Slaughter - Stick It to Ya (19 tracks) +Album Reviews

Added material definitely adds to an already great album

A. Marbach | Sometimes Sunny California | 08/21/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"STICK IT TO YA, the first album from band Slaughter, is a classic album for any rock listener. It is filled with songs that exude a good-time rock and roll feeling, while not compromising the intergrity of the music. This re-release of that album was a welcome addition to my music collection. The additional materials are demos of the original stuff and it is very interesting to hear how the songs matured from demo stage to release.I definitely recommend this album...even if you already have the original."

15 Years Later, Still a Really Good Album

James Choma | 07/15/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I can't believe 15 years has passed since this album was released. But you know what? It still sounds good today. I know Slaughter's been lumped in the cheesy hair metal category, but they actually showed a lick of talent as musicians.

After Mark Slaughter and Dana Strum left the Vinnie Vincent Invasion, they recruited guitarist Tim Kelly (RIP) and drummer Blas Elias and began recording songs. The result was "Stick it To Ya," an album that spawned three hits: "Up All Night," "Spend my Life With You," and "Fly to the Angels." But the rest of the songs on the album (while not deep), are actually pretty good --"Eye to Eye," for example, is a great overlooked song.

I've heard criticism of Slaughter's live show, but when I saw them tour for this album, opening for Kiss, the four of them were really quite good. This was a strong album to launch their brief career, one that actually has a bit of staying power.

The albums after this one haven't been as consistant. "The Wild Life" had a lot of hype surrounding it and one minor hit. "Fear No Evil, actually better than "The Wild Life" faired even worse. But at this time, the pop metal scene was rapidly falling out of favor, and Slaughter was deemed another hairband casualty. Too bad, because they actually showed some promise in the songwriting department. Like I said, to me, this still sounds pretty good... I'll probably still be listening to it ten years from now!"

A great album--made even greater!

Some Gravity | Indiana, USA | 08/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One album that time has definitely been kind to is,without question,Slaughter's debut album,1990's STICK IT TO YA. Keep in mind,this is a hair metal record that originally came out in 1990,and even though grunge/alternative rock would eventually kill out the whole hair metal craze(the only hair metal bands that survived once their era was dead and over with were Motley Crue,Bon Jovi,and Poison)Slaughter,one "hair" band,would enjoy their time in the spotlight for a while...and this album proved just that.

Yes,you read right. After vocalist/keyboardist/guitarist Mark Slaughter and bassist Dana Strum had recruited drummer Blas Elias and guitarist Tim Kelly(RIP)and had finished recording this album,when it was released,it had the hit songs UP ALL NIGHT(a very fun,cool,and catchy 80's rock song)FLY TO THE ANGELS(a really nice song that was written about letting go of someone you love and really care about),SPEND MY LIFE(a really nice song),and MAD ABOUT YOU(I like this song even better than Paul Reiser's show of the 90's that carried the same name as this song)! But this album just doesn't rely on the hits--BURNIN' BRIDGES is a really cool and funny song,DESPERATELY just plain rocks,and while there are several other great moments on this record,LOADED GUN is one of the best songs on here--it is definitely fast paced and it sounds great whether it is performed live or in a studio.

As a bonus for this album,it was re-issued and re-released in 2003. The sound has been digitally remastered(it sounds really good also),you get the original demos of MAD ABOUT YOU,SHE WANTS MORE,UP ALL NIGHT,and FLY TO THE ANGELS as bonus tracks on this album,and there are expanded liner notes--the expanded liner notes,which were written by Mark Slaughter and Dana Strum themselves,talk about when they left Vinnie Vincent's band and formed their own band,the things that happened during their success story around that time and how they got succesful,and you even get rare photos of the band from back then,along with a signed(the signatures of Mark Slaughter,Dana Strum,Blas Elias,and Tim Kelly were printed on there--just so you don't get confused)photo sheet of the whole band with a little thank you note from Mark Slaughter and Dana Strum--THIS is an excellent way to remaster an album,and I would now have to rank Slaughter as the best band when it comes to re-issuing their own records--right before Motley Crue.

Check this album out. You'll be glad you did,and if you ever get the chance to see Slaughter live and in concert,make sure you don't pass it up--also,if you ever go to Las Vegas,be sure to see the Blue Man Group show,as it is Blas Elias himself who is the drummer for Blue Man--passing up an opporunity to see both Slaughter and Blue Man Group would be a huge mistake,as would passing this album up!"

Better than Mark's album with Vinnie Vincent, but not by muc

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 02/16/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Sometimes I'm surprised at just how much I still enjoy some of the albums I played to death back in high school. Beyond just the classics like Appetite for Destruction or The Real Thing, I still get a kick out of most of the hair metal albums I loved back in the day. Well, almost all of them. I remember absolutely loving Slaughter's debut album Stick It to Ya back in 1990, but listening to it now is just a bit too awkward. Part of that is Mark Slaughter's screeching voice. The guy's got an unforgettable voice, but it gets old really fast. There's also the lyrical content. Sure, it's a step up from Mark's Vinnie Vincent Invasion days (the average bathroom wall graffiti would be an improvement over Vinne's lyrics), but not by much. The whole album is hair metal cliché city, and while there are a handful of fun and memorable songs (Burnin' Bridges, Up All Night, and the hit Fly to the Angels), there are just as many really bad filler tracks (She Wants More, Loaded Gun, That's Not Enough).

Stick It to Ya represents the best and worst elements of the last phase of hair metal's popularity. It works on some levels, but is too uneven and inconsistent overall. It's a hard album to listen to all the way through, so unless you're a completist and/or masochist, you're probably better off with one of the Slaughter hits compilations that collects the best tracks from this album and the band's later output.

NOTE: The 2003 reissue of Stick It to Ya features digitally remastered sound and a handful of bonus tracks. The digital remastering is something of a mixed blessing. On one hand you can hear these songs crystal clear and loud as can be, on the other hand, you can hear these songs crystal clear and loud as can be. It enhances the albums flaws just as much as the highlights. The bonus tracks include an acoustic version of Fly to the Angels, a throwaway vocal jam called Wingin' It, and 4 demo versions of songs on the album. They're all interesting enough, but nothing you'll need to hear more than once."

Always a slaughter fan

lauraB | ohio | 07/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I recommend checking out some of Slaughters other stuff also. Their latest studio albulm BACK TO REALITY is excellent. Slaughter is a good time rock n roll band, and i see no reason for negative reviews. I do not understand why the band lost their popularity, because the quality of their music is higher than some of the 80's bands who still get attention. Maybe because they didnt take the low road to get that attention. They stayed true to themselves, their fans, and their music. The guys in slaughter are great they took the time to make me feel like the world on several occasions. I dont really know Jeff Blando, but Blas, Tim, Mark, and Dana are all wonderful to their fans, and i will always give them the credit they deserve as musicians and as people. I recommend all their albulms and the live show. I would love to see slaughter once again get the recognition they deserve, but either way i will always buy their material and merchandise and be in the front row everytime their in my city because slaughter kicks my a**"

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