ERIC
STEEL
Eric Steel - Infectious (Passport)
1988
1. "Forever Yours" (3:44)
2. "Since You've Been Gone" (3:42)
3. "Wanted Man" (3:10)
4. "Somewhere Sometime" (4:00)
5. "Rescue Me" (4:24)
6. "Wishign Well" (3:21)
7. "In Cold Blood" (2:57)
8. "When the Lights Go Out" (3:40)
9. "After Midnight" (4:20)
The cover art on this particular CD is so hilarious, it almost makes it hard to listen to this CD with a straight face. I realize this was the look in the 80's, but while it may have worked for bands like Twisted Sister and Quiet Riot, it really didn't work for these guys. Despite the cover photo and the band's metallic, albeit corny sounding name, "Infectious" is not heavy metal. What we have here is lightweight hard rock that is of the same caliber as some of the harder rocking Loverboy songs, or possibly even Kiss at times. The production leaves a bit to be desired. "Infectious" is not a great CD but it isn't terrible either. Actually I'd rather listen to the hard rock fluff here than much of what is on the radio today.
Eric Steel - Back For More (Leviathan Records) 1992
1. 911 (2:50)
2. Something For Nothing (3:20)
3. Low Down (6:07)
4. Crazy Lady (4:10)
5. Stray Cat Blues (4:49)
6. Back For More (4:23)
7. Meant To Be (4:07)
8. Martial Law (2:59)
9. Insert Gently (3:45)
I must confess right off the bat that I was less than enthusiastic about "Infectious". Because of that, my expectations for "Back for More" weren't very high. First of all, the album cover art is still ultra-cheesy. As well, the title "Back for More" gives the impression that this album is just going to be more of the same mundane rock. Imagine my surprise when I finally gave this album a chance and found myself enjoying it. "Back for More" is rawer and harder rocking than "Infectious".
"911" starts off the album and is an up-tempo rocker with a meaty heavy metal riff and raw, gritty vocals. The overall vibe is sort of like a marriage of early Van Halen and Montrose. The song is followed-up by a meaty mid-paced rocker, whereas "Low Down" is a dirty, blue-based hard rock song that has a slight Southern Rock vibe, not unlike Blackfoot. In spite of the title, "Stray Cat Blues" isn't a blues song at all, but is another straight-ahead 80's rocker. The title track is another up-tempo rocker with a similar vibe to "911". "Meant to Be" is the most melodic number on the album, bordering on being a ballad, but has a greasy, heavy guitar sound.
Despite my enthusiasm I am in no way saying that "Back for More" is a mind-blowing, life-altering album. However, for a straight-forward, blue-collar, hard rock album, it's pretty darned enjoyable.