By Stephen Kasenda
WILDSIDE “Under The Influence” (1992)
Another sensational band that came very late to the scene, unlucky to be shuffled out of business. They thought they could try to ride the wave with a grungy sophomore release (which no one actually gives a damn about it), but their debut “Under The Influence” is widely regarded as one of the most underrated gems in glam rock history.
Singer Drew Hannah reminds me of early Vince Neil with a slight Stephen Pearcy or even Axl Rose touch, and though he's retired from this business and focusing on the porn industry, he's remembered by the fans as the gifted kid with a superb voice. Dokken, Motley Crue, and Skid Row are probably the closest comparison of Wildside's music, and try cranking out "Hang On Lucy" as loud as you can - the youthful era of Crue's riffs are obvious on the arrangement, a truly magnificent track to open the album.
"Lad In Sin" is a sleaze beauty, "Hair of The Dog" is like a lost GNR track from the height of the 80s, "Heart-n-Soul" and "Clock Strikes" are brilliant midtempo tunes, "Kiss This Love Goodbye" is the best power ballad of the album, but the other songs such as "Just Another Night" and "Looks Like Love" are actually great as well. In fact, all the songs here are enjoyable but I must admit 2-3 songs are slightly weaker than the rest.
I remember hunting this disc down for several years with no luck, but eventually the lucky day came when I snatched a Japanese copy for a reasonable price. Well, my point is if your lucky day arrives, don't hesitate - it really doesn't come every day. Great fun disc and highly recommended for fans of latter-day glam metal!
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