𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…
On November 27, 1987, W.A.S.P. released their first live album (fourth album overall) 𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙚... 𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙬 via Capital Records.
“One of the reasons why Chris (Holmes) and I hooked up is that we were such extreme personalities. We had the ability to be the nicest people you’d ever want to meet, but cross us and we could turn into the devil himself.” — Blackie Lawless
This album can be seen as something of a breakwater between the “old” W.A.S.P. of the first three albums and the more mature sound of the releases that would follow. It is also the album to feature Harder Faster, which is about the PMRC declaring them "sexual perverts".
This would be the final release to feature drummer Steve Riley, who would leave the band shortly after the conclusion of the tour to join L.A. GUNS.
Background:
W.A.S.P. became a very prominent target of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), an organization led by Tipper Gore and dedicated to opposing music with lyrics deemed violent or overtly sexual in content. This lowered the band's reputation to such a degree that concert halls were getting bomb threats, band members were receiving death threats by the hundreds, and Lawless was shot at twice (though not hit). At the same time, the controversy generated valuable publicity for the band.
In 1987, W.A.S.P. had their song Scream Until You Like It included on the soundtrack of the movie Ghoulies II. The same year, a few dates at the Long Beach arena during the Inside the Electric Circus tour were recorded and released as the 𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙚.. 𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙬 album. By this time, Riley had left W.A.S.P. to join L.A. GUNS, and was replaced by local drummer Chad Nelson.
The songs "The Manimal" and "Harder Faster" were written specifically for this album and the studio recording Scream Until You Like It (theme from the “Ghoulies II” soundtrack) was an added bonus. The acoustic version of Sleeping (In the Fire) is also a studio recording.
Side Note:
Following the departure of Chad Nelson (who’s tenure in W.A.S.P. was short-lived), eighteen-year-old Glenn Soderling, who had recorded an album in 1983 with the band Pandemonium, then joined the band, but did not play any shows due to Chris Holmes being ill. Soderling left during rehearsals and was replaced by Kelly Martella for the bands Donington appearance and a Top of the Pops performance of Scream Until You Like It on BBC. Martella went on to join the band Silent Rage (Simmons Records) in 1988. Soderling later surfaced under the name Tripp Holland in the band Engines of Aggression with former Tomorrow's Child members Rik Schaffer and Craig Dollinger, and is currently making music for TV shows as staff writer with Supersonic Noise.
Critical Reception:
“Music critics have often pointed out the similarities between theatrical rockers KIϟϟ and W.A.S.P. -- Blackie Lawless' and Gene Simmons' blood spewing, makeup and costumes, high-decibel rock, and so on. (Ace Frehley was said to have produced W.A.S.P.'s first demo) KIϟϟ used the live album format for their big commercial breakthrough, 1975's classic Alive!, and W.A.S.P. hoped the same would happen for them with 1987's 𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙚.. 𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙬. While it didn't work out that way, it served as a worthwhile document of the band's live show -- but the biggest problem is that W.A.S.P. concerts always relied mainly on visuals. Still, the band offers heavy versions of such fan favorites as L.O.V.E. Machine, Wild Child, I Wanna Be Somebody, Blind in Texas, I Don't Need No Doctor, and Sleeping (In the Fire). Also included is a live version of a previously unreleased original, Harder Faster, as well as the soundtrack-only studio cut Scream Until You Like It (from Ghoulies II)”. — Greg Prato for AllMusic
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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