The 1986 Listening Post - Kick Axe - Rock the World

Kick Axe - Rock the World

#135/1300

April 11 1986

Kick Axe

Rock the World

Genre: Glam Metal

3.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Rock the World

The Chain

I will never understand why Kick Axe wasn’t a household name in the 80s. Their stuff is fun, metaltastic and, while every other band seems to badly covering 60s standards like Seger’s “Fortunate Son” cover, which just proved that he always wanted to be Fogerty and failed or all the bands covering “Gimme Some Lovin’” to terrible results or Jack Starr’s “Fire and Rain” cover that makes me want to die, Kick Axe understood how to take a classic and bring it to the 30,000 seat arena in their glam metal cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”. 

This album, like this genre, is the law of diminishing returns. The more you hear, the less engaging it is, sadly. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/rock-the-world/467638071

The 1985 Listening Post - Kick Axe - Welcome to the Club

Kick Axe - Welcome to the Club

#301/936

August 22 1985

Kick Axe

Welcome to the Club

Genre: Glam Metal

3.7 5 out of 5

Highlights:

Comin’ After You

Make Your Move

It’s all about “Make Your Move”. That’s the track for me that makes me wonder why not Kick Axe? Why Motley Crue? Because that song IS a Motley Crue song, through and through and, actually, it’s better than most of what they come up with. Maybe it’s because it’s not as faux-dangerous. I mean, it’s pretty bubble gum glam. Give Bay City Rollers some steroids and a lot more time in the studio and that’s what they might come up with.

This follow up to that surprise debut album isn’t as surprising or cutting. I don’t know the story behind it but I can see loving the first one, being first in line for this one and then experiencing gross disappointment. 

As soon as I would have heard the Side One closer ballad “Never Let Go”, I might’ve just flipped the damned thing over and never come back to it. It’s no “Home Sweet Home”. They find the old Kick Axe energy & sound on “Too Loud…Too Old” and a bit on “Feel the Power” but there’s no need for their epic Band Aid sounding stadium version of “With a Little Help From My Friends”. It’s bombastic in a way that I’ve not come to expect from Canadians. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/welcome-to-the-club/1123845671

The 1984 Listening Post - Kick Axe - Vices

Kick Axe - Vices

#112

May 14 1984

Kick Axe

Vices

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Heavy Metal Shuffle

Vices

Maneater

All the Right Moves

It’s time for Canadian Rawk! And Kick Axe has come to kick some glam metal ass! How did these guys not make some big MTV noise? On the opening track they are everything Twisted Sister tried to be but couldn’t. Ratt’s sound wasn’t this clean or even as glamtastic. Using Quiet Riot’s producer, Kick Axe actually manages to come up with a more accessible sound on Side One as their balladry “Dreaming About You” is more honest and stadium ready than anything most of those hair bands came up with and the two guitar attack is spectacular. Reminds me of Night Ranger. But bigger, more ambitious, more metal. If this doesn’t have you air guitaring and banging your head, then this isn’t the genre for you.

Often when I am done listening I delete the album from my Apple Music save the “Highlighted” songs. 

This one stays in the library. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/vices/1123842139