Twisted Sister-You can't stop rock and roll, 1983

Like most people, I didn't get into this band until Stay Hungry came out in 1984. I did draw Twisted Sister logos on my books and I did wear a Twisted Sister pin on my uniform, er, my shirt actually. Anyway, Twisted Sister spent quite a number of years slugging away in clubs in New York before finally getting signed in 1982 by a British label called Secret records. The label released their debut lp "Under the blade" in 82. Unfortunately for the band, Secret records folded shortly thereafter. Somewhere around this point the band had an appearance on a UK show called the Tube and this performance led to them being signed by Atlantic records. So "You can't stop rock and roll" was their first album for Atlantic. They were known for their outrageous costumes and over the top stage performance, but would they be able to transfer that energy to their first major label recording? These guys were never great musicians, but at their best they charged straight ahead with a lot of attitude and enthusiasm. That's exactly what they brought to this record. They also sound like they had a bit of a chip on their shoulder as well with a few songs about betrayal and not putting up with crap from others. These songs were no doubt inspired by their struggles on the club scene and trying to get signed. I always felt Twisted Sister had far more spirit than some other bands of the day like Ratt and Quiet Riot and maybe even Motley Crue at times. Their spirit shines through on this release as it's not quite as good as Stay Hungry, but certainly solid. There are quite a few anthems here and probably some topics that most teenagers can relate to. Favorite songs include the title track, Like a knife in the back, We're gonna make it and Ride to live, live to ride.