FROM THE CRYPTS - CELEBRATING PAST ALBUM RELEASES in the HISTORY of HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL…
On November 1, 1988, RATT released their fourth full-length studio album Reach for the Sky via Atlantic Records.
Background:
Though it sold well enough to achieve platinum status and spawned the popular songs Way Cool Jr. and I Want a Woman, the record's performance was not enough to keep the group on the road for longer than seven months. As a result, What's It Gonna Be, a track not released as a single, was used as a B-side to Lovin' You's a Dirty Job, the first single from the band's next release Detonator. In doing so, it was hoped that listeners would go back and give Reach for the Sky a second listen.
Reach for the Sky marked the last RATT album to be produced by Beau Hill. The band originally intended for the record to be produced entirely by Mike Stone. However, substandard DAT tape recordings of Stone's production efforts prompted then-Atlantic Records president Doug Morris to bring in Hill to assist Stone and salvage the album.
Opening acts on the promotional tour for Reach for the Sky included Great White, Warrant and KIX.
Pro-wrestler Brian Pillman used Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds as his theme music, when WCW talent went on tour with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Another pro wrestler, Larry Zbyszko, used City To City as his theme music in New Japan.
Critical Reception:
In a review for AllMusic, Andy Hinds wrote;
as one of the worst offenders in the much maligned hair metal scene of the '80s, RATT's distinctive sonic signatures and generally high level of musicianship are often overlooked. Granted, the lyrics are usually vacuous and the music doesn't possess much staying power as the years go by, but, as pop-metal bands go, RATT were better than most of their peers. Guitarist Warren DeMartini, in particular, is responsible for some of the most memorable riffs and most masterful solos of the genre. RATT's fourth album, Reach for the Sky, wisely follows the same formula of the three records that preceded it, yielding some of the band's best material, along with the usual amount of filler. They scored a minor hit with Way Cool Jr., (which flaunts a groove Aerosmith would be proud of), and tracks like City to City and No Surprise also emphasize the band's strengths. But stuff like I Want a Woman and Chain Reaction demonstrate singer Stephen Pearcy's unfortunate inclination toward dumb rock clichés, a component of RATT that consistently undermines the musical achievements of the band.”
Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
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