The Cassette Chronicles #102 - Badlands - S/T

The Cassette Chronicles takes a look at the self-titled debut album from Badlands this week. You can check it out via this Limelight Magazine.com link.

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by RJhog (Admin) on August 8, 2019 at 2:44pm

Nice article Jay. I really didn’t know anything about the band until a few years ago. I have this one only and will be happy to watch for a good used copy for you. I wouldn’t mind having the other two as well.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Yngve J. Chapleen on August 10, 2019 at 3:14am

Badlands.
Have some memories about this album. It came out at the time when I was one of the contributors to a Show at the local Radio station, called Heavy Metal Rendezvous. From this album, I was pushing "High Wire". Remember the DJ calling me a few days later to ask if I could meet this guy (a listener of the show) and perhaps make him a copy of the song because he was non-stop calling the station. I was always happy to help out my brothers in Heavy Metal, so I did. I bought the LP abroad because it wasn't available back home, so I knew how much he would appreciate the gesture. What surprised me the most is how enthusiastic this fellow was about Badlands. You don't forget those things. Literally, I never saw anyone so happy.

As I moved around the album stayed behind, but once I settled, I did manage to pick up the CDs of their first 2 albums. Since I heard it before, I wasn't in a hurry to listen to it again. I only got around to do so this year. I noticed two things. First, the CD (and the cassette versions) had the Ball And Chain as a bonus track, as opposed to the Vinyl, so I got to add something new to the experience. And two, the album didn't hold up very well for me. I still like it, but High Wire is the only track I put on to my shuffle. I think the excitement of that fan would stay longer in my memory than the songs from this album will.

But, I'm glad you like it. To be clear, not a bad album at all, just overall less guitar driven than how I remember it.

Oh yeah. I was much more impressed by this new singer's voice (Gillen) who I never heard before, than Jake E. Lee's performance.