Quiet Riot - Hollywood Cowboys
by Kevin Wierzbicki
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The lineup for this version of Quiet Riot does not feature any original members but longtime member (since 1982) Frankie Banali is ensconced behind the drum kit while singer James Durbin, who has now left the band, does a great job of leading the band through rockers like the Bon Jovi-ish "In the Blood," the six-minute diversion into the blues that is "Roll On" and the appropriately frenetic "Insanity" which is a showcase for guitarist Alex Grossi. "Don't Call it Love" has a memorable vocal hook and has an underlying theme of facing mortality but it also is clearly aimed at groupies with lines like "Take one more for the road." Durbin sounds like he patterned his vocals on "Hellbender" after those of Ronnie James Dio and undoubtedly Dio would have loved to have sung on the tune. Lots of the melodic rock here, like "Last Outcast," is custom-crafted for a chorus sing-along, and most cuts have a hard enough beat to inspire at least mild head banging. Quiet Riot will never again be the band of Randy Rhoads or Kevin DuBrow but they do continue to evolve and fans from way back should give Hollywood Cowboys a chance; likely they'll be surprised at what they hear.
Quiet Riot - Hollywood Cowboys
