2008.

The fact these two bands are touring together is probably proof that great 80's rock is on an upswing. However, if this is the show for you, better hurry because it will be winding to a finish in August.

Ratt tour dates.

Extreme tour dates.