A must have for your rock archive! - I personally remember the hype around the inception of this at the time super group consisting of Ozzy s overshadowed ex-axe-smith Jake E Lee and relative unknown Black Sabbath stand-in Ray Gillen. I bought the album the day it was released (as well as the follow-up Voodoo Highway).Now, it is easy to review this CD and just talk about Jake E Lee s guitar playing, but I d like to highlight what is actually my favorite aspect and the vital soul of this lineup. Ray Gillen.You will never, and I mean never, hear a better trained high range and smooth sounding voice as Ray Gillen. His vibrato is of the best in rock singers still. I had the great opportunity to discover recently some bootleg videos posted on YouTube of live Badlands performances and often wondered could Ray pull those vocals off live (unfortunately i never had the opportunity to see them on tour). Not only did he sound phenomenal live, but he seemed to do so with ease.I personally feel this 1 record is STILL powerful, bluesy and comes thru you like musical waves of guitar riffs and wide ranging vocals.Over time, some of the old 80 s metal acts are hard to listen to now, but this CD is one of the few exceptions that is worth going back in time for.You will truly enjoy this album.Standout songs for me are High Wire, Dreams in the Dark, Winters Call and Devil s Stomp.
Fantastic four! - hi, this album is awsome, I like hard rock, but this is a great and beatiful work...well done..I love badlands. sadly never receive the attention they deserve...salute from chile...badlands rocks!
10 STARS! - This is the best hard rock album EVER! Soulful, emotional and unique. Jake, Ray, Eric and Greg you are sorely missed! This album is one of the few that when it s on, I just sit mezmerized, and must hear it to the end. LOUD! Close yer eyes and soak it in. I have never heard or read one negative word about this band. RIP Ray, this masterpiece has touched me for over 10 years now.
Rock from the badlands... - Badlands self-titled debut release, is a collection of hard, blues flavored rock, that is raw and laden with emotion. The late Ray Gillen s voice is perfectly suited to the genre, displaying a wide tonal range, in a variety of styles, from all out rockers to slow bluesy ballads. His ability to infuse genuine feeling into the music, is one of the keys to its appeal. Song topics are down to earth, gently influenced by themes from the American frontier. This is music that taps into the roots of blues based hard rock.Beside Gillen s vocal talents, Badlands also features the considerable skills of guitarist Jake E. Lee, the man who came to replace Randy Rhodes in Ozzy Osboune s band. The frenetic energy that powered such metal classics as Journey to the Center of Eternity, Rock and Roll Rebel and Bark at the Moon, are channeled into a completely different direction. The results, while perhaps not as manic, are still very powerful in a different way. Instead of starting at full throttle, more often the energy and tension are allowed to build, before being released. Lee s tone, style, and phrasing, bear little similarity to his playing with Ozzy, but his desire to play this type of music was the reason he left Osbourne s band. With a cleaner tone, Lee s fluid playing style can more easily be heard, and appreciated. Rounding out the band, is a solid rhythm section. Eric Singer energetically handles the drumming duties, and Greg Chaisson mans the bass. Put simply, Badlands rocks hard with feeling. Except for the instrumental, Jade s Song, dedicated to Lee s daughter, the songs are about evenly divided between up-tempo rockers, and slower bluesy numbers. Among the best tunes are Streets Cry Freedom, which features Gillen s haunting vocal. As the song builds, Lee s guitar takes flight, including a spacey side guitar solo. High Wire finds Badlands brand of blues, closest to the traditional hard rock format. Rumblin Train is a fun bluesy track, that will have you stomping your feet as it chugs along, with Gillen and Lee stoking the engine to the end of the line. Dancing on the Edge, opens with a muted scratching riff that progresses into one of the album?s faster numbers. Lee s solo is energetic, full of twists and turns, with a flurry of pulloffs, reminiscent of this playing with Ozzy. With song structure that is all over the map, the untraditional blues of Devil s Stomp is perhaps the collection s most musically intriguing tune. Seasons is the best of the slow numbers, a beautiful song that features one of Ray Gillen s finest vocals. The mood is reminiscent of Zeppelin, with an American flavor. Badlands brand of gut level rock, wasn?t really aimed at the typical teenage headbanger, and didn t quite fit into the metal scene of the time. The singles Winter Calls, and Dreams in the Dark, did not find much of an audience, and though the band did produce a second album, Voodoo Highway, the untimely death of Ray Gillen put an end to the band. If bluesy, hard rock is your thing, strap on your gun belt, adjust your hat, step outside into the noontime sun, and check out Badlands.
One of my top 5 favorite cd s of all-time! Electrifying!!! - It is so refreshing to see so many people that have heard this cd give it 5 stars, because Badlands definitely deserves it. Where to start? How about Ray Gillen (rest his soul), what an incredible range in his voice and releaser of his emotions. He hold s nothing back. All I can say is perfection for Ray. Check out Voodoo Highway and the Japanese Import Dusk to hear more of Ray s incredible vocal talents. They re all worth the money! Jake E. Lee is incredible on lead, Greg Chaisson plays seamlessly in tune with Jake and the drummer Eric Singer is just balls-to-the-wall fantastic. The sound and soul of this band is so tight that every note just bleeds perfection. Any true rock/metal/blues/soul fan will want this cd for their collection. Pure musical brilliance from start to finish! Crank it up and get lost in the emotion of the music. What a ride!