Artist: Various Artists
Title: “Metal Mania: Stripped Across America”
Label: Sidewinder Records
Release Date: 2/21/2006
Genre: Hard Rock
Rating: 2.5/5
Filmed at both the record release party as well as during the actual tour comes the “Metal Mania: Stripped Across America” DVD. The idea was a pretty good one, and played off the once popular MTV Unplugged idea by taking a number of classic 80’s performers and putting them on tour together. The tour featured such performers as Kip Winger, Great White, Slaughter and Stephen Pearcy (former Ratt) among several others and each musician would play acoustic versions of their hits. I was sad to not attend this tour when it came through town but one cannot hit every show which makes this DVD of some interest to people who had the same thing happen to them. Yet as I looked to it and hoped to find a comprehensive document of the performances, I admit that I felt let down by only finding a single DVD and one that ran a mere 12 songs. The DVD medium is taking over a large amount of ground on the CD and I felt that a lot more could have been included to make this something incredible for the buyer. Most of the performances are top-notch and I have to lend some kudos to Jani Lane, as the former singer of Warrant does a terrific job especially. Lane has had some well-publicized fall-downs and I think the quality of his playing should help him realize that life’s obstacles can be overcome. Slaughter performs their staple track as a full band which to me is not quite stripped but sure sounds good. Winger’s two of their three hits are performed and he does this with no one helping him but his twelve string guitar.
The bonus features are several TV Spots, backstage footage segments but little else to speak of. In-depth interviews from the players on their music and doing this tour would have been interesting to see. This could have been an incredible release had it spanned two DVD’s and included more of the set that each performer did. Instead it serves as but a teaser for the next time around should this happen again next year.
Song Listing:
1. Winger – Madelaine
2. LA Guns – Ballad Of Jayne
3. Alias – More Than Words Can Say
4. Great White – Save Your Love
5. Jani Lane – I Saw Red
6. Slaughter – Fly To The Angels
7. Winger – Seventeen
8. Stephen Pearcy – Back For More
9. Jani Lane – Uncle Tom’s Cabin
10. Firehouse – Don’t Tread Me Bad
11. Jani Lane – Cherry Pie
12. Mike Tramp – When The Children Cry
Official Web site: www.metalmaniastripped.com