Dog Eat Dog (Warrant album)
Encyclopedia
Dog Eat Dog was the third music album by American glam metal
band Warrant
. It was released on August 25, 1992 on the Columbia label of Sony Music. The album peaked at number 25 on The Billboard 200.
The album achieved "gold" status in the United States, but was significantly less successful in a commercial sense than the band's first two albums. It is, nonetheless, regarded by most critics as Warrant's strongest record, and a favorite among many devoted fans. The tone and style of the album could be said to be the last stage of the glam metal
style during the 80s. It is also the last album to feature all five original members.
, Dog Eat Dog exhibited a heavier and darker sound than that found on the first two Warrant records. Parts of the record are ambitious and experimental, blending Hard Rock, progressive metal
and alternative rock
elements. The album was, above all, a showcase for the songwriting talents of vocalist Jani Lane
.
in February 1992. Overdubs were recorded at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida
, in March 1992. The record was mixed in at Scream Studios in Studio City, California in April 1992 with producer Michael Wagener.
Apparently conscious of the widely circulated rumour that Joey Allen
and Erik Turner
had not played on the first two Warrant records, the band had Wagener include a statement in the liner notes that "no artist, except those listed, performed on this album in any capacity whatsoever". In this context, it is interesting that guitarist Rick Steier
, formerly of Kingdom Come
, apparently joined the band two and a half years after the recording of the album. Jani Lane wrote in the liner notes: "This album is dedicated to Joey Allen, one of the most under-rated guitarists in rock today."
Shortly after the release of the album, Lane discovered that a large framed poster of Warrant had been removed from the foyer in Columbia Records in Los Angeles and had been replaced by a poster of Seattle band Alice in Chains
. It was at this moment, according to Lane, that he realised that "the proverbial writing [was] on the wall" for the band. In the absence of support from the band's label, radio and MTV, and without a major tour to support the record, sales of the album were sluggish.
("Hole in My Wall"), Orwell
style ("April 2031"), homicidal psychopathy
("Andy Warhol Was Right"), drug addiction ("All My Bridges Are Burning"), materialism ("Hollywood (So Far, So Good)"), and lost relationships ("Bitter Pill", "Let It Rain").
The song "Bitter Pill" features an operatic interlude, performed in German by the "Moron Fish & Tackle Choir". The makeshift "Choir" consisted of security guards, engineers, janitors, and others who had been available at or near the recording studio.
"Sad Theresa" had previously been recorded by Jani Lane and Steven Sweet
's old band Plain Jane.
.
band Dog Eat Dog
named their debut album Warrant in a joking 'retaliation' for the title of this album.
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
band Warrant
Warrant (American band)
Warrant is an American heavy metal band from Hollywood, California, that experienced success from 1989-1996 with five albums reaching international sales of over 10 million. The band first came into the national spotlight with their debut album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, and one of its...
. It was released on August 25, 1992 on the Columbia label of Sony Music. The album peaked at number 25 on The Billboard 200.
The album achieved "gold" status in the United States, but was significantly less successful in a commercial sense than the band's first two albums. It is, nonetheless, regarded by most critics as Warrant's strongest record, and a favorite among many devoted fans. The tone and style of the album could be said to be the last stage of the glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
style during the 80s. It is also the last album to feature all five original members.
Musical style
While not a fundamental departure from the band's brand of melodic heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, Dog Eat Dog exhibited a heavier and darker sound than that found on the first two Warrant records. Parts of the record are ambitious and experimental, blending Hard Rock, progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
and alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
elements. The album was, above all, a showcase for the songwriting talents of vocalist Jani Lane
Jani Lane
Jani Lane , born John Kennedy Oswald, later changed to John Patrick Oswald, was an American recording artist and the lead vocalist, frontman, lyricist and main songwriter for the hard rock band Warrant....
.
Production and marketing
Warrant began recording bass and drums for Dog Eat Dog in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in February 1992. Overdubs were recorded at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, in March 1992. The record was mixed in at Scream Studios in Studio City, California in April 1992 with producer Michael Wagener.
Apparently conscious of the widely circulated rumour that Joey Allen
Joey Allen
Joey Allen is best known as the lead guitarist from the American glam metal band Warrant.Allen was born as Joseph Alan Cagle on June 23, 1964 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, but grew up in Irvine, California. His father is a retired electronics executive, while his mother worked for the Irvine Unified...
and Erik Turner
Erik Turner
Erik Turner is best known as the rhythm guitarist in American glam metal band Warrant. Turner co-founded Warrant in Los Angeles, California in July 1984 with bassist Jerry Dixon....
had not played on the first two Warrant records, the band had Wagener include a statement in the liner notes that "no artist, except those listed, performed on this album in any capacity whatsoever". In this context, it is interesting that guitarist Rick Steier
Rick Steier
Rick Steier is a guitarist who has played in the bands Warrant, Kingdom Come, Wild Horses, and KrunK/Kottak...
, formerly of Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (band)
Kingdom Come is a hard rock band fronted by Hamburg-born vocalist Lenny Wolf. The group's first album, Kingdom Come was that band's only international hit. It currently consists of an entirely German line-up.-History:...
, apparently joined the band two and a half years after the recording of the album. Jani Lane wrote in the liner notes: "This album is dedicated to Joey Allen, one of the most under-rated guitarists in rock today."
Shortly after the release of the album, Lane discovered that a large framed poster of Warrant had been removed from the foyer in Columbia Records in Los Angeles and had been replaced by a poster of Seattle band Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
. It was at this moment, according to Lane, that he realised that "the proverbial writing [was] on the wall" for the band. In the absence of support from the band's label, radio and MTV, and without a major tour to support the record, sales of the album were sluggish.
Songs
The album's themes include sex ("Machine Gun", "Bonfire"), voyeurismVoyeurism
In clinical psychology, voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other activity usually considered to be of a private nature....
("Hole in My Wall"), Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
style ("April 2031"), homicidal psychopathy
Psychopathy
Psychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
("Andy Warhol Was Right"), drug addiction ("All My Bridges Are Burning"), materialism ("Hollywood (So Far, So Good)"), and lost relationships ("Bitter Pill", "Let It Rain").
The song "Bitter Pill" features an operatic interlude, performed in German by the "Moron Fish & Tackle Choir". The makeshift "Choir" consisted of security guards, engineers, janitors, and others who had been available at or near the recording studio.
"Sad Theresa" had previously been recorded by Jani Lane and Steven Sweet
Steven Sweet
Steven Sweet is a Los Angeles-based drummer who is most famous for being a member of Warrant.-Personal information:...
's old band Plain Jane.
Track listing
All tracks by Jani LaneJani Lane
Jani Lane , born John Kennedy Oswald, later changed to John Patrick Oswald, was an American recording artist and the lead vocalist, frontman, lyricist and main songwriter for the hard rock band Warrant....
.
- "Machine Gun" - 3:45
- "Hole in My Wall" - 3:30
- "April 2031" - 5:05
- "Andy Warhol Was Right" - 3:37
- "Bonfire" - 4:21
- "The Bitter Pill" - 4:07
- "Hollywood (So Far, So Good)" - 3:47
- "All My Bridges Are Burning" - 3:37
- "Quicksand" - 3:58
- "Let It Rain" - 4:16
- "Inside Out" - 3:40
- "Sad Theresa" - 3:25
- "Lincolns, Mercurys and Fords" (Japan bonus track)
Legacy
Hardcore punkHardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band Dog Eat Dog
Dog Eat Dog (band)
Dog Eat Dog, an American band originally from Bergen County, New Jersey, began in 1990 as part of the hardcore music scenes of New York City and New Jersey. With members now scattered through New Jersey, Washington D.C. and Europe, the band now refers to themselves as being based out all three areas...
named their debut album Warrant in a joking 'retaliation' for the title of this album.