Let It Scream

Prior to singer/guitarist John Corabi tempting his fate (and sanity) by joining L.A. bad boys Motley Crue, he was the leader of a solid little combo by the name of the Scream. Rising from the ashes of the ultra-technical Racer X, another Sunset Strip combo with a burgeoning cult following, upon their dissolution, Corabi set out to do something completely different. With guitarist Bruce Bouillet, bassist John Alderete, and drummer Walt Woodward III in tow, the Scream signed to Hollywood Records; shortly thereafter, they delivered their impressive major-label debut. Produced by the legendary Eddie Kramer, they had a lot to be proud of on Let It Scream. One part Aerosmith, one part Stones, and part Humble Pie, Let It Scream is jam-packed with carefully crafted, commercial hard rock songs. Album opener "Outlaw" gets things off to a rollicking start. With his Steven Tyler meets Tom Keifer swagger, it's clear from the word go that Corabi possesses a great set of pipes. A solid rocker, "I Believe in Me" quickly follows with its tongue-in-cheek chorus. "Man in the Moon" is next, and turns out to be one of the strongest tracks on the record. With its bluesy acoustic guitar intro, the song develops into a scorching rocker. Ironically, this track would serve as an ominous foreshadowing to Motley 's self-titled commercial bomb, which featured Corabi. "Father, Mother, Son" is a tender, well-executed ballad that could have easily fit onto a Bon Jovi album. "Tell Me Why" provides an interesting twist, as a neo-funk intro gives way to a track that seems a little at odds with the rest of the material but doesn't seem lost in the context of the album. "I Don't Care" does a Zeppelin before giving way too the delightfully sleazy "Every Inch a Woman." The rest of the record is solid all around, if somewhat predictable with repeated listens. Sadly, the Scream would never reach its full potential, as Corabi would jump ship and join Motley Crue less than a year and a half after the release of Let It Scream. Nevertheless, given the state of the U.S. marketplace at the time, this is a solid debut from a band that sadly never got to see its day in the sun. ~ John Franck