By Stephen Kasenda
GREAT WHITE “…Twice Shy” (1989)
The fourth album, "...Twice Shy", strengthened Great White's position by claiming double platinum in 1989 thanks to their huge hits, "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" and the ballad, "The Angel Song", which raced the ladder of Billboard Hot 100 back in the days. Musically, Great White stripped down most of their rocking tracks and introduced a more laid-back release compared to their prior albums, but tracks like "Move It" or "Baby's On Fire" still rolled highly, rocking with style, and Mark Kendall's soulful solos with Russell's roaring vocals were paired perfectly.
"House of Broken Love", a bluesy ballad with such a passionate intro tells the story about a failed relationship from both Kendall and Russell's point of view. The emotion he poured into his singing is just flawless, and this track is definitely one of the best they ever made, but I always have a thing about Great White's ballads - they really know how to make a great one. The Ian Hunter cover, "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", is another hot track for the money. These tracks alone make the album worthwhile. I have to admit that despite the commercial success, this album has too many fillers, including the unnecessary "Heart The Hunter" and "She Only".
"…Twice Shy" isn't really essential since you can find all the great tracks in their greatest hits compilation except for the piano ballad, "The Angel Song". But if you like a relaxing rock and roll show with ballads for the cold and lonely night, this album can be bought cheap easily, so grabbing one won't cost you any harm.
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