January 1988
Tommy Lee of MOTLEY CRUE
ROCKPIX
Vicki Arkoff
Platinum may only be a steel-gray metal to some, but when it comes in the form of a platinum album award, it’s worth a million to fans and musicians alike...and they'll bleed to get their hands on one. 1987 was a banner year for platinum and gold records that have instantly become classics; records like Michael Jackson's celebrated Bad, U2's triumphant, triple-platinum The Joshua Tree and Whltesnake's self-titled comeback.
CONTENTS
MADONNA
“Like A Virgin” (1984)
MOTLEY CRUE vs. METALLICA! VOTE & WIN!!
Is glamrock (a la the Crue) your style or is speedmetal (Metallica’s specialty) your cup o’ tea? And more to the point, which will rule in 1988? You decide! Do your patriotic duty and vote! Of those voting for Motley Crue's gutsy glam gruel, 10 lucky balloteers will win Girls, Girls, Girts LPs by those Motley dudes.
MICHAEL JACKSON
BEST OF ’871'88: Need you ask? The LP of the year: Bad. PROFILE: No one in the past decade has received more scrutiny, criticism, analysis and idolatry than this eccentric and ultra-talented young man. From his beginnings as the youngest brother of the Jackson 5 through Thriller and Captain EO, Michael’s become the singlemost popular singer on the planet, and he’s managed to do it with grace and style.
HEART
Ann Wilson
BEST OF ’B71'88: The platinumawarded Bad Animals. PROFILE: The dark, sultry Ann Wilson and blond younger sister Nancy formed what has become one of the strongest pairings hard rock has ever seen. For over a decade, Heart’s been showing the boys how it’s done.
THE BANGLES
Vicki Peterson
BEST OF '87/'88: The double platinum-plus Different Light that made the whole world "Walk Like An Egyptian." Their fourth record's due this spring. PROFILE: Proving the Big Bangle Theory, this talented foursome has combined great hooks and great looks for an explosive package that has redefined the "girl group."
THE RETURN OF SNAG-A-MAG! WIN FREE MAGAZINES!
That’s right! The response to our last Snag-A-Mag contest was so overwhelming, we just had to do it again! The rules are simple: First, fill out all the information on the entry blank below. Then turn to page 55 and choose the back issue of ROCK-SHOTS you’d like to win.
BELINDA CARLISLE
BEST OF ’87/’88: Heaven On Earth, her second solo album since the break-up of the Go-Go's 1987's Belinda went gold, tanks to the single "Mad About You.” PROFILE: She.’s come a long way since he lean and hungry days when her former band, the Go-Go’s', were a punk group that couldn't even plug in their own instruments.
GEORGE MICHAEL
BEST OF ’87/'88: The smash hit “I Want Your Sex” and the new Faith, his first solo album. PROFILE: With his school chum/expartner Andrew Ridgeley (of nose-job fame) George made three hit albums: Wham!, Make It Big and Edge Of Heaven. In a few short years—with Wham! and his solo ventures—he’s gone from pop idol to superstar songwriter.
BANANARAMA
Kerin Woodward
BEST OF ’87/'88: The sweet and summery romp of Wow. PROFILE: With four hit albums and a bakers-dozen of singles in the last five years, this irresistable British trio really made it when 1984’s “Cruel Summer” and 1987’s “Venus” became global hits.
STING
BEST OF ’87/’88: Sting’s second smash solo LP. . . Nothing Like The Sun was released in late 1987. It’s a double album, insuring a steady flow of hits well into 1988! PROFILE: The world got its first glimpse of Sting when he fronted a little English trio called the Police.
BILLY IDOL
BEST OF '87/88: His "best of" collection, of course! Vital Idol offers special mixes of Billy's greatest. Hang in there for a new 1988 release! PROFILE: Billy Idol first gained attention In an English punk band called Generation X before pursuing a solo career.
HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS
Huey Lewis
BEST OF ’87/’88: Fore!, the guys' mega-successful follow-up to 1984’s Sports, is still selling like hotcakes nearly a year after its release. PROFILE: Huey Lewis & The News quickly developed a reputation as one of San Francisco’s hottest bar bands when they formed in the late 70s, but their style of true American rock ’n’ roll didn't reach a mass audience until Chrysalis—an English record label—released their debut album in 1980.
THE RETURN OF THE ’70s
Dinosaurs are ruling the planet once again!
RUSH
Neil Peart
BEST OF ’87/’88: Hold Your Fire, their latest monumental achievement in a string of gold & platinum LPs. PROFILE: By far the most successful rock band to ever descend from Canada, Rush has done its country proud for 14 superb albums. The power trio’s three vital components are master bassist Geddy Lee, drummer Neil Peart and guitarist Alex Lifeson.
KISS
Paul Stanley
BEST OF ’87/’88: Their landmark 21st LP, Crazy Nights. PROFILE: The grandaddies of anthem rock, make-up and platform shoes, Kiss set the standard for a generation of swaggering glam rock bands. With LP sales totalling 50 million (so far), Kiss’ 15-year, 21-album career is far from over.
DAVID BOWIE
BEST OF ’87/’88: Never Let Me Down, Bowie’s first record in over three years, which was accompanied by the gargantuan “Glass Spider Tour” in 1987. PROFILE: Bowie is rock music’s chameleon, changing his image over the years from Ziggy Stardust to the Thin White Duke to his current, fashionable ’80s persona.
MICK JAGGER
Mick Jagger
BEST OF ’87/’88: Primitive Cool, Jagger’s second solo LP and the one that’s destined to rid him of that pesky “leader of the Rolling Stones” title for good. PROFILE: Mick spent over 20 years as the flamboyant frontman for England’s Rolling Stones before deciding to venture into unfeharted solo waters with his She’s The Boss album in 1985.
PINK FLOYD
Nick Mason
BEST OF ’871/'88: The eagerly-awaited A Momentary Lapse Of Reason. PROFILE: With a streamlined membership—vocalist/guitarist David Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason and bassist Rick Wright—the legendary arena-rock group is back with their latest LP and first proper tour in 10 years.
HEROES OF HEAVY METAL
At’s safe to assume that the earth’s gravitational pull is growing stronger by the day, since metal music had its heaviest year ever in 1987. Bands like Poison, Europe and Motley Crue had chart-topping albums, while established groups such as Whitesnake and Def Leppard steamrolled onto the charts with impressive new releases.
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
BEST OF ’87/'88: The mega-successful Slippery When Wet (their third LP) earned eight platinum album awards in the U.S. alone! More than pretty faces—and more than just leader Jon Bon Jovi—the Bon Jovi has become the band of the ’80s. They are: Jon on vocals, guitarist Richie Sambora, bassist Alec John Such, keyboardist David Bryan and skinbasher Tico Torres.
METALLICA
Lars Ulrich
BEST OF ’87/'88: The white-hot EP Garage Days Re-Revisited featuring “Metallicatz” covers of metal underground obscurities. Upcoming is their home video, a compilation spotlighting the years with Cliff Burton. PROFILE: These speedmetal goofs were the first underground band of their ilk to be snatched up by a major label...and with mind-crunching, earblasting LPs like Master Of Puppets, the world will never be the same.
POISON
Bret Michaels
BEST OF ’87/'88: The raw, the racy and the downright riotous Look What The Cat Dragged In. This year, get ready for (gulp) Swallow This! PROFILE: This deadly foursomesinger Bret Michaels, drummer Rikki Rockett, bassist Bobby Dall and guitarist C.C. DeVille—represents a return to the heyday of glam rock.
DEF LEPPARD
Phil Collen
BEST OF ’87/’88: Hysteria (as if you didn’t know), along with the equally overbearing, 18-month “Hysteria” tour, keeping the Leps busy well into 1988. PROFILE: Over the course of four outstanding albums, Def Leppard has put the melody back into metal music.
EUROPE
Joey Tempest
BEST OF ’87/’88: Their second U.S. release, The Final Countdown. PROFILE: The best import from Sweden since Abba, these rockin’ dudes—singer Joey Tempest, guitarist Kee Marcello, bassist John Leven, keyboardist Mic Michaeli and drummer Ian Hauglandprove that there’s more to their native land than meatballs and Ingmar Bergman.
MOTLEY CRUE
Nikki Sixx
BEST OF ’87/'88: The multi-platinum Girls, Girls, Girls. PROFILE: As living legends go, these sleazy bad boys o’ metal are a motley crew indeed. As their antics and albums show, singer Vince Neil, drummer Tommy Lee, guitarist Mick Mars and bassist Nikki Sixx have a penchant for noize, nasty habits and unnecessary umlauts.
WHITESNAKE
David Coverdale
BEST OF ’87/’88: Their self-titled smash, Whitesnake. PROFILE: With three stormy years behind him, Coverdale sought a Whitesnake comeback. . .with a vengeance! The most recent incarnation of this rocking reptilian group resulted in the mega-successful Whitesnake LP, thanks to guitarists Adrian Vandenberg and Vivian Campbell, bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Tommy Aldridge.
MEGADETH
Dave Mustaine
BEST OF ’87/’88: They’re still riding high on the success of the killer LP Peace Sells... But Who’s Buying? A new masterpiece is due any second now! PROFILE: Kings of thrash metal, Megadeth have ruled the speed scene with two mind-blowing LPs.
REBELS WITH A CAUSE
Occasionally, an artist or group will come along that’s more interested in getting a message across than attaining a great level of fame and success. Whether this message is delivered in a unique musical statement—as in the folksy rock of R.E.M. or the thoughtful pop of INXS—or in a lyrical statement—as in the political and spiritual leanings of U2 or the slice-of-life narratives favored by Bruce Springsteen and John Cougar Mellencamp—the priority of these artists is music first, money later.
JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP
BEST OF ’87/’88: The eagerly-awaited platinum LP The Lonesome Jubilee. PROFILE: John was originally known as "Johnny Cougar" but added his real last name with the release of his American Fool album. Today, he’s become a spokesman for the heart & soul of America’s youth.
U2
Bono
BEST OF ’87/’88: The Joshua Tree, one of U2's most powerful, compelling albums, was released in 1987 and has thus far yielded two Top 10 singles, making it U2's most colossal record yet. PROFILE: It's doubtful that singer Bono, guitarist The Edge, and bassist Adam Clayton had total world domination on their minds when they answered a notice that drummer Lawrence Mullen, Jr. pinned on the billboard at Dublin's Mount Temple school in 1978.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
BEST OF ’87/'88: The 5-disc collection Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band Live 1975-85 was the "must have” item of the year! His triumphant solo effort, Tunnel Of Love, is a thoughtful follow-up bound for platinum. PROFILE: In 14 years, Springsteen and the E Street Band have released nine albums, 20 singles, and appeared on four compilation albums including We Are The World and last year’s A Very Special Christmas.
R.E.M.
Peter Buck
BEST OF ’87/’88: Document, featuring their biggest single yet. PROFILE: With enigmatic song titles and unintelligible lyrics, R.E.M. had to be content with their status among critics and cultists as divine beings—until their seventh record, that is, a bona fide smasheroo.
INXS
Michael Hutchence
BEST OF ’87/'88: Their seventh LP, Kick, is bound to boot these determined Aussies straight into the big time. PROFILE: Hailing from the land Down Under, INXS—singer Michael Hutchence, guitarists Tim Farriss and Kirk Pengilly, keyboardist Andrew Farriss, drummer John Farriss and bassist Garry Gary Beers—have been getting more and more attention on these shores since their album Shabooh Shoobah was released here in 1983.