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Interesting new article on Riot


DaveL

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I was never able to wrap my head around how this band did not have more success after putting out Fire Down Under, one of the best albums of 1981.   This article sheds some light on it.  Good read for the Riot fans.   
 


https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-of-riot-the-unluckiest-band-in-the-world?fbclid=IwAR0Rau9atyWwlmGqMeuKG11wdKVfPrMapmflUnqn-qAbNhz2vM8TQ-1TX_w

 

 

 

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It also introduced the band’s mascot, Tior, a ludicrous axe-wielding half-human, half-seal hybrid that prompted as much derision as it did admiration, not least among the band themselves.

71SbXGZUvpL._AC_SY355_.jpg

I have never been, nor have I ever known anyone stoned enough to think that was a good creative direction.

I find often enough "bad luck" is simply self-inflicted consequence. 

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6 minutes ago, velorush said:

71SbXGZUvpL._AC_SY355_.jpg

I have never been, nor have I ever known anyone stoned enough to think that was a good creative direction.

I find often enough "bad luck" is simply self-inflicted consequence. 

Looks like Tior is pinching a loaf on a bunch of dead people.

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Great band, I loved their stuff. As metal was dying I ran into someone that used to managed/assist/help out (you pick the term) The Rods who were another New York band that got a bit of play. He knew Riot, they'd hung a bit and he made some comment that they were really great but Riot was the best band that never will be or something like that. I thought he was being an ass, and later learned of all the chaos that surrounded them. 

Thanks for the link, brought back some memories.

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That article apparently was written ten years ago and "reprinted" this week. 

I saw Riot supporting Narita and Fire Down Under, and thought they were great all through high school.  It turns out the last time I saw them was 11 days before Guy Speranza quit. 

Watching a video of a complete Riot club show from 1981 there was something different from the way I remembered them.  The albums were great, so seeing the band play music from those albums in concert was exciting.  The video-- not so much.  In the article Sandy Slavin comes across as not wanting the band to be about a show as much as the music, and that worked against them.  Seeing a video of Twisted Sister from a couple of years later, but before the big success, they played with a consciousness that people were "watching" as well as listening.  Guy Speranza was a polite frontman with a great singing voice.  He stopped there.  The rest of Riot played well while not really looking at the audience enough. 

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Good but sad read. RIOT rocked. We covered a few tunes back in the day. The albums, yes vinyl, I have are Narita, Fire Down Under and the following one and/or maybe a live EP they released. I liked how they would mix a distorted background chug with clean chords over the top. 

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I got Thriller for Christmas one year. Went back to the record store and traded it for Riot Narita. I guess Thriller sold more none the less....

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5 hours ago, velorush said:

71SbXGZUvpL._AC_SY355_.jpg

I have never been, nor have I ever known anyone stoned enough to think that was a good creative direction.

I find often enough "bad luck" is simply self-inflicted consequence. 

Yeah.  Completely baffled by these covers.   Can’t believe a major label ok’d this.  Reading about their issues with Capitol and Elektra,  am thinking that maybe Riot’s managers were such pains in the asses that the labels just said f it,  tax write off.    

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12 minutes ago, DaveL said:

Yeah.  Completely baffled by these covers.   Can’t believe a major label ok’d this.  Reading about their issues with Capitol and Elektra,  am thinking that maybe Riot’s managers were such pains in the asses that the labels just said f it,  tax write off.    

This, would have been a better album cover and title:

image.png

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9 minutes ago, gtrdaddy said:

This, would have been a better album cover and title:

image.png

But according to Polymer Records' Bobbi Flekman, hostess with the mostest, "See-yuhz and K-Mawt stawz would have refused to carry the album."

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A good friend of mine, Pete Perez, was their Bass Player for a long time. I forget which of the Jarzombeck brothers was in the band with him. I think it was Bobby, the drummer. They used to tour Japan every year for a few months. He said they were treated like Kings every time they toured Japan. 

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This thread cracks me up. Mainly because earlier this afternoon, out of nowhere, a buddy of mine sends me this...

 

 

E0CB5E94-B8BF-463D-AAC7-2B9944A5C7A2.png

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Excellent, thx for posting this.

FDU was/is one of my fave RAWK records! "Bridging the gap between Reale’s beloved Montrose and the nascent thrash scene that would emerge a few years later, it balanced its melodic chops with a tight energy and walked a lyrical tightrope between fantasy and gonzo rock’n’roll". Yep.

I only like a handful of tunes from their other albums. Rhett Forester was also a great singer but those studio albums didn't have the great tunes (the RIOT LIVE E.P. was great, my cheesy metal trio used to open w/ this one ~86);
 

THIS TUNE has always been a fave, it's one of my "check the tone" riffs when I plug into a rig;

 

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9 hours ago, Steve Haynie said:

It turns out the last time I saw them was 11 days before Guy Speranza quit. 

Of course you did. 🤣 I was set to see them in Nashville after the release of 'Restless Breed', but Forrester was sick, or some lame excuse, and they didn't show. I was bummed when I found out Guy had left anyway.

They were never the same after Guy left. Rhett had a few shining moments, but Speranza was 'the' voice IMO.

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Narita was an album that I played constantly as a kid. I was drawn to the dual guitar attack and harmonies. 

When Fire Down Under was released, I was blown away. 

When Rhett Forrester replaced Guy, I was pleasantly surprised at the job he did although to me Guy was the better singer. 

Forrester was the singer of a pretty popular east coast circuit band called Hitman in the 70's.  I hated to hear that he was murdered during a carjacking in Atlanta. Riot had their share of tragedies.

I was visiting my brother a couple of weeks ago and he had a whole concert of Riot in a small venue in NY back in the early 80's. It was phenomenal. 

Good thread. 

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2 hours ago, DaveH said:

They were solid. Crappy video quality, but awesome set.

That's the one me and my brother watched.  He mirrored the video onto his TV.  We had a blast watching it. Guy's voice was great.  Loved Alter Of The King, especially. 

 

Thanks for posting. 

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22 hours ago, Drew816 said:

Great band, I loved their stuff. As metal was dying I ran into someone that used to managed/assist/help out (you pick the term) The Rods who were another New York band that got a bit of play. He knew Riot, they'd hung a bit and he made some comment that they were really great but Riot was the best band that never will be or something like that. I thought he was being an ass, and later learned of all the chaos that surrounded them. 

Thanks for the link, brought back some memories.

I had the album by The Rods.  It had a song called Music Man that I liked.

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