CINDERELLA – Gold (2006 Universal)
When a band like Cinderella, who only have four studio albums, get a double CD “best of” compilation, it had better be good. Fortunately Cinderella’s edition of the Gold series offers value for the money and unreleased live tracks to boot.
All the Cinderella albums are represented, including the criminally underrated Still Climbing album from 1994. Cinderella did not “go grunge” as so many others did. As “Bad Attitude Shuffle” indicates, they simply doubled down on their own brand of bluesy hard rock with bite. From the same album, “Free Wheelin'” and “Talk is Cheap” both show fearless commitment to the genre. Then the ballad “Through the Rain” also from Still Climbing provides the balance. Cinderella have successfully employed ballads since day one, because they happen to be quite good at them.
Among their greatest ballads: “Don’t Know What You Got (‘Til It’s Gone)”, “Heartbreak Station”, “Coming Home”, “Wind of Change”, and “Nobody’s Fool”. Each one of these tracks is worthy to be on this compilation. Some of their slower material either bordered on blues, or were just flat-out blues songs. Some are here: “Long Cold Winter”, “Dead Man’s Road”, and “Sick For the Cure”. Then there is the soulful “Shelter Me” that is harder to categorize. But of course Cinderella are best known as a hard rock band, and most of the material falls into that vast category. Many of these tunes are truly awesome. “Shake Me” was first to gain attention, with some noting similarities to AC/DC. “Hot and Bothered”, originally from the Wayne’s World soundtrack, combines the blues and rock in a tasty confection. “Second Wind” from Long Cold Winter kicks ass, and “Gypsy Road” is here too, albeit in live form.
The live tracks are all credited to a Japanese promo CD called Last Train to Heartbreak Station, which appears to be a completely different thing from their Japanese EP called Live Train to Heartbreak Station. Rarities are always welcome on a compilation, but one has to wish that the great single “Gypsy Road” was also included in its studio version. It’s a good enough tune that it wouldn’t be a crime to have two versions on the same CD.
Because of their feminine name and some really bad wardrobe choices, Cinderella was written off by many people without hearing any of their rocking material. While that is a real shame, Cinderella hasn’t made a new album in 23 years so this would be a good one-stop-shop to get much of their best material. Augment this baby with a copy of their classic Long Cold Winter CD and you will have enough Cinderella to have a good representation of their best stuff.
4/5 stars
I have always hated that they never released another album. I like Kiefer’s solo album, but more Cinderella albums would have been awesome!
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I need to get that Kiefer album. I heard some excellent tracks.
Sorry I haven’t commented on your recent post, my email has been flakey and I’m catching up on stuff.
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No problem man! We get busy and life happens. Understandable.
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I wish I could pull a Donald Trump and forego sleep, and write at 4:13 am :)
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Don’t be like Trump!!
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Good advice ;)
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I have a Cinderella Greatest Hits set …it’s called Night Songs/Long Cold Winter/Heartbreak Station and Still Climbing!
HAHA….
Actually there is also a real cool live New Years 1990 show on iTunes called Authorized Bootleg…it has zero overdubs as Labars guitar at points is toast ….warts n all …great live album…
Wicked version of Back Home Again !
Cool review Mikey..cannot go wrong with these guys…
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I have a live album of theirs, live at the Key Club I think? Not very good and it turned me off of trying more live stuff by Cinderella.
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Ha! I actually liked that one. Go figure….
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I still really dig that set you gave me… this looks like it would be the one for me!
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I would say the set you have is good enough.
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Gotcha. Thanks!
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I dug Cinderella a little more than the rest of the 80’s rock. Probably because of the AC/DC sound that you mentioned.
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I don’t know much about Cinderella. A band that I’ve been meaning to check out, but haven’t yet. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for this one – sounds like a winner!
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Anything with a Wayne’s world connection gets my vote!
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But Wayne’s World 2…not so much :)
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Night Songs really is one of my favourite ever rock LPs, just perfect.
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