Twisted Sister β Love Is For Suckers
- intothewellsabyss
- Aug 13, 2023
- 4 min read
π πππ πππ ππππππ - πππππππππππ ππππ πππππ ππππππππ π’π§ ππ‘π πππππππ π¨πΒ ππππ ππππ & πππππ πππππβ¦
August 13, 1987 β Twisted Sister released their fifth studio album, Love Is For Suckers via Atlantic Records, with the single Hot Love (Watch video) being released on August 1. (Listen: Apple Music or Spotify)
The album was recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York City and was produced by Beau Hill (RATT, Winger). It was the band's last album before their breakup and subsequent reunion and release of Still Hungry in 2004. It was also the only studio album that long time drummer A.J. Pero did not perform on. He was replaced by Widowmaker drummer Joey βSevenβ Franco.
The album also featured many additional musicians including;
β’ Reb Beach (Winger/Dokken/Alice Cooper) β additional guitars, additional shouts
β’ Beau Hill β keyboards, backing vocals
β’ The New West Horns β horns
β’ Jimmy Chalfant (KIX), Steve Whiteman (KIX), Kip Winger (Winger) β backing vocals
β’ Bob Gamm, Gary Kris, B. Smith, Chris Cintron, Joe Gerber, Jodie Segall, Peter Love, Luke Perry (yes, the actor) - additional shouts
Background:
The sound of the album was strongly influenced by Glam Metal, and was one of the causes of conflict which led to the band splitting after its release.
According to interviews contained in the Live at Wacken DVD and in Dee Snider's autobiography, the material was originally meant to be a solo album by the Twisted Sister frontman, but the label pushed for it to be released under the Twisted Sister name instead. The tour for the album lasted just over one month and ended in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 10, 1987. Two days later, on October 12, 1987, vocalist Dee Snider announced his departure from the band.
No songs from this album appeared on the band's 1992 greatest hits album Big Hits and Nasty Cuts. It would be Twisted Sister's final studio album of original material, as all albums since have been compilations, live albums or re-recordings of already written material.
Seven of the album's songs were played live during the brief 1987 tour. Snider has stated that he likes many of the songs on the album, vocally. However he feels that if they play any of them live, it may bring back bad memories for the band.
In 2012, the band introduced Wake Up (The Sleeping Giant) into their set, following demands from fans for material to be included from all of the band's studio albums.
In a 2009 interview by Ruben Mosqueda, Snider spoke of his thoughts on the album;
"πππππβπ ππππ πππππ πππππ ππ πππππ πππ! πππ πππππ ππ, ππππ π ππ ππππππππ ππ ππ ππ’ πππππ ππππ πππππ. πππ πππππ π ππ πππ ππππππ πππππππ’ πππ ππππππππππ πππππππππ ππ ππππ ππππππ ππ π ππ πππππ ππππππ ππππππ. πππππβπ ππππ πππππ ππππ π ππ ππ πππ ππ πππππ ππππππ ππππ πππ ππ π ππ ππππππππ ππ ππ π ππππ ππππππ, ππππ πππππ π ππ πππππ ππ ππππ πππ ππππ πππ πππππ π π ππππππ. πΈ ππππ ππππ ππ’ πππππππππ π ππππ πππππ πΈ πππππ πππ ππππ πππ πππππ, πππ ππ πππ ππ’ ππ’ππππ, πππ ππππ πππππ π πππππ πππππ π π πππππ πππππππ πππ π πππ ππ π πππ πππππ.
πππ πππππππππ, πππ πππππππππ πππ πππππππ ππ π»πππ πΈπ πππ πππππππ π πππ ππ ππ ππππ πππ ππππ. πΌπππππππππ πππ πππ ππππππ πππππππ’ ππ πππππ ππππππππ π πππππ ππππ ππππ. πΎπ πππβπ πππ ππππ πππ’π π ππ πππβπ πππππ ππππ πππππ ππ π ππππππ πππ πππππ ππππππ!"
In 2012, Dee Snider commented to an audience at the annual concert festival in Dessel Belgium, known as the Graspop Metal Meeting, "π½ππ π π ππππ ππππ πππππππ ππ πππ ππππ ππ πππ ππππ’πππ πππππ ππππ πππ ππ πππ ππππππ, ππ ππππ π’πππ π π πππππ πππ ππππ ππππ πππ π»πππ πΈπ πππ πππππππ ππππππ ππ πππ πππ... πππ πππππ π ππ ππππ ππ πππ πΎπΆπ, πππππ π ππ π ππππππ πππππππ ππ ππππππππππ π πππ ππππππππππ πππ ππππ πππ π ππ π πππ ππππππ ππππππ ππ ππππππππππ π³.π². πΈπβπ ππππππ ππππ ππ (πππ ππππππππ πΆππππ)", which the band then performed.
Critical Reception:
Upon its release, Billboard wrote;
"π»πππππππ π½ππ ππππ-πππππ πππππππ ππππππππ π πππ ππππ πππππππ πππ ππππ πππππππ ππ πππππ πππππ πππππππ ππ ππππ πππ, π πππ π πππ ππππππππ πππ πππ ππππππππ. π°ππππ ππ πππππ-ππππ ππ ππππππ’β ππππππππππππ πππ ππππ."
Sharon Liveten of the Los Angeles Times wrote;
"πΎπ πππ πππππ πππππ, ππ πππππ ππππππ πππππβπ πππππ πππ ππππ πππππππππ πππππππππ’. πΈπβπ ππππππππ, ππππππππππππ’ ππππππππππ πππ ππππ-ππππππππππ. ππππ ππππ, π»πππ πΈπ πππ πππππππ ππ π ππππππ ππππ πππππ. πππ ππππππ π πππ ππ ππππππ’ πππ πππππ,π ππππππ ππ πππππππ πππππππππ πππ π³ππ ππππππβπ ππππππ πππ ππ ππππ, ππππππππ ππππ."
Robin Welles of The Press-Courier described Love Is for Suckers as "π ππππππππ ππ ππ πππππ".
Pete Bishop of the Pittsburgh Press commented;
"ππππ ππ ππππππ-πππππππππ, "ππππππππππβ π·ππππ’ πΌππππ ππππππππ πππ πππππππ ππππππππππ. πππππ ππ πππ ππππ πππ πππ ππππ π πππ-πππ-πππππ’-ππππππ’ πππππ ππ πππππ ππππππ πππ ππ ππππ’ ππππππ ππππ πππππππππ πππ ππππππππ ππ πππππππ."
He selected Hot Love, One Bad Habit and You Are All That I Need as "πππ πππππ ππ πππ ππππ πππππππ ππππ’ ππππ ππ ππππππ ππππ πππ πππππππ πππ πππππππ ππ πππππ ππππππ ππππππππ ππππ π πππ."
Michael Dowding of The Boston Globe wrote;
"πππππππππππππ’, ππππ πππππ ππππππ ππππ π ππππ ππ πππππππ. πππππβπ πππππ ππππππ πππππ πππ πππππππ ππ ππππ πππ ππππππππ’ πππππ πππππ’ πππππ, πππ πππβπ ππππ πππ πππ’ πππππππππππ ππ ππππππππππ. π΅ππ ππππ, πππ ππππ ππππ πππππππ ππππ ππ πππ πΎππ π±ππ π·ππππ. π΅ππ ππππ’ πππππ πππππππππ, ππππππ, ππππ ππ ππ πππππ ππ πππππ."
Barbara Jaeger of The Record wrote;
"πππ π·πΆ πππππ ππ ππππ ππππππππππ πππππ ππππ πππππ’ πππππ ππππ πππ ππππ πππ ππππ. ππππππππππππ πππ πππππ ππππππ ππππππ ππ π³ππ ππππππ πππ ππππππππ’ πππππππ πππ ππππππππππ πππππ. πππ πππππ, π πππ πππππ ππππππππππ ππ’ππππ, πππππ πππ πππππ π·ππππ’-πΌππππ ππππππ. ππ, ππ π’ππβππ πππππππ πππ πππππππππ πππ , ππππππ πππππ ππππ πππ."
Notice: Any 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. β E.N. Wells
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