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SMF Cyndi
Posted 2006-09-19 7:58 PM (#5872 - in reply to #5836)
Subject: RE: New DESPERADO CD
Quote Reply


20005001001001001005010
Location: Graveyard BLVD.
IronRoad - 2006-09-18 3:15 PM

WHICH VERSION?

The US and British versions of ACE are exactly the same sound quality, but totally different artwork. I STRONGLY recommend you go out of your way to buy the British version. The US version has essentially no artwork, and the cover is oddly a Widowmaker-era picture of Dee.

The British version, on the other hand, has a very THICK booklet with a bunch of real, genuine Desperado-era pictures of the whole band, and a brand new long interview with both Dee and Bernie Torme about their present-day feelings on the album.

Here's the executive summary for you all:

USA "Ace": Black cover, just picture of Dee.....BAD
British "Ace": White cover, picture of band......GOOD!

British version is $22.50 on Amazon for us Americans. Go buy it - well worth your $$$s!


I like your summary! LOL...The only 2 songs different from Bloodied, But Unbowed are these 2 songs were not included...** 12. Easy Action **13. Heart Of Saturday Night, both on the US and UK albums. I like the UK cover better. It also contains an insert with some other history info.

Thanks for your take on it Dave.. I have to get the UK one now! Just some reviews I found when I did a search.

Desperado - Bloodied, But Unbowed (1996)

Dee Snider vocals
Marc Russell bass
Bernie Torme guitars
Clive Burr drums
Desperado was an early incarnation of Widowmaker. This album was recorded in 1990 (under the title *Ace*), but was never officially released until six years later, with a different name and three extra songs.

Year: 1996
Label: Destroyer Records
Tracks

1. Hang 'Em High
2. Gone Bad
3. The Maverick
4. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter
5. Calling For You
6. See You At Sunrise
7. There's No Angels Here
8. Made For Trouble
9. Ride Thru The Storm
10. Son Of A Gun
11. Emaheevol

** 12. Easy Action
** 13. Heart Of Saturday Night



Desperado were a late 80's metal/rock super group featuring Dee Snider (Twisted Sister's fast talking New York front man/lead singer, actor, screenplay writer, film star and shock DJ), Clive Burr (Iron Maiden's legendary drummer who is recognized by musicians all over the world as a giant among drummers, sadly stricken with multiple sclerosis), Bernie Torme (guitarist with Gillan, Atomic Rooster, Ozzy Osbourne, provider of walls of sound, wails of feedback, blues passion and shredmeister from hell) and bassist Marc Russell. "Ace” was recorded in 1990 and is regarded by many as one of the high points of 80’s rock/metal. It was never released because the band's label nixed the project due to the explosion of “grunge” metal at the time. The album remains a classic of its genre and finally gets a proper airing with this issue.


Desperado - Ace - 2006

Track Listing

1. Hang 'Em High
2. Gone Bad
3. Run Wild Run Free (The Maverick)
4. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter
5. Calling For You
6. See you At Sunrise
7. There's No Angels Here
8. Made For Trouble
9. Ride Thru The Storm
10. Son Of A Gun
11. Emaheeval

Label Angel Air
Orig Year 2006

Street Date Jun 26, 2006
Studio/Live Studio
Mono/Stereo Stereo
Producer Peter Coleman
England; United Kingdom

Maximum Metal Review

http://www.maximummetal.com/reviews/revresults.asp?ID=desp_a&idBand=922

Desperado - Ace - 2006 - Deadline Music

Track Listing
1. Hang 'Em High
2. Gone Bad
3. Run Wild Run Free (The Maverick)
4. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter
5. Calling For You
6. See you At Sunrise
7. There's No Angels Here
8. Made For Trouble
9. Ride Thru The Storm
10. Son Of A Gun
11. Emaheeval

Well there is certainly an interesting background on this release. Desperado was a hard rock act led by the talented and infamous Dee Snider. After his long stint with main band Twisted Sister, Snider formed a rather unheard metal act in the '90s called Widowmaker. The group was a metallic hard hitter that signed with CMC for two releases, "Blood And Bullets" (1992) and "Stand By For Pain (1994). That was the decade when the rather small CMC label was putting out classic bands like Overkill, Dokken, and Saxon, before going belly-up in the late '90s. Before the first Widowmaker album was released, Snider and some well known musicians recorded an album under the name of Desperado called "Ace". This was basically an early version of Widowmaker.

"Ace" was recorded on a large budget and featured prominent members Clive Burr (ex-Iron Maiden drummer), Bernie Torme (guitarist for Ian Gillan), and Jack Russell (who stayed on with Widowmaker). The album was shelved for six years by Elektra records before finally being released in 1996 under the name of "Bloodied But Unbowed". By that time Widowmaker had come and gone, and grunge music was slowly going away in favor of industrial, nu-metal, and the dreaded rap-core. Not the most ideal time to release a straight up hard rock album on a buying public.

Now Cleopatra Records division Deadline Music has released "Ace" in its original format. This is the original eleven track album that was recorded in 1990, and does not feature the two added tracks that were released on "Bloodied But Unbowed" ("Easy Action", "Heart Of A Saturday Night"). This really should have hit shelves in the early '90s simply because hair metal and the like were still in the swing of things, and by all standards this is a fantastic display of top tier hard rock. Basically this is a southern fried chop fest set on the Sunset Strip and put on the soundtrack of an Italian spaghetti western, complete with those gunslinger, love on the run elements that fit the old west tinglings.

Opening cut "Hang 'Em High" sets the mood, sparking up a dusty harmonica intro before Torme and Snider let it rip in full LA sweat and swagger. Other cuts like "Ride Thru The Storm" and "Emaheeval" follow that outlaw persona, each attracting it's own brand of desperado hard rock that sort of fits the vibe Jon Bon Jovi was aiming for with his outlaw anthems "Blaze Of Glory" and "Wanted: Dead Or Alive". Of course there is some sappy love songs here as well, with "Calling For You" and "There's No Angels Here" a perfect choice for those Firehouse enthusiasts.

Overall this sort of project isn't nearly as heavy as the metallic and somewhat abrasive band that would follow in Widowmaker. "Ace" is more like Every Mother's Nightmare crossed with the "Young Guns II" soundtrack from Jon Bon Jovi. Throw in some Firehouse and a bit of Winger's down and dirty "Pull" session and you have the perfect '90s hard rock soundscape.

Note - Those of you looking for another great western styled hard rock album should check out Axel Rudi Pell's "Between The Walls".


DESPERADO - Ace - CD - Magick/ Cleopatra - 2006

Album Review DESPERADO-Ace :: Maelstrom :: Issue No 47

http://maelstrom.nu/ezine/review_iss47_3354.php?sid=8e97adbda96e3f084343b8de7cfa0dbe&page_rs=4&osCsid=8e97adbda96e3f084343b8de7cfa0dbe


review by: Avi Shaked

Desperado was originally assembled as a sort of a supergroup, comprising Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Bernie Torme (Gillan), Clive Burr (Iron Maiden) and a fresh bass player by the name of Marc Russell (Neil Murray was not available for the gig). Together these guys recorded Ace, a fine hard rock album in 1989, which has remained in the vaults until now.

As one might expect, Ace is quite representative of the time it was recorded in. In fact, it might even be crowned as the epitaph of ‘80s metal. The blues-based approach and the mix of macho, melodramatic rockers and amped, clichéd ballads recall the works of bands like Cinderella, White Lion and a pinch of Whitesnake.

The strong combo of Snider and Torme is the undisputed motor of this outfit. Snider’s vocals are quite impressive and emotive as a scream rocker, showing that there is indeed a more delicate side to his outrageous Twisted Sister persona. At some points his vocals are favorably reminiscent of Gary Cherone (Extreme).

Torme’s guitar licks are tasteful and vital, introducing finessed, at times even inventive touches, within the wild, unrestrained rhythm guitars and the typical shredding solos, which are performed here eagerly and skillfully.

On a few rare moments on this recording, particularly the relatively long instrumental conclusion of "See You At Sunrise," the band in fact manages to suggest early Iron Maiden with its raw attitude and juvenile spark. This adds up to the band’s energized performance and good songwriting, making this release commendable, at least as far as ‘80s pop metal goes.

The album sees the light of day on Angel Air and Cleopatra’s Deadline Music concurrently. While both releases deliver the same musical portion, the Angel Air release is the one to look for, as, like most of the label’s other releases, it features detailed liner notes whereas the Cleopatra release has none (except for the bare essentials – track list and personnel).

http://www.prog-nose.org/metal-nose/engels/albums%202006/desperado_ace.htm

I’ve never been a TWISTED SISTER fan, so I wasn’t overly excited when this album reached my reviewing desk. DESPERADO was the short-lived band that featured TS-singer Dee Snider, Bernie Tormé (GILLAN/OZZY), Clive Burr (IRON MAIDEN) and Marc Russell. They recorded just one album in 1990 and played only one show. Just a few weeks before its intended release, record label Elektra pulled the plug and the album was shelved (until the very limited, semi-official release back in 1996).

What a pleasant surprise this turns out to be. Heavy, raw rock music, with enough subtlety, excellent melodies and great musicianship. Dee Snider’s vocals are a revelation. None of the over-the-top screaming from his TS-days, but some very powerful, and at times really emotional singing. The punky/Hendrix attitude of Tormé is very familiar. Just listen to that solo on ‘See You At Sunrise’ to realize just how good this guy is. I’ve always liked Clive Burr very much and he forms a tight rhythm section with Marc Russell here.

This album features some great songs. Dee Snider fans will be familiar with some of them, as he later used them for the band WIDOWMAKER and his solo work. Tracks like ‘Run Wild Run Free’, ‘No Angels Here’, ‘Ride Thru The Storm’ and ‘Emaheevull’ are fantastic. Best song is the power ballad ‘Heart Is A Lonely Hunter’. Excellent, bluesy guitar work, great backing vocals and Snider’s singing is absolutely stunning here.

It’s incredible that a record company would shelve this, but hey, what do they know? At least, the always-exciting Angel Air label is putting the record straight by making this sole DESPERADO album available at last. As usual with this company, the booklet contains a very informative essay about the birth and demise of this forgotten ‘supergroup’.

ToxicUniverse.com - Desperado - August 8, 2006 - Ace Music Review

http://www.toxicuniverse.com/review.php?rid=10006224
Ace
Artist: Desperado
Genre: Metal
Publisher: Cleopatra / Deadline Music
Released: August 8, 2006


The Long-Lost Album Finally Released
A Review by Kevin Buffington
07/14/2006



Desperado may be the greatest metal band that never was. Following the dissolution of Twisted Sister, Dee Snider set out to create a new band that would follow more of a straight-ahead metal approach as opposed to the theatrical anthem metal of his previous band.

With legendary session guitarist Bernie Tormé (who was known for his work with Ian Gillian and Ozzy Osbourne), ex-Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr and bassist Marc Russell on board, Desperado certainly had the pedigree for greatness. The metal press quickly latched on to the project and their debut album was greatly anticipated by fans. The album (titled Bloodied but Unbowed) had a release date set for May 1990, but that date came and went without any release.

For some reason Electra, the band's label, decided to shelve the album at the last moment, angering the band and fans as well. With the musical landscape drastically changing in 1990 and tensions between band and label increasing, the album was permanently canned and Desperado disbanded soon thereafter.

As with most "lost" albums, its fame and status grew in the minds of fans who desperately wanted to hear what was going on. Bootlegs surfaced and were widely disseminated, only serving to increase the fervor. However, as the various members moved on to other projects, Desperado was eventually forgotten by all but the most die-hard metal fans. Fortunately for those who still remember, Deadline music has managed to purchase the rights to the album and Ace (the original title) is finally seeing the light of day, even if it is 16 years late.

Desperado shows a tremendous amount of talent, but as is often the case with these "never before released!" albums, Ace doesn't always live up to the hype.

The album opens very strong with "Hang 'em High." With the harmonica opening and bluesy acoustic slide guitar it's obvious the band is trying to distance themselves from any preconceived notions that Twisted Sister or Iron Maiden might bring. Tormé is an accomplished guitarist (probably the best Snider's ever worked with) and he's got an unusual and interesting metal style that works well in this context. As evidenced by some song titles and the band's name, there's a definite western influence here, but don't be fooled, this is most definitely a straight-up metal album.

The seven minute-long track "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" finds the band delivering their best performance on the album. The mid-tempo groove allows the band to settle in and serve up the kind of epic rock song that all but disappeared once the boys from Seattle hit the scene. Snider reaches deep on this one and manages to belt out an impressive vocal track that's better than almost anything he's recorded before or since.

Unfortunately this album is front-loaded more than any album I've heard in a while. The first six tracks range from good ("Calling For You", "Gone Bad") to excellent ("See You At Sunrise", "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter"), while the last five bring to mind milk turning bad... and turning quickly.

Tracks like "Made For Trouble" and "Son of a Gun" seem to be going for more of an upbeat metal feel, but they just don't work well. The songs are well played, but the lyrics are insipid and there's no immediacy or feeling behind them. "Ride Thru The Storm" has some good moments, but it just doesn't fulfill its true potential. By the time you reach the gloriously stupid album closer "Emaheevull" (Am I evil... Get it?), you'll be wishing you turned the album off 25 minutes earlier.

Despite the drastic shift in quality towards the end, Ace is still a pretty good album, and will probably be well received by any Dee Snider fan. It's a shame that Desperado didn't last very long as they were certainly talented guys that deserved better treatment than they got from the label. It certainly would have been interesting to hear more from the group. Ace isn't the "greatest album you've never heard" but it's certainly a pretty decent one.


Edited by SMF Cyndi 2006-09-19 8:04 PM


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