Damn Yankees (Anniversary Edition)＜Red Clear Vinyl＞

Although the term "supergroup" doesn't quite apply to the Damn Yankees, they did manage to rekindle the spirit of 1970s (and '80s) rock with each of their talents, at least to some extent. Damn Yankees took the unblemished, radio rock ballad "High Enough" to its deserving number three spot on the singles chart, with its power stemming from the oily melody and the made-to-order guitar playing of Ted Nugent. Both Tommy Shaw and Night Ranger's Jack Blades give "High Enough" an even quantity of lushness and might, which helped the album itself climb to number 13 and gain platinum status. "Coming of Age" is the album's second-best track, which has the band rocking out without going over the edge and sounding too contrived. The rest of the album finds the group reliving their glory days, which is to be expected, and tracks like "Runaway" and "Come Again" come through as avid little rockers. Only "Piledriver" and "Rock City" sound silly and pushed, most likely influenced by Nugent himself. As the 1990s approached, the slick sound of guitar rock may have been dwindling, but Damn Yankees do a fine job at keeping it alive at least for a little while. By the time their next album was released, the decade had no room for their brand of arena rock, which sounded more passe than ever before, despite a decent sounding single which kicked it off. ~ Mike DeGagne