Review Summary: Pretty much warrants the same amount of attention as the debut.
Following the financial success of its debut,
Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, and the subsequent tour, Warrant began recording a new album with not much delay. Beau Hill was again brought onboard as the producer, as someone who had made a considerable contribution to the band’s success. And, as a result, the second album was released in September 1990 –
Cherry Pie.
At first glance (and all other glances, to be honest), the new LP is practically no different from the previous one. The formula is repeated to a dot: once again, it presents more rocking cuts of various tempos and two mandatory ballads. However, even if Lane & Co. stay within the framework set by the first album, the overall sound changed slightly: the amount of studio polish and gloss was reduced a bit, and some songs gained additional scope and rawness. It might have been caused by the experience the band obtained during touring, and it seems they tried to translate a sound which was closer to their live performances.
As we turn our attention to the songs that comprise the album, it should be noted that a certain diversity is now present. Some cuts contain elements of country and Southern rock, which is particularly noticeable on
Uncle Tom’s Cabin and
Train, Train. The former song (by the way, no connection to the novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe) is one of the strongest tracks on the album due to a number of reasons. Firstly, it describes a situation that is atypical for glam metal – the narrator with his Uncle Tom witness criminal actions committed by the Sheriff and his deputy, and try to figure out what to do. Secondly, the track is pretty successful in creating the necessary feel of Southern swamps that highlights the narration with the help of an acoustic intro. Then the guitar is replaced with a banjo that backs the verses, only enhancing the atmosphere, before the electric guitars kick in. The guitars in
Uncle Tom’s Cabin are also noted for their more aggressive sound, bringing them closer to heavy metal. As for
Train, Train – a cover of the song by the partially forgotten rock band
Blackfoot – it is also one of the more driving and rocking tracks. Saturated with Southern rock influences, this groove cut is stylistically reminiscent of
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, now eliciting images of sunburnt and hot prairies that a lonely steam train crosses.
These two songs stand out stylistically and thematically on the album, bearing darker shades. As for the other cuts, they are more standard fare touching on topics common for glam metal: there is love (
Mr. Rainmaker,
Blind Faith), sex (
Cherry Pie,
Sure Feels Good to Me,
Love in Stereo) and heartbreak (
I Saw Red). From this batch we can single out
Cherry Pie and the power ballad
I Saw Red. The infamous
Cherry Pie is a song aimed at arenas and stadiums, and possesses the right amount of catchiness and energy level to lodge itself in the brain of an unsuspecting victim. And
I Saw Red, even while being a rather typical ballad, still manages to catch the attention with a more emotional performance. It is hard to say whether it is because the topic is something Jani Lane could relate to, or due to some other factor, but the song leaves a pleasant impression. Other tracks are of varying degrees of success (or lack thereof), but the album in general doesn’t sag on any one of them, which is by no means unimportant.
For Jani Lane,
Cherry Pie is both a progression and a regression. For example,
Uncle Tom’s Cabin is an unconditional success, as well as the decision to cover the excellent
Train, Train, and it is clearly a sign of improvement. At the same time, there are
Cherry Pie,
Sure Feels Good to Me and
Love in Stereo, whose lyrics use the most basic clichés of the subgenre – clichés that Jani managed to avoid on the first album. And yes, the guitar duo of Erik Turner and Joey Allen failed to be creative once more, so session musician Mike Slamer was brought over to help the poor fellows out, just as he did on the first record.
In the end, we get an album which is a bit more interesting than their low-calorie but easily digestible debut.
Cherry Pie presents a small step forward for the band, however, a step backward can be seen too. But despite this, the LP remains a solid one, so it is really up to you whether you want to listen to it or not.
