The Big Book of Hair Metal by Martin Popoff. Voyageur Press, 224 pages, $33.
Strutting on massive heels, sweating in skintight leather outfits beneath heavily applied makeup performers in the many Hair Metal bands in '80s and into the '90s rocked the stages around the world. Then like worn out spandex they were discarded as Grunge became mainstream.
In their heyday bands like Quiet Riot, Poison, Def Leppard, Whitesnake and Guns N' Roses filled stadiums with their guitar heavy power rock. It was a wild ride of indulgence and over the top lifestyles that couldn't be sustained.
Drawing from years of interviews author Martin Popoff has put together an entertaining look back at a unique offshoot of rock 'n' roll history. Filled with quotes from band members of a huge range of groups, Popoff presents them connected to a timeline that coincides with their album releases. It is fascinating to read the comments and remember the hits they produced.
Loaded with album covers, concert posters, tickets, performance photos and a variety of memorabilia, there is plenty to look at throughout the entire book.
