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The Headless Children

The Headless Children in Bloomington, MN
Current price: $11.99
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Size: CD
With 1989's
The Headless Children
,
W.A.S.P.
wanted to be taken as serious artists (for the most part). And while singer/guitarist/leader
Blackie Lawless
expressed excitement about the band's current lineup, which included longtime guitarist
Chris Holmes
, bassist
Johnny Rod
Quiet Riot
drummer
Frankie Banali
, and
Uriah Heep
keyboardist
Ken Hensley
-- the complete group never toured. With the band concentrating more on the music than the gimmicks (they were pictured sans ghoulish makeup and costumes),
remains
's most accomplished work. The album's best-known tracks remain their cover of
the Who
's
Quadrophenia
anthem "The Real Me" and the rocking "Mean Man" (an autobiographical tale about guitarist
Holmes
), while a pair of epics -- "The Heretic" and the title track -- and perhaps
's best ballad, "Forever Free," were also standouts. While longtime fans may prefer the gross-out heavy metal of their early albums (
and
The Last Command
),
is their most well-constructed album. [The 1998 CD reissue contains six added bonus tracks, among them a cover of
Jethro Tull
's "Locomotive Breath" and live versions of "L.O.V.E. Machine" and "Blind in Texas."] ~ Greg Prato
The Headless Children
,
W.A.S.P.
wanted to be taken as serious artists (for the most part). And while singer/guitarist/leader
Blackie Lawless
expressed excitement about the band's current lineup, which included longtime guitarist
Chris Holmes
, bassist
Johnny Rod
Quiet Riot
drummer
Frankie Banali
, and
Uriah Heep
keyboardist
Ken Hensley
-- the complete group never toured. With the band concentrating more on the music than the gimmicks (they were pictured sans ghoulish makeup and costumes),
remains
's most accomplished work. The album's best-known tracks remain their cover of
the Who
's
Quadrophenia
anthem "The Real Me" and the rocking "Mean Man" (an autobiographical tale about guitarist
Holmes
), while a pair of epics -- "The Heretic" and the title track -- and perhaps
's best ballad, "Forever Free," were also standouts. While longtime fans may prefer the gross-out heavy metal of their early albums (
and
The Last Command
),
is their most well-constructed album. [The 1998 CD reissue contains six added bonus tracks, among them a cover of
Jethro Tull
's "Locomotive Breath" and live versions of "L.O.V.E. Machine" and "Blind in Texas."] ~ Greg Prato