helterskelter.ca

CINDERELLA
1986 - Night Songs.
1988 - Long Cold Winter.
way more Helter Skelter.

June 9, 1986 - 2021: 35 years of: Night Songs.

Late night overdrive.

Another 80s hardrock hit-machine from the East-Coast, here to dominate MTV and all those rock-magazine covers. No not BON JOVI, not POISON either ...but the midnight magic of CINDERELLA.

The moody opener, the misty "Night Songs" with it's BLACK SABBATH doom-heavymetal riffing is sure to please most head-bangers. The immediate iconic hard-hitter "Shake Me" did shake the rock-foundation with it's instant hook and fist-pumping action.

More meat and potatoes hardrock is found on the pounding "Once Around The Ride" and "Somebody Save Me". The obligatory power-ballad "Nobody's Fool" displays another soulful voice, courtesy of band-leader and main-writer Tom Keifer. And some southern-vibes are present on "In From The Outside", a signature that will fully mature on the following 1988 Long Cold Winter LP.

Don't let their glamorous looks fool you. Simple and effective hard-rocknroll drenched in blues fret-work. The RIAA-certified 3x Platinum monster is now an intrinsic part of the hardrock explosion of the decadent decade.

"I need a shot of gasoline !"

*
Shake Me = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptPekKOigkQ
Noboby's fool = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCOrtJMQmVs
Somebody Save Me = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUkqBRC1zUA
Night Songs = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmfrYyEdeUU&list=PL_PZZm2fi_Vp5K4eORNsM_o9_4sPHKH7H
Interview at MuchMusic in 1986
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8w4_JNCxWk
Live in Montreal in 1986
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgoOhBXbCK0

July 5, 1988 - 2023: 35 years of: Long Cold Winter.

The fairytales continues.

Following 1986's Night Songs LP, the sweet serenades would take an after-dark turn deep into bar-blues territory. At the height of the L.A. hardrock movement, the magic and mayhem of CINDERELLA was spoon-fed by the MTV-machine.

The vibe is set to Delta, as "Bad Seamstress Blues + Fallin' Apart At The Seams" slides into motion. Building on raw-rock, the party gets hotter on "Fire And Ice" and the mega 80s cross-road: "Gypsy Road". Metal-guitars rocks the house on both "Second Wind" and "If You Don't Like It" ...and one for the highway to hell, as "The Last Mile" reeks AC/DC tricks.

Signing off is the 5:55sec totemistic powerballad "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" staple. Truly the Mother of epic piano-ventures, in this post "Bohemian Rhapsody" hysteric era. The matching video takes us on mountain tops, forgotten rivers and sunseted lakes, filmed with marvelous helicopter shots. One of the most heartfelt, one of the best.

Southerner and serious, Long Cold Winter is not a glam LP ...but an enjoyable mature power-rock album.

RIAA-certified 3x Platinum, the band was so hot, that they flew around the globe, along Ozzy, SKID ROW, MOTLEY, SCORPIONS and BON JOVI, in order to perform at the Moscow Music Peace Festival. 1989's hair-fluffin' hardrock ala-Woodstock mecca.

Back home, the band would later push push more grassrootsrock, 1990's Heartbreak Station CD.

RIP Jeff LaBar (1963-2021)

*
Gypsy Road = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j7E7pvLxmI
Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone) = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i28UEoLXVFQ
Coming Home = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-qG6o5N7oQ
The Last Mile = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbz5WUqWZfg
Long Cold Winter = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x582onabzLc&list=OLAK5uy_nyXz9IFp2tO3Ekp8v-qIvA9bKX0uhxgK0
Interview in 1988
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La2B2lwviik
Live in Florida in 1988
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EXQfOIpOCM
Live at the Moscow Music Peace Festival in 1989
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49ibI3cczWw