Lost/Forgotten Album #278

[Jon]

The seventh album in the series I thought up all by myself ( and scheduled to go on for many, many weeks unless I get bored with it) is the 1989 release from Kingdom Come, "In Your Face".

This is the followup to the Platinum selling, self-titled debut released in 1988. However, due to SOMETHING, this only reached #49 on the US charts and is not certified.

Maybe a lot of people thought the album title was offensive. It's like they were taking on all the critics of the first album and decided to go on with what they were doing. Kind of like slapping them in the face, with words.

Maybe, just maybe, a lot of people thought they were ripping off Led Zeppelin with their first album. Maybe they were called "Kingdom Clone" and this album title was a response to that. That just seems so far-fetched though. 

Maybe there's something more with the album cover that I'm missing. I'll have to study it to see what that possible missing part might be.

Compared to the first album, there's less of a Zep vibe. Personally, I find it to be a nice rocking effort. Hell, I even like the first album. It's a shame that a lot of people wrote off this band so quickly, they're missing a really good album here. Until now. 

This isn't complete without an allmusic.com review:

This follow-up to Kingdom Come's commercially successful but critically abused debut was a surprising failure, shocking even to those most disgusted by the band's perceived plagiarism of Led Zeppelin. In one of hard rock's most intense backlashes, Kingdom Come redefined the term "one hit wonder" before In Your Face even hit record store shelves, sealing the record's fate. Stuffed with mid-tempo AOR anthems like "Gotta Go (Can't Wage a War)," "Just Like a Wild Rose," and others, this 1989 release has all the commercial rock trappings of the times, plus a few direct Zep knockoffs like "Perfect 'O'." During the late '80s, there must have been dozens, if not hundreds of hard rock releases that were inferior to, and better received than, In Your Face. But the bile reserved for this sophomore effort suggests that it is better to be directionless that patently derivative when it come to making rock & roll.

In Your Face

1. Do You Like It
2. Who Do You Love
3. The Wind
4. Gotta Go (Can't Wage A War)
5. Highway 6
6. Perfect O
7. Just Like A Wild Rose
8. Overrated
9. Mean Dirty Joe
10. Stargazer

Availability: Used runs around $6. 

[Scott]

A true one hit wonder!  Fun choice...  I've never owned anything from the band and do remember their debut album somewhat from a friend of mine and the posting on here from sometime back. Cant say I recall my feelings about their debut album.  This album?  nada...

I did like the opening riff a good bit.  Maybe they are making an effort to not be a Zep knock-off?  With the exception of his vocals I don't hear it...  But even the vocal comparison are only bits and pieces (Just Like a Wild Rose for example).  The guitars great the song writing is pretty decent at least up front considering the time of release. Highway 6 is great stuff!  I miss extended soloing!!!

I know nothing about why this band was so hated and why their careers were seemingly stopped right here.  This album is actually well written, well played, and sound pretty good.  The guitar work is most interesting though.  Nice post!!

[Scott]

[Jon]

Mic............fumble?

[Scott]

I'm obsessed with mic drop gifs now...  thanks!

[Jon]

Then my job here is done..........

[RJhog (Admin)]

I have the debut, but I've never owned nor heard this album.

The opener is quite nice.  Wolfe sounds like he was in great voice.  I see that The Wind is the first song to slow the pace to a drag.  The first album was one that I remember liking when it came out.  But I listened to it a year or two ago and it seems like it just dragged and dragged.  So that's why I noticed this song.  

But they really get right back on track with Gotta Go (Can't Wage A War).  The song is really cool and I love the lyric "They can't wage a war if nobody shows up".  Highway 6 didn't appeal at all when the song started.  However, once it kicked in and got going, I really warmed up to it.

The rest is pretty good, nothing really great but nothing really bad either.  Like I said earlier, I remember liking the debut way back when, but I think this album might be a slight bit better overall.  Nice pick.