Skid Row

40 Seasons: The Best Of Skid Row (Warner)
by Martin Popoff

To their credit, Skid Row were an admirable franchise, three records, three different sounds – Guns N’ Roses with less personality. Terse but meaningful liner notes by Rachel elucidate somewhat, and the vaults have yielded a few gems to juice the gullet. Three remix versions, one demo version, one live, and two previously unreleased compositions comprise a pretty good haul. Of the two newies, both are (surprise) tuff hair metal, ’88’s “Forever,” ripe with melodic punk hook, and “Fire In The Hole,” just kinda snarly and unremarkable. A worthy, well-picked introduction to a gypsies-in-leather bunch whose small catalogue can thence-by be collected for under $50.
(3300 Warner Blvd. Burbank, CA 91505-4964)