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.
took the unblemished, radio
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
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"
"Come Again"
come through as avid little rockers. Only
"Piledriver"
"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
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