Warrant: Under The Influence
Label: Downboys Records / Perris
Rating: 

Tracks:
1. Toys In The Attic (Aerosmith)
2. Hollywood (Thin Lizzy)
3. Dead, Jail, or Rock N Roll (Michael Monroe)
4. Hair Of The Dog (Nazareth)
5. Tie Your Mother Down (Queen)
6. Suffragette City (David Bowie)
7. Surrender (Cheap Trick)
8. Down Payment Blues (AC/DC)
9. Come And Get It (Badfinger)
10. Sub Human (New Track)
11. Face (New Track)

Whenever a band suddenly emerges with a cover CD right before a big summer tour, you KNOW they're just tossing something out to make a buck. With that said, I expected this CD to be terrible. Surprisingly, the packaging is quite nice, and it is well produced all around. "Under The Influence" may have just been created just to sell on the Glam Slam Metal Jam tour, but Warrant did make a CD their fans will actually like. Lead singer Jani Lane might not look like the "sex symbol" he was in the late 80's, but he still sounds pretty dang good. 

Not being a Warrant fan, it was easy for me to get into this CD, as several songs are recognizable and pretty true to the original. Some of the cover choices are predictable but enjoyable ("Hair of the Dog" and "Sufferagette City"), and they get bonus points for covering Badfinger, Cheap Trick, and Queen. They let guitarist Billy Morris sing on a track, and they really shouldn't have (AC/DC's "Down Payment Blues"). The Michael Monroe cover also seems out of place, as the rest of their selections are late 70's songs.

Warrant did make a smart move by including two new songs, as well. "Sub Human" sounds cool, but also like a Bush rip-off. "Face" is also quite enjoyable, it's a good rock song with a great acoustic riff. Jani at least shows he can still sing and write good songs. This CD is pretty good for what it is, but their fans will surely be disappointed that this CD only has two original tracks.

(Note: This CD actually is not available on the tour. To order, you must go through their website at warrantweb.net or through an online retailer.)
 

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