Lesser of two evils

Okay this is the last Lesser before I throw the ten losers into a pit and rank them (as if they weren't rank enough) so I can determine the Grand Stinker on Friday. So we have...



Nitro-O.F.R. (1989)


Versus



Vinnie Vincent Invasion-s/t (1986)

Let's have at it then.

Vocals

So we get Jim Gillette of Nitro versus Robert Fleischman for VVI. Jim Gilette is likely the best and worst thing about Nitro. Best because his over the top vocals and insane range are at least interesting however it can be way too much. At times he has a glam voice a little similar to Taime Downe of Faster Pussycat. Then there are times where he hits these high notes that sound like Kind Diamond singing while getting hit in the balls by a hammer. Gillette may be somewhat annoying and over the top, but what he is not is boring and that's largely what Fleischman is. Fleischman can sing, but the range is a little too high to be pleasant and he just never does enough to be either interesting.

Point to Nitro

Guitars

Michael Angelo for Nitro taking on Vinnie Vincent. Now if the guy with the four neck guitar is more subtle in his playing than you know that something is wrong. The guy with the four neck guitar (Angelo) is indeed far more in control of his solos and for the most part has them where they should be. Vincent pulls out solos here, there and everywhere with very little control or sense of style. Yes, he's fast, but he's missing a sense of rhythm in his solos and that is so vital. He really seems to think that quantity is more important that quality and that is just not so.

Point to Nitro

Rhythm section

For Nitro it' s bass player TJ Racer and drummer Bobby Rock versus VVI bassist Dana Strum and drummer...uh, yeah the same Bobby Rock. Since it's the same drummer on both albums there is really no difference. The drum tracks are simple and plain, but alright enough. I rarely hear the bass on either album so...

Tie, no points awarded

(FYI-Bobby Rock was also in Nelson so he obviously had one of the worst track records of any drummer I know of)

Originality/Production
Originality? Well, neither band is doing a whole that needed to be done so that kind of makes that half of the category pretty worthless. Production is probably the best part of the VVI album because they obviously spent some money on it and it helps the overall sound some for what it is worth.

Point to Vinnie Vincent Invasion

Who rocks more?

Truthfully it was difficult to stick with these songs long enough to really determine this category too much, but I think that Vinnie Vincent's lack of songwriting skill and addiction to hearing his own solos doomed his band. Nitro's rockin' moments were few and far between, but they were there and there were even a couple of songs that were almost kind of okay in a ridiculous, spandex wearing, glass breaking vocals, big cotton candy hair kind of way.

Point to Nitro

Nitro win it at 3-1-1 in a battle that tested my patience and my eardrums.

So the Grand Stinker will be announced on Friday as I will rank all ten of the losers from the ten Lesser of two evils that I have done.

***Special thanks to Bob Vinyl for loaning me Nitro and recording me VVI so I could do this segment.