Desperado-Ace, 2006

This is maybe an odd choice for Supergroup week because this album was shelved for a long time, but nonetheless I think this was a Supergroup and one that's worth noting. Desperado was former Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider, former Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr, former Gillan and Ozzy guitarist Bernie Torme and previously unknown bass player Marc Russell. They were signed to Elektra and recorded an album around late 1989 to early 1990. The album was slated for a spring 1990 release, but the date passed and the label choose not to release the album. Bootleg copies made the rounds during the 1990's. However now it's officially been released and we can finally check it out. The album has a western theme present in many of the songs here as well as the band name. I wondered if this was Dee's idea since all of his kids have western type names? Anyway the music is generally medium paced hard rock not far removed from what was going on in 1990, but not completely like anyone I can put my finger on either. Dee Snider is the biggest name and he is in good form. I have been a Twisted Sister fan since 1984 so I like his distinctive vocals. He is strong here and actually shows more range than I thought he had in him. I think it has to do with having a better band behind him here than in Twisted Sister. Clive Burr and Marc Russell make a solid rhythm section. Although Snider and Burr were the selling points for me it's likely Bernie Torme who is the real star of this album. With his subtle yet fluid style he lays down the backdrop for these songs. Also in 1990 most new acts were copying someone and I am not sure that Torme falls into that trap. He has his own style and is very comfortable with it. He is also a strong song writer and he actually had his own band in the 1970's and again in the 1980's. My only real complaint might be that the best songs are toward the beginning so it does give the album a little bit of an uneven feel. I certainly would have bought this had it been released in 1990 and I would played it quite a bit. So I don't know why this wasn't released because this style of music was still big. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that it had been a while since anyone in the band had done a big album. Probably we will never know for sure the reason why it was shelved. Dee Snider has redone some of these songs with later projects. However if you have read any interviews done with Dee Snider in the last say ten years then you know how highly he thought of this material. I don't blame him because it's a good album.

**Supergroup will wrap up with a review of Blue Murder's debut and one other short topic if I can get to it.