Twisted Sister - Come Out and Play [Germany Bonus Track]

Twisted Sister was left in a strange position after the massive breakthrough success of the band's 1984 album, Stay Hungry. While the album contained more of a pop edge than the group's more raw preceding albums (Under The Blade and You Can't Stop Rock & Roll), the heavy metal masses worldwide -- as well as the lucrative MTV/pop audience -- still embraced the album. So for its follow-up, Twisted Sister was faced with a question: Should it continue in a more pop-oriented direction or return to its early heavy metalNULL The resulting album, 1985's Come Out & Play, proved that the answer was a little bit of both. Behind the boards was Scorpions/Accept producer Dieter Dierks, and the compositions alternated among tracks that were ambitious (the title track), obviously ready for radio (a cover of "Leader of the Pack," "Be Chrool to Your Scuel"), and custom made for headbangers ("The Fire Still Burns," "Kill or Be Killed"). The aforementioned "Be Chrool to Your Scuel" featured such musical guests as Alice Cooper, Billy Joel, Clarence Clemons, and Brian Setzer; a humorous video was filmed for this track and ultimately banned by MTV. And although the album was certified gold shortly after its release, it soon slid from sight -- eventually leading to Twisted Sister's demise a few years later. [Like the 1999 reissue by Spitfire, the German reissue also includes the bonus track "King of the Fools."] ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide