Lost/Forgotten Album #210

[Jon]

"The Cage", the 1982 release from Tygers Of Pan Tang, holds a special place in my cold, dark heart because it's the first Tyger's album I ever bought. Way back then, I thought this album was fantastic and played it over and over again.

A year or so later, I bought "Spellbound" and "Crazy Nights" which both came out before this and noticed that while those were hard rock/metal albums, this one was mostly pop-metal. Still, this didn't bother me too much, it was and still is a fun listen.

Nowadays the difference between this album and their previous albums is REALLY noticeable. I still like this album but it would be ranked below their second and third album (haven't heard their first, "Wild Cat" in years so I won't count that) as well as their last two albums.

For those that like 80's pop-metal, this will be right up your alley. While listening to this, try to think of other albums and/or bands that were pop-metal in 1982 or even earlier. List them below and we can have a spirited debate. Or, maybe this was the first ever pop-metal album?    

And now, a rather mean-spirited review from allmusic.com:

"Despite an incredibly promising start two years earlier, the Tygers of Pan Tang were experiencing an irreversible career slide by 1982. Their third effort, Crazy Nights, had been rushed and then largely abandoned by their record company, and hot shot guitarist John Sykes had left them in a lurch when he split abruptly to join Thin Lizzy. His clearly less talented and more commercially-inclined replacement Fred Purser (along with their management and label) helped push the band even further away from their metallic roots, resulting in the severely disappointing The Cage. Absolutely nothing is salvageable from the album's terrible first half, which is loaded with unbearably cliched rockers, like "Rendezvous," "Letter From L.A.," and "Lonely at the Top," and is bogged down by superfluous synthesizer backdrops and embarrassingly cheesy gang vocal harmonies and choruses. Best known for his work with Rush, producer Peter Collins' over-wrought style adds a certain flair, but detracts just as much spontaneity from promising tracks like "Tides" and "Danger in Paradise." Classy first single "Paris By Air" succeeds despite its terribly pretentious lyrics, but the same can't be said for the cringe-inducing "The Actor," whose absurd dramatics manage to spoil its beautiful piano intro. The album's only outstanding track has to be a spirited version of the Leiber & Stoller standard "Love Potion Number 9," which features a solo recorded by Sykes (surprise) prior to his departure and almost makes it all worthwhile in a mere two minutes of utter perfection. Sadly, the Tygers would be dropped by their management soon after releasing this blunder, and break up a short time later."

NOTE: 100% collusion free! All facts are from jonsmindopedia, unless otherwise noted.  

The Cage

1. Rendezvous
2. Lonely At The Top
3. Letter From L.A.
4. Paris By Air
5. Tides
6. Making Tracks
7. The Cage
8. Love Potion Number 9
9. You Always See What You Want To See
10. Danger In Paradise
11. The Actor

Availability: OOP, a used copy starts around $24.

[Niels (Mod)]

Your first, and my last Tygers-album.

I was dissapointed in this one, not that I was a fan of "Spellbound" or "Crazy Nights", but this was kind of the last chance, I would give this band, and IMO this album is the weakest of those 3. and as you say: This is Pop-Metal, whereas the other 2 are HM. The singer might be the weakest link. Was Sykes still in, at this moment in time?

The first Pop-Metal album? Nah. Wasn't that a KISS-album  

 

[Jon]

No Kiss!

Sykes was the soloist on "Love Potion Number 9" and that was it, Robb Weir was now the group's geetarist™.

Their last two albums, "Animal Instinct" and "Ambush" are really good albums.

[Scott]

Sweet!!! NWOBHM, just like Priest!!

[Jon]

[Scott]

This is ... uh ....  well ...  Im really trying to find some thing good to say, but...  its ...  really  ... hard.

I thought I really liked the geetar work on the first track, not that it was special but the beat was good, and the backing riff was kind of nice, but it ultimately falls down, flat...  And though I tried to listen close, it was Love Potion #9  that took all the wind out of the sails.  This was just not good ... well....  at all

No offense though, one of the thoughts I had that actually scared me, was that if this was 1982 again, I would actually think different and pick at this, but then there's that Love Potion #9 song again and then I think, even in 1982 I would have thought this was crap.

[Jon]

It really isn't a good album, but I still like it due to that "bring back memories" thing. I have another Tyger's album coming so this might drop even further down my list. The two albums that followed this one supposedly REALLY sucked, one day I'll pick those up and see why.

[Gordon Williams]

I cant get into this too much, honestly. Very "pop-ish" indeed.

I do think that it is cool that both Jon and RJHog will still post albums that they personally dont like that much. With music being such a subjective thing, others may really like what they dont. I dont know that I would do that personally...post an album I dont like...but it is cool to do this and see what others think.

[RJhog (Admin)]

I've never listened to Tygers Of Poontang until today.  I was expecting something really heavy.  This is not it.  However, I thought the first five songs were pretty good.  I didn't have a problem with it at all until that sixth track.  From there it went downhill pretty quick.  The production isn't great and the vocalist isn't the best, but those first five tracks are pretty good pop tunes.

[Jon]

Say what?

http://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/forum/topics/lost-forgotten-alb...

http://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/forum/topics/nmc-98-tygers-of-p...