King Kobra Thrill of a Lifetime (remastered 2017)
Thrill of a Lifetime
Everything that King Kobra did right on their debut, they did wrong on their follow-up, at least for the first half of the record. Capitol Records pressured them for a more radio-friendly sound, claiming the debut was too heavy. Carmine Appice and the band acquiesced to the label's demands and delivered Thrill of a Lifetime in 1986, an album half-filled with lackluster, synthesizer-heavy pop rock songs.
The first five songs, including the Russ Ballard-penned "Dream On," are easily skippable. Even the theme song for the awesome Iron Eagle movie, if divorced from the movie, is a ho-hum AOR affair. The song is good when considered alongside other movie anthems of the 1980s, but when measured up against King Kobra's own material, especially the first album, it falls short. Of course, the label decided to release "Dream On" and "Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)" as singles.
Guitarist David Michael-Philips revealed that eighty percent of the record was recorded using drum machines, despite Appice's reputation "as one of the best drummers in the world." Appice was only "fully involved" on three songs: "Raise Your Hands to Rock," "Party Animal," and "This Raging Fire," which was only included on the record as it was released in France, and is not included on this remastered version.
"Home Street Home" is an interesting rock/rap hybrid, and is a fun listen, but doesn't hold up very well over the past thirty years. "Overnight Sensation," despite using the drum machine, is more of a rocker and would have fit in well on Ready To Strike. "Raise Your Hands to Rock" and "Party Animal" are also hard rockers that help the album finish strong. A bonus track, "Home Street Home (Street Mix)" is also included, and again is interesting but does not add much to the final product.
The remastered compact disc comes with a 16-page booklet, featuring a 4000-word essay on the recording of the album and the demise of the original King Kobra after Thrill of a Lifetime was released.
1. Second Time Around
2. Dream On
3. Feel the Heat
4. Thrill of a Lifetime
5. Only the Strong Will Survive
6. Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)
7. Home Street Home
8. Overnight Sensation
9. Raise Your Hands to Rock
10. Party Animal
11. Home Street Home (Street Mix) [bonus track]
Purchase King Kobra's Thrill of a Lifetime Collector's Edition Remastered & Reloaded.
Posted in music, reviews
Tags: hair metal, hard rock, King Kobra, Rock Candy Records, Thrill of a Lifetime