Valentine

Just as the rise of the Beatles let us know that the 1950s were really gone for good, the tremendous success of Nirvana and Pearl Jam between 1992 and 1993 made it clear that the 1980s were definitely behind us. 1990 and 1991, however, still felt like the 1980s. At the dawn of the 1990s, corporate hard-rock/pop-metal bands like Warrant, Winger, Poison, and Bon Jovi were still huge and had yet to lose their popularity to grunge and alternative rock acts. So many A&R men reasoned that one way to get on MTV in a hurry was to sign some formulaic bands that might appeal to Winger or Bon Jovi fans -- and at music industry veteran Irving Azoff's Giant label, such a band was Valentine. This derivative, slick, glossy debut was clearly aimed at the Winger/Bon Jovi audience, although the material isn't as strong. But while the album isn't fantastic or big on originality -- the long-haired quintet can hardly be called innovative or experimental -- it isn't bad either. Some of the more memorable cuts range from the fairly catchy "Where Are You Now" and the driving "Too Much Is Never Enough" to the dramatic power ballad "Tears in the Night." For pop-metal enthusiasts, Valentine isn't essential; nor is it something one would trade a Heart or Def Leppard album for, but it has its moments. ~ Alex Henderson