Warrant - Warrant Live 1986-1997

The Down Boy's Live

Warrant are a group who has 3 sets of fan's. The first are the fan's who first started with them and don't like the grundge/alternative direction they took after the 4th album. The second are the smaller based fan's who only started to like Warrant after the 4th album and the third is the die-hard fan's who would enjoy a Warrant song if it was a recording of a trafic signal going off telling you to walk accorss the crossing.

This album has a mixed selection of tracks to catour all the fans, but still the mixture of fan's complain. I'm in the group of fan's who don't like Warrants 4th and 5th album's so I skip most of those tracks that are on here. I have no problem doing that, So I don't see why people have to winge by saying, "eww, the early stuffs on this".. yeah, well we say the same about the new stuff... but we're over it.

The song's I was familuer with from the first 3 albums sound pretty good live. Heaven/ Sometimes she cries/I saw Red are all tied into the one nice long peice. There not the full versions of the songs, but they tie in nicely in a nice piano melody and ending in rock form. Cherry Pie sound's pretty good to me, some might not like screeching guitars and hard rock/metal sounds, but I do... so those grundge fan's probably just shake there heads and don't know what it is because solos hardly ever egsist because most grundge artists have no talent what-so-ever, they just abuse 4 notes and sing about being depressed.... so i'm glad Warrant didnt ditch there older, fun and more talented songs and even finaly realised that they are a hard rock band, not a grundge band, and redeemed themselves with the following albums after this.

Warrant are a hard rock band.

If the newer song's dont appeal to you, (like they didnt to me) there is another version of this live album that was released in 2005 called "Extended Versions [LIVE]" 6 tracks where cut from this show. It's just such a shame they kept Family Picnic on it, it shouldve been "Hole In My Wall" but none the less. This album is for the selected fan... but skip tracks you dont want, make your own compilation or something, other wise just enjoy a live show recorded in 1996 in Detroit Rock City featuring there songs from 87 to 96. July 18, 2006

A top-notch live album

'86-97 Live' is a great live effort by the band Warrant. This live release was recorded on the tour for the 1996 studio album, 'Belly to Belly.' The precise show was November 22, 1996 at Harpos in Detroit, MI. The line-up here includes core members Jani Lane (vocals), Jerry Dixon (bass) and Erik Turner (rhythm guitar). They are supported by Rick Steier on lead guitar, Bobby Borg on drums and Danny Wagner on keyboards.

There are sixteen tracks in all, including an unlisted intro. Considering it is the new cd they were promoting at the time, it is natural to see four cuts from 'Belly to Belly.' Every studio album Warrant had put out to this point gets represented, including 'Dog Eat Dog' (two songs) and 'Ultraphobic' (one song). As expected, the big hits are all here. Due to the inclusion of newer material, you don't see too many album tracks mined from the first two releases Warrant did, on Columbia. '86-97 Live' gives the listener a more complete retrospective of the career of Warrant. It shows the group had a lot more than two good albums (or songs) in their arsenal.

This is a suitable alternative to having a set list heavily relying on two albums from the past, without ever looking forward to the present (or future). The safer approach would have been to pack on songs like "Bed of roses", "Big talk" or "Blind faith" but the band didn't want to take the easy way out. Meanwhile, die-hard fans who have been with Warrant through thick and thin reap the benefits by hearing fresh new cuts (from 1996) and lesser played, more recently released material (from 1992 and 1995).

The album was issued on a renegade label, CMC International (now owned by Sanctuary Records). The packaging here is excellent, with a collage of photos (mostly old ones featuring departed members). A complete discography, to that point, which includes band lineups, release dates and the label for each release is included in the sleeve. While most fans buying this know what albums Warrant has released, it is still a nice surprise to see them listed inside, who played on them, what year they came out and on what label.

Now to the music. Warrant is in fine form during this show. The band plays with a lot of energy and Jani Lane is very animated during his stage raps. The high water marks include the extended drum solo by Bobby Borg which closes out "Family Picnic" and leads into "Machine Gun." Borg's drumming is top-notch throughout the show and his departure was felt by Warrant on later releases, which featured inferior drummers. The new songs taken from 'Belly to Belly' go over very well in a live setting and blend in better than expected with the popular tunes. These newer cuts include "AYM", "Feels good", "Indian giver" and "Vertigo." As you might guess, the show closer is "Cherry Pie" and Warrant turns in a blistering, extended version of this hit song. The track listing here is perfect. Having this album taken from one show is good, for the sake of continuity. Everything here flows very smoothly.

There isn't a lot to be disappointed about here, but a few things could be brought up. Jani Lane curses excessively throughout this live album, to the point where it sounds contrived. Lane even curses during "I saw red" and "Heaven", two of their power ballads. A couple of the songs are severely shortened. "Heaven" and "Sometimes she cries" are reduced to two-minute versions and missing entire sections from the original studio cuts. Warrant just breezes right through these two staples of their catalog as part of a medley. The last thing is that the intro to the concert is not listed as a track. "Down Boys" is the first cut listed on the rear of this album, but it doesn't really start up until track two.

If you are a fan of Warrant, you will be very pleased with this set, '86-97 Live.' It is their only official live album to date, which makes it all the more an essential purchase. May 10, 2005

Another great live album from another underrated band

First of all, let me start off by saying that I am a big music fan, and I really like live albums. I also have a big CD collection, and there is one band who, even though they had success in the late 80's through the early 90's, they were still a bit underrated. That band was Warrant. They should have been bigger than they were. So while there is a good collection of Warrant albums still out there, it is great to see that Warrant has released a live album-"Warrant Live:1986-1997". A lot of the songs on here are songs that originally appeared on Warrant's first three albums("Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich", "Cherry Pie", and "Dog Eat Dog") and some stuff that was more recent at the time this album was released are included here also. Warrant classics such as "Cherry Pie", "Down Boys", among others, are on this album, which proves that if you like Warrant,then you will like this album. There are only a few things I was dissapointed about after I heard this album, and other than the facts that this album is missing the Warrant classics "Bed of Roses", "Mr. Rainmaker", and "Sure Feels Good To Me" and the fact that Warrant did not do the full-length version of every song that was recorded live for this album, this is still very good, and it remains an album Warrant fans or fans of live albums should check out. Also, if you enjoyed this album, here are a few other live albums I recommend you check out:

KISS-The "Alive" trilogy
Slaughter- "Eternal Live"
Aerosmith-"A Little South of Sanity"
Guns 'n Roses-"Live Era 87-93" January 29, 2005

Warrant - 'Live 1986-1997' (CMC International)

First off,the title of this disc is WAY off.It's not assorted live songs recorded from the years 1986-97 like it implies.It's a fifteen track CD from a live concert in Detroit in 1997.BEAUTIFUL packaging job and top rate artwork inside with the photos,lay out,etc.One major problem,UNLESS you're a Warrant die-hard,you're probably not going to like this release that much.Let's face it,Warrant IS a two-album band,with their first two discs,'Dirty Rotten Filthy...'('89)and maybe 'Cherry Pie'('90)being their only two efforts even worth having.Sure,most of the material you remember is here,like "Down Boys"(sort of a third-rate Motley Crue rip-off),their power ballad "Heaven","Sometimes She Cries",the much over-played/over rated "Cherry Pie" among others.In my opinion,there just doesn't sound like the band has any life or energy on 'Live...'.Recently,I heard that vocalist Jani Lane left the group.Maybe it's time the guys should just call it a day.If you see this CD,for more than say,$2.99 in the cut-out section of some retail store,here's some advise:RUN.....DON'T LOOK BACK,THIS CD WON'T COME AFTER YOU!!JUST RUN!! January 2, 2005

Cool!

Warrant live,this CD is actually from one concert in 96.Many good songs made it on the CD,but there are many good songs that didn't make it also.The sound is as good as most live albums have.My only complaint is that some of the songs are incomplete,they perform a portion of a song,then they go into another song.Good CD for fans,casuall listeners should get Cherry Pie,DRFSR,or The Best of Warrant to start out with. May 3, 2003

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