Great White - ...Twice Shy Audio CD

A fair review of the Great White "...Twice Shy" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Great White reviews here, or go back to the Great White tabs.

Great White Band: Great White
Title: ...Twice Shy
Rating:
Release Date: 1990-10-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Move It 2: Heart the Hunter 3: Hiway Nights 4: Angel Song 5: Mista Bone 6: Baby's on Fire 7: House of Broken Love 8: She Only 9: Once Bitten Twice Shy

Different Shades of White
It is because there are many tracks here that do not exacty fit the description of heavy metal rock. This is a production by one of the "heavy metal hard rock" bands which cannot strictly be classified as pure heavy metal. Althought they are basically rock songs, they cross over into other forms of music which blend in with the rock 'n' roll sound to produce a flavor that is unique. This mixture also may have something to do with producing a hit, as three of the songs on this album were released as hit singles on the radio. All three of these songs are among those that have a sound that is not purely "heavy metal or hard rock".

The first of these is "The Angel Song", a sad ballad about a girl who was disappointed in love and the lost dream of achieving stardom. This piece is distinct with an acoustic piano in the background, playing a harmony which borders on classical music. Another song that wanders away from heavy metal is "House Of Broken Love", with a blues tone. This blue flavor fits in nicely with the melancholy lyrics that describe a marriage falling apart, with the wife leaving the house one day, disappointing the husband who was left behind. The last of the great hits is "Once Bitten, Twice Shy". In the background is an acoustic piano, playing in a honky tonk fashion among a bouncy rhythm In this song about the life of a musician, the chorus is sung in harmony, where the lead singer is joined by others in a party-like manner.

Among the six "non hits", one of these strays away from hard rock: this is "She Only", a sad ballad heavily laced with folk guitar and clear, gentle vocals. This folk/bluesy song is about a girl who is still waiting for love. It would have been interesting to see if this track would have traveled high on the pop music chart if it had ben released as a single.

The remaining five tracks on this album more or less fit the definition of heavy metal or hard rock 'n' roll. "Heart the Hunter" comes closest to downright heavy metal, and the passionate "Baby's On Fire" is a fast-paced, high-energy selection that could be called heavy metal rock 'n' roll. The first track on this album, "Move It" is another composition that could be called heavy metal, with the burning guitar accompaniment. "Hiway Nights", (title spelled like this), is a passionate love song, in which the highway is presented in a metaphorical way. Finally, there is "Mista Bone", a love song that would make a great choice for dance parties, with its bouncy, stomping rhythm.

It has been many years since this album was released, but the music still sounds fresh and undated as when it was new. The crossing over into other styles of music beyond heavy metal probably contributed to its wide appeal for the audience and popularity on the airwaves. This disc should remain in the collection of fans to this very day for listening enjoyment.

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80S HARD ROCK AT IT'S BEST!
THIS RECORD IS BY FAR THERE BEST TO DATE AND THE MOST SUCESSFUL TOO. GREAT WHITE WAS ONE OF THOSE BANDS THAT BLEW ME AWAY. GREAT SONGS LIKE "HOUSE OF BROKEN LOVE" AND THE TOP 10 HIT "ONCE BITTEN TWICE SHY" MAKE THIS RECORD STAND OUT. BUT THE BEAUTIFUL BALLAD "THE ANGEL SONG" IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE TO ANY ROCK FAN!CHECK IT OUT. YOU WON'T BE DISSAPPOINTED.


Great White highlight
Great White. . 'one heavy lidded bunch of dudes' to quote one reviewer turned up, diddled about for a while and then dissipated to nothingness until tragedy made them more famous than their music ever would. And that's a sad state of affairs indeed. . . . Twice Shy is from the band higher profile years when they were unfairly lumped in with the hair metal dudes, a similar fate to Tesla, and were having mild hits such as Mista Bone.

Certainly this ablum is a hybrid between 70's stoner rock and third generation Stonesy hard rock. The tone is set by the opener Move It with it's intro of truck brackes or somesuch putting you instantly on notice that this is going to be a highway cruiser of an album. And in terms of that, tunes such as Move It, Heart the Hunter, Hiway Nights and Mista bone are top notch, totally at home on the radio or jukebox of roadhouses across middle america. Dude, If I ever find myself touring the US by road I'm gonna take this album with me. It would be mandatory.

On the wider appeal front this album runs into problems. A clutch of the songs here are pretty middling stuff like The Angel Song, House of Broken Love and She Only are all pretty dire. Baby On Fire is fairly numbskull but is saved by it's carefree attitude and brisk pace. The covers are suitably chosen and attacked with fun in mind but when three of your eleven tracks are covers it's starting to get indicative of a shallow creative well. Or laziness. And when one of them is a sort of afterthought novelty track it doesn't help, even if it is genuinely amusing.

In a strange way this album has a number of cool cuts but always leaves the listener feeling as if the total is less than the sum of it's parts. It just doesn't hang together. Still, a serious driving album.


The music stands out
The only thing that stands out here is how good the songs are and the overall sound. 1989 was a year of glam and all things that stand out. There's blues, hard rockers and even a few songs that you'd find your parents listening to. I always felt that this band was worlds better than thier contemperies. Hiway Nights, Mista Bone and (seems classic to me) House of Broken Love are the best songs on the record, but there is not a bad track on this 9 track set. There is very few bands that had their hayday in the 80's that I find pulling out of my CD collection on a regular basis as much as Great White and this just might be their best.


This Album Rocks,
God bless them and their families. Blessings to the fans and performers that perished in the fire.

I never compared Great White to total glam bands like Poison or Warrant. These guys wore jeans and leather jackets too. GWs sound was more mature if you ask me, more piano and extended guitar riffs with arrangements that were more consistent with 70's style than the all out glam sound.

This CD is worth buying. I would compare Great White more with Tesla than Poison or Warrant. No, its not as good as the first album "once bitten". Crank "House of Broken Love" one time and you'll be captured "if you don't wanna lose your lovin' use it constantly, if theres gonna be lies, suspicious eyes, then baby, baby set me free!" This CD stands on its own no problem.

Buy it for sure.


You can see a complete list of all Great White discography, or go back to the Great White tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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