Y&T was one of the most underrated hard rock bands of the 80's. They have always been one of my favorites from that era. Personally I never understood why they didn't get swept up in the wave of Motley Crue, Whitesnake, Poison, Def Leppard, etc.Maybe bad luck. Maybe never at the right place at the right time. Maybe an unfortunate twist of fate. Maybe bad karma. Whatever, it was never meant to be. Oh, sure, they had their one unfortunate hit with "Summertime Girls", but that was never what Y&T was. They were always much more than that.
Staunch Y&T aficionados will disagree with me, but I feel 1983's Mean Streak is their best work. I won't disagree with those who have an affinity for Earthshaker and Black Tiger, both fantastic albums, but I have a visceral connection with Mean Streak as it was my first introduction to Y&T, so it holds a special place in my heart.
Lead vocalist/lead guitarist/lead everything for Y&T, Dave Meniketti is one of the best combo vocalist/guitarists (along with Tom Keifer) in hard rock. Along with longtime partner in crime Phil Kennemore (RIP), Y&T never wavered from their particular brand of hard rock.
If you never heard them, here's a bad 80's video of a great song:
Y&T on Amazon
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Thanks for sharing! I saw your comment on Saving Country Music and that was the first time I had heard of Y&T. I like them, and I appreciate what you said on SCM about them not changing their style and staying true to their sound through the years. Their story reminds me of Anvil--didn't make it big with their peers, even though they were making solid music. Again, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading. I'm sure you've heard the song "Summertime Girls" at some point and just didn't know who it was.
DeleteI would suggest starting with the album Mean Streak. If you like that and would prefer something more raw, then go back to Earthshaker and Black Tiger. If you would more polished production proceed forward with In Rock We Trust.
Those four albums epitomize what Y&T is all about.
I'm familiar with the Anvil story, though not so much with the music.