‘Hair metal’ label an insult to genuine talent

Lately, I’ve been channelling my inner Ric Swihart and writing columns a couple of weeks in advance. Ric, my former colleague here at The Herald, could crank out copy like nobody I’ve ever worked alongside in my life. He was a machine, a guy who would get up early and write, and write well. He also always had a column on hand for us to put on the agriculture page, even when he was away. ✦emulate I’ve been trying to

Ric, who I really need to catch up with over coffee some day. I remember reading Ric when he first started at The Herald and I have to admit I was a bit starstruck when I finally got the chance to meet him back in 1987 when I was assigned a desk right across from him. Ric and I became great friends over the years and I hope he doesn’t mind me borrowing his column technique.

This one, like most I’ve written since the start of the year, was done at least two weeks in advance. I started this effort before my week’s vacation because of the need to get a jump on things when I hit the saddle again.

My return to work was unexpectedly delayed a week, however. My dad ended up in Strathmore hospital the night of the Little Big Town concert after a silent heart attack and he never made it out alive.

On my first day of vacation, we made a family visit to see him and he looked OK but he began slipping every day afterward and on March 8, he died four hours after I called him in the morning to say I would see him again on the weekend. He wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want company until he got some test results back. His death was sudden and while not completely unexpected, nobody thought it would happen that soon.

So last week, I had to begin the arduous task of taking care of his personal affairs, a journey through Hell which is going to last many months.

Upon my return to the office, I had to re-think this column which I’d planned to keep on the decades theme.

But I recently read an interview with some guitarists about the “hair metal” era of the 1980s and their opinion of it, which turned me in a new direction.

George Lynch, who is my No. 1 guitar hero of all time, helped create the sound of ’80s band Dokken and had his own successful band, Lynch Mob.

He is not a fan of the “hair metal” label while others interviewed, including Lita Ford, had a little less animosity. Reb Beach of Winger, a suberb guitarist others envied because his band gave him plenty of opportunity to showcase his talents, was another person interviewed in the story.

I’m among those who thought the hair title was insulting because it focused on the look, not a brand of metal that made a lot of fans in the 1980s and early ’90s before grunge changed how bands presented themselves. What these bands were known for, aside from the hair, were sonic guitar solos and melodic eardrumbusting tunes. Just listen to some of the work created by Lynch and Beach, Jeff LaBar of Cinderella or Warren DeMartini of Ratt, and you’ll understand.

Some incredible music was made by ’80s bands whose members just happened to wear perms, spandex and eyeshadow.

Dokken, which still performs with its founder Don Dokken and original drummer Mick Brown, created some pretty memorable music in its day along with bands like Firehouse — lead guitarist Bill Leverty is one of my Twitter followers — Ratt, Cinderella, Poison, Motley Crue, Warrant, Extreme, Winger whose founder Kip Winger now composes classical music, Hanoi Rocks, Slaughter, Stryper (actually a Christian band), and Blacky Lawless’ down-anddirty W.A.S.P.

Some consider Twisted Sister a hair band but its roots, so to speak, go much deeper. Netflix has a superb documentary on this outfit which was a trailblazer for rock outfits period.

Among my favourites from the glory days of hair are still bands like Britny Fox (anyone remember “Girl School?“), Saigon Kick and Y & T. I’m still — and never will be — a fan of sleaze rockers Faster Pussycat but would definitely pay money to see Denmark’s D.A.D. just to hear them play “Sleeping My Day Away.” I’m also a huge fan of McAuley Schenker Group, whose lead singer Robin McAuley is a staple of the Las Vegas show at the Hard Rock Hotel called Raiding the Rock Vault, which is a must-see for visitors to Sin City.

Visitors to that show can also see the likes of Paul Shortino from Quiet Riot, Phil Soussan who has worked with Ozzy Osbourne, Canadian Todd Kerns, known for his work with Age of Electric and as bassist for Slash and Doug Aldrich who has sung with bands including Whitesnake, House of Lords, Dio and Hurricane.

With my subscription to SiriusXM, I can listen to these artists and so many others from the heyday of “hair” all day if I want to and in the car, I always do. Today, the genre is often derided or dismissed but the musicality of those bands and solo artists is unrivalled. These artists know a hook and a melody and have musicianship that makes fans completely forget about the look.

It’s all about the art and I’m among those who hope it stays alive. CONGRATS, RON SAKAMOTO: I got a call earlier this week from Ron Sakamoto telling me The Washboard Union won breakthrough group of the year honours at Sunday’s Juno Awards. He says it’s the first time a country act has gotten the award.

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