Although often targeted as one of the worst offenders in the much maligned hair metal scene of the '80s, Ratt's distinctive sonic signatures and generally high level of musicianship are often overlooked.
Granted, the lyrics are usually vacuous and the music doesn't possess much staying power as the years go by, but, as pop-metal bands go, Ratt were better than most of their peers.
Guitarist Warren DeMartini, in particular, is responsible for some of the most memorable riffs and most masterful solos of the genre.
Ratt's fourth album, Reach for the Sky, wisely follows the same formula of the three records that preceded it, yielding some of the band's best material, along with the usual amount of filler.
They scored a minor hit with "Way Cool Jr.," (which flaunts a groove Aerosmith would be proud of), and tracks like "City to City" and "No Surprise" also emphasize the band's strengths.
But stuff like "I Want a Woman" and "Chain Reaction" demonstrate singer Stephen Pearcy's unfortunate inclination toward dumb rock clichés, a component of Ratt that consistently undermines the musical achievements of the band.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City to City | Ratt | Play | 03:31 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 2 | I Want a WomanBobby Blotzer, Robbin Crosby, Juan Croucier, Beau Hill, Stephen Pearcy | Ratt | Play | 03:58 | 9 MB | 27 MB |
| 3 | Way Cool Jr.Warren DeMartini, Beau Hill, Stephen Pearcy | Ratt | Play | 04:27 | 10 MB | 28 MB |
| 4 | Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds | Ratt | Play | 03:08 | 7 MB | 21 MB |
| 5 | I Want to Love You Tonight | Ratt | Play | 04:27 | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| 6 | Chain Reaction | Ratt | Play | 03:42 | 8 MB | 26 MB |
| 7 | No Surprise | Ratt | Play | 04:03 | 9 MB | 27 MB |
| 8 | Bottom Line | Ratt | Play | 04:20 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 9 | What's It Gonna Be | Ratt | Play | 04:07 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 10 | What I'm After | Ratt | Play | 03:35 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 39 mins | 90 MB | |||||
| 39 mins | 268 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Banghart | Assistant, Assistant Engineer |
| 2 | Stephen Benben | Engineer, Mixing |
| 3 | Marshall Berle | Personal Manager |
| 4 | Bobby Blotzer | Composer, Drums, Group Member, Harmonica, Percussion, Washboard |
| 5 | Chris Botti | Arranger |
| 6 | Butler | Cover Design |
| 7 | Robbin Crosby | Composer, Group Member, Guitar, Vocals (Background) |
| 8 | Juan Croucier | Composer, Group Member, Guitar (Bass), Vocals (Background) |
| 9 | Warren DeMartini | Composer, Group Member, Guitar, Vocals (Background) |
| 10 | Gene Gorman | Sleeve Photo |
| 11 | Greg Gorman | Photography |
| 12 | Beau Hill | Composer, Mixing, Producer |
| 13 | Marty Hornburg | Assistant, Assistant Engineer |
| 14 | Kosh | Cover Design |
| 15 | Jim Mitchell | Assistant Engineer |
| 16 | The New West Horns | Horn |
| 17 | Stephen Pearcy | Composer, Group Member, Vocals |
| 18 | Ratt | Cover Design, Primary Artist |
| 19 | Kent Smith | Arranger |
| 20 | Mike Stone | Producer |
| 21 | Mike "Clay" Stone | Producer |
| 22 | Alan Wright | Engineer |
| 23 | Allan Wright | Engineer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |