Rock 'N' Roll Party--The Complete Atco Recordings

Description

It really was a rock 'n' roll party any time this Florida band came to town! Formed from the ashes (whiskers?) of Babyface, this five-piece led by guitarist Bobby Barth signed with MCA in the late '70s for two albums, but really put the pedal to the metal when they brought in Wayne Haner as bassist and inked with Atco in 1981. In fact, the two albums they recorded for the label, Offering and Nemesis, offered good-time boogie metal and biker rock years before folks like Sammy Hagar and Motley Crüe rode the formula to platinum success and excess; throw in a little Southern rock (Barth went on to join Blackfoot) and a chunk of keyboard cheese and you had a greasy recipe tailor-made for heartland success. Unfortunately, Axe also became known for a true rock 'n' roll tragedy; guitarist Mike Osborne was killed in a car accident that also seriously injured Barth, and the band broke up soon after. But at their peak, Axe offered a uniquely American answer to period Brit-rockers like Judas Priest and Motörhead with melody to burn. This new collection offers every note Axe recorded for Atco, including the two albums plus a bonus track, "Midnight," not to mention classic tunes like "Rock 'N' Roll Party in the Streets," "Girls, Girls, Girls," and "Heat in the Street.". Scott Schinder's essay puts Axe in its proper place in the American metal pantheon. Get out your air guitar, er, axe!