Love Is for Suckers | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 3, 1987 | |||
Studio | Atlantic Studios in New York City | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 38:07 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Producer | Beau Hill | |||
Twisted Sister chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Love Is for Suckers | ||||
Love Is for Suckers is the fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band Twisted Sister. It was released by Atlantic Records on July 3, 1987. [4] It was the band's last album before their breakup and subsequent reunion and release of Still Hungry in 2004. It is also their last album to be composed of entirely new, original material.
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. [1] [5] The band got rid of the more extreme elements of their look, to "fit in with every other hair metal band out there at that time". [6] According to interviews contained in the Live at Wacken DVD and in Snider's autobiography, the material was originally meant to be a solo album by Twisted Sister's lead singer, Dee Snider, 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.
All the original band members took part in recording sessions for the album, except drummer A. J. Pero, who left the band in July 1986 and was replaced by Joey Franco. According to the album's producer Beau Hill, guitarist Reb Beach played almost all of the guitars on the album. Hill had Beach, Ojeda and French all play the lead, rhythm and solo guitar parts of a song and he would then select the best performances. Although he wanted to use Twisted Sister's two guitarists where possible, Hill found that Beach, being "such an incredible guitar player", often provided the "strongest and most compelling performance". [7]
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. [8] 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. [9]
In a 1987 interview with Record Mirror , Snider stated, "We haven't done many love songs before. Most of our songs have been about rebellion, but on Love Is for Suckers the songs are mainly about love, lust and sex. It's a very horny album. I get pretty excited every time I hear it." [10] At the time, Snider considered the album to be "more to our roots than previous records have been". He said, "I realised that the original concept for Twisted Sister was to be half heavy metal and half glam/glitter rock. As the years went on, we left the glitter/glam music behind and became more and more just heavy metal. So I went back listening to my early influences – Alice Cooper, T. Rex, Slade and others – to get the band back to its roots." [11]
In a 2009 interview by Ruben Mosqueda, Snider spoke of his thoughts on the album:
"There's some great stuff on there man! The thing is, that was supposed to be my first solo album. The thing was the record company and management pressured me into making it a Twisted Sister record. There's some stuff that was in the Twisted Sister vein but it was supposed to be a solo record, that album was meant to give the band the break we needed. I felt that by releasing a solo album I could put that out there, get it out my system, and then after a short break we could regroup and work on a new album. The recording, the promotion and touring of Love Is for Suckers went on to kill the band. Management and the record company in their infinite wisdom know best. Oh let's put five guys who can't stand each other in a studio for three months!" [5]
In 2012, Dee Snider commented to an audience at the annual concert festival in Dessel Belgium, known as the Graspop Metal Meeting, "Now we have been accused in the past of not playing stuff from all of our albums, so this year we added one song from the Love Is for Suckers record to the set [...] for those who know in the 80s, there was a little problem in Washington with censorship and this one was a big middle finger to Washington D.C. It's called "Wake Up (the Sleeping Giant)."" The band then performed that song. [9]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 4/10 [12] |
Los Angeles Times | [13] |
The Record | [14] |
Upon its release, Billboard wrote: "Longtime New York-based rockers stumbled with last release but have managed to catch their balance on this one, with a new producer and new attitude. Album is chock-full of sturdy, straightforward cuts." [15] Sharon Liveten of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "On its fifth album, Twisted Sister doesn't tromp off into uncharted territory. It's anthemic, occasionally repetitive and self-derivative. That said, Love Is for Suckers is a darned good album. The guitar work is flashy but doesn't resort to clichéd posturing and Dee Snider's vocals are in fine, sneering form." [13]
Robin Welles of The Press-Courier described Love Is for Suckers as "a screamer of an album". [16] Pete Bishop of the Pittsburgh Press commented: "This is cliche-cluttered, "commercial" heavy metal designed for instant acceptance. Seven of the cuts are the same wham-bam-party-hearty stuff Twisted Sister and so many others have defrosted and reheated ad nauseam." He selected "Hot Love", "One Bad Habit" and "You Are All That I Need" as "the class of the disc because they dare to differ from the formula and because Twisted Sister performs them well." [2]
Michael Dowding of The Boston Globe wrote: "Unfortunately, this album sounds like a band in decline. There's still enough thump and screech to keep the Saturday night party going, but don't look for any development or innovation. For fans, the best cuts include "Wake Up" and "One Bad Habit". For many other listeners, though, this is an album to avoid." [17] Barbara Jaeger of The Record wrote: "The 10 songs on this collection sound like every other song the band has done. Underscoring the overwrought vocals of Dee Snider are screechy guitars and thunderous drums. The songs, with their sophomoric lyrics, cover the usual heavy-metal topics. So, if you're looking for something new, forget about this one." [14] Keith Carman from Exclaim!, gave the album a highly negative review, stating, "This isn't even for suckers; it just sucks." [18]
All tracks are written by Dee Snider, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Wake Up (The Sleeping Giant)" | 4:19 | |
2. | "Hot Love" | 3:28 | |
3. | "Love Is for Suckers" (Poison Dollys cover) | Marky Carter, Dee Snider | 3:25 |
4. | "I'm So Hot for You" | 4:05 | |
5. | "Tonight" | 3:51 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
6. | "Me and the Boys" | 3:52 | |
7. | "One Bad Habit" | 3:18 | |
8. | "I Want This Night (To Last Forever)" | Mark Tanner, Marty Wagner, Dee Snider | 4:18 |
9. | "You Are All That I Need" | 4:17 | |
10. | "Yeah Right" | 3:14 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
11. | "Feel Appeal" | 3:19 |
12. | "Statutory Date" | 3:11 |
13. | "If That's What You Want" | 4:25 |
14. | "I Will Win" | 3:29 |
Note: the reissue bonus tracks were later released as a separate EP in 2021 titled: Feel Appeal: Love Is for Suckers Extras.
Chart (1987) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [19] | 82 |
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [20] | 78 |
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) [21] | 16 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [22] | 59 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [23] | 11 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [24] | 43 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [25] | 17 |
UK Albums (OCC) [26] | 57 |
US Billboard 200 [27] | 74 |
US Cash Box Top 100 Albums [28] | 60 |
US AOR Albums ( Radio & Records ) [29] | 40 |
Daniel Snider is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and songwriter of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. The band's song "We're Not Gonna Take It" reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and was ranked No. 47 on 100 Greatest 80's Songs. Snider later formed and was the lead singer in the heavy metal bands Desperado, Widowmaker, and SMFs. He also released several solo albums. Snider was ranked #83 in the Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time.
Twisted Sister was an American heavy metal band formed in 1972, originally from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on Long Island, New York. Their best-known songs include "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", both of which were associated with music videos noted for their sense of slapstick humor.
Winger is the debut studio album by American rock band Winger. The album was released through Atlantic Records in 1988 and was produced by Beau Hill.
Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich is the debut studio album by American glam metal band Warrant, released in 1989.
Under the Blade is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Twisted Sister, released on Secret Records in September 1982. It was produced by UFO/Waysted bassist Pete Way and featured an aggressive and hard-hitting sound, which was eventually ignored on a remixed re-release by Atlantic Records on June 13, 1985. The re-release also added a remixed version of the song "I'll Never Grow Up, Now!", the band's long-forgotten 1979 single. The Atlantic Records release was both an attempt to cash in on the commercial success of Stay Hungry and, by then, the only official way to get the album as Secret Records was no more. However, bootlegs with the original mix were still in circulation. On May 31, 2016, Eagle Records re-released Under the Blade in a digital remastered form with the original mix finally restored. Under the Blade has sold over two million copies worldwide.
In the Heart of the Young is the second studio album by the American rock band Winger. It was released by Atlantic Records in 1990. Beau Hill produced the album. Although coming out at the decline of the glam metal scene in the U.S., the release was a commercial success, prompting additional touring by the group. It was the last album with guitarist/keyboardist Paul Taylor until 2023's Seven.
Richard Earl "Reb" Beach Jr. is an American rock guitarist. He is a member of the bands Winger and Whitesnake.
Stay Hungry is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Twisted Sister, released on May 10, 1984, by Atlantic Records. The album contains the band's two signature songs: "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", both of which remain a staple of '80s glam metal and rock. According to RIAA certification, Stay Hungry is the band's most successful release by far and their only platinum album. Eventually, the album achieved multi-platinum status in U.S. with sales of more than 3,000,000 certified copies by 1995.
Donald Maynard Dokken is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and founder of glam metal band Dokken. He is known for his vibrato-laden, melodic vocal style which has made him an influential figure in American heavy metal/glam metal.
"We're Not Gonna Take It" is a song by American rock band Twisted Sister from their album Stay Hungry. It was first released as a single in May 1984.
Come Out and Play is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Twisted Sister, released by Atlantic Records on November 22, 1985. The album was significantly less successful than its predecessor Stay Hungry (1984), both critically and commercially, although it achieved Gold status by selling more than 500,000 copies.
Pull is the third studio album by American rock band Winger. The album was released in 1993 by Atlantic Records.
Still Hungry is an album by the American heavy metal band Twisted Sister, released in 2004. The album is a re-recording of the 1984 album Stay Hungry, with seven bonus tracks. "Never Say Never" and "Blastin' Fast & Loud", were demoed during the original 1984 sessions, completed by the classic line-up in 2001 and recorded for the release of Club Daze Volume II: Live in the Bars in 2002. "Come Back", "Plastic Money", "You Know I Cry" and "Rock 'n' Roll Saviors" are brand new 2004 studio tracks. "Heroes Are Hard to Find" was originally recorded and released in 1998 by the reunited band for the soundtrack of Strangeland, a horror movie written by and starring frontman Dee Snider based on the character Captain Howdy from "Horror-Teria".
You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Twisted Sister, released in April 1983 in the UK and on June 17, 1983 in the US.
A Twisted Christmas is the sixth and final studio album by American heavy metal group Twisted Sister, with the band releasing it on October 17, 2006. The album features classic Christmas songs performed in metal versions, often featuring lyrical changes.
Widowmaker was an American heavy metal band formed by Dee Snider in 1991 after the demise of his previous band, Desperado.
"Hot Love" is a song by the American heavy metal band Twisted Sister, released on June 26, 1987 as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Love Is for Suckers. It was written by Dee Snider and produced by Beau Hill. The song reached number 31 in the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.
"The Price" is a song by American heavy metal band Twisted Sister, released in 1984 as the third and final single from their third studio album, Stay Hungry. The song was written by Dee Snider and produced by Tom Werman. "The Price" failed to reach the US Billboard Hot 100, stalling at number 8 on the Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart in January 1985.
Blood and Bullets is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Widowmaker, released on July 28, 1992.