The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time 1955 to 2005: Number 766

Number 766

Twisted Sister

"We're Not Gonna Take It"

(1984)

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Genre:Hard Rock

*Shock Gasp Batman!* Its Mummy (Mommy) in drag! AAAARRGGGHHHHHHHHHH ! Ok its a slight exaggeration, but frag me if they didn't shock the world in 1984 looking like extra's out of a Madmax film.

"A product of New Yorker City's early-'70s glam rock scene, Twisted Sister were eager students of the New York Dolls, with the theatrics of Kiss and the shock rock of Alice Cooper thrown in for good measure. While providing an excellent role model from an artistic standpoint, the Dolls' disappointing record sales and subsequent implosion would make it difficult for such faithful disciples as Twisted Sister to land a record deal, and the band wound up struggling for nearly a decade before finally getting their big break in the early '80s. Unfortunately, when this break finally came, the band would then embody one of the most gruesome examples of record company overexposure in the history of rock & roll (or at least since Kiss

' late-'70s decline), bringing an abrupt end to their brief moment of glory.

Of course the backlash, when it came, was equally sudden and incredibly vicious. Overexposed to the breaking point after converting every angry teenager in America and most of their parents, Twisted Sister had lost the edge of their dangerous image, not to mention the respect of their loyal but terribly possessive core metal fan base. To complicate matters, 1985's Come Out and Play album was very uneven; attempting to cater to both the band's hardcore elements and their newfound pop constituency and introducing an excessively glammed-up image makeover to boot, it quickly slid off the charts. Not even Atlantic Records' timely reissue of Under the Blade (with an added bonus track, "I'll Never Grow Up Now!") could staunch the bleeding, and a dumbfounded Twisted Sister found themselves quickly transformed from media darlings to favorite whipping boys. For his part, Snider remained in the camera eye, however, appearing before a Senate committee later that year (along with such rock & roll luminaries as Frank Zappa and Bob Denver) to testify against the Parents Music Resource Center's demands for music censorship legislation. Sadly, it would prove to be Twisted Sister's highest profile appearance all year, as their concerts were frequently marred either by low attendance or crowd animosity. Adding insult to injury, drummer Pero had rendered his resignation at tour's end, opening the door to a very troubled 1986 for Twisted Sister, as rumors ran rampant about an irreparable rift between Snider and French over the band's direction. They eventually re-emerged with 1987's Love Is for Suckers, featuring new drummer Joey "Seven" Franco, but not even the services of flavor-of-the-month pop-metal producer Beau Hill could save the album from disappointing sales, and despite still getting by on the basis of their reliably fierce concert performances, Twisted Sister wound up disintegrating shortly thereafter.

What does Rolling Stone Magazine think about Twisted Sister?.....

"A sinister pervert in clown make-up first reunited them in a storybook tale of murder, mayhem and rock & roll. Now, nearly a year after reforming for the soundtrack to frontman Dee Snider's horror film, Strangeland, Twister Sister are back with a vengeance. Though the glam-rock quintet has no plans to record together again, they are clearing their calendars this summer for the first national Twisted Sister tour in more than a decade. Concert booker Dave Kirby of the Agency Group says Twisted Sister hope to create or join a package tour with other nostalgic fist thumpers -- perhaps the recently reformed Iron Maiden, who also plan to do an arena tour in the near future. Though details of the road jaunt remain tentative, Snider told Rolling Stone Online in an interview last year that the band will insist on a "full KISS-style return, not like Motley Crue" if they ever decided to revisit the past. One way or another, Twisted Sister -- song/screenwriting frontman Snider, guitarists J.J. French and Eddie Ojeda, bassist Mark Mendoza and drummer A.J. Pero -- will dig out their baby blue eyeshadow and feel the noise again on an undisclosed date this summer. Stay tuned and hungry for more details . . .