Dee Snider

Never Let the Bastards Get You Down (Koch)
by Scott Hefflon

This is a collection of material Dee Snider wrote throughout his time in Twisted Sister, Desperado, and Widowmaker, and, viewed as a collection of “old” material that never saw the light of day, this CD accomplishes exactly what it should. While the style is dated as shit, it’s excusable simply because it makes no claim to be some hot new release that turns out to be second-rate regurgitation of stuff we’re already sick of.

And I like the fact that Snider claims this is a one-shot deal. Whew! There’re ’80s teen metal anthems here as well as a surprising amount of blues rock swagger, all littered with the lyrical straight-forwardness we’ve come to expect from Dee (for better or worse). The guy’s got a distinctive voice, he covers Dion’s “The Wanderer,” and ya get exactly what ya expect from this straight-shooter.
(740 Broadway New York, NY 10003)