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Artist: Ratt

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Ratt Homepage

CD Title: Detonator

 

Category: Glam

Year: 1990

Label: Atlantic

Catalog Number: A2-82127

Personnel

Stephen Pearcy lead vocals
Warren DeMartini lead and acoustic guitars
Robbin Crosby guitars
Juan Croucier bass
Bobby Blotzer drums, percussion

Tracks

1.	Intro to Shame
2.	Shame Shame Shame
3.	Lovin' You's a Dirty Job
4.	Scratch that Itch
5.	One Step Away
6.	Hard Time
7.	Heads I Win, Tails You Lose
8.	All or Nothing
9.	Can't Wait on Love
10.	Givin' Yourself Away
11.	Top Secret

If you see any errors or omissions in the CD information shown above, either in the musician credits or song listings (cover song credits, live tracks, etc.), please post them in the corrections section of the Heavy Harmonies forum/message board.

The music discographies on this site are works in progress. If you notice that a particular Ratt CD release or compilation is missing from the list above, please submit that CD using the CD submission page. The ultimate goal is to make the discographies here at Heavy Harmonies as complete as possible. Even if it is an obscure greatest-hits or live compilation CD, we want to add it to the site. Please only submit official CD releases; no bootlegs or cassette-only or LP-only releases.

EPs and CD-singles from Ratt are also welcome to be added, as long as they are at least 4 songs in length.

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Existing comments about this CD

From: WADE-LINK	Date: March 13, 2001 at 19:31
THIS WAS A GREAT COMEBACK TO THEIR ROOTS WITH TRACKS AS SHAME SHAME SHAME LOVING YOU IS A DIRTY JOB AND TOP SECRET ORIGINAL VERSION A GREAT RATT ALBUM

From: www.yperano.com	Date: May 17, 2001 at 12:10
Brilliant

From: David	Date: May 25, 2001 at 19:27
Brilliant

From: T-BONE

Date: August 18, 2001 at 12:22

I'm not sure why I liked this cd. Robbin had almost nothing to do with this album, and....well....I just don't know! I think they went back about 4 years to thier better sound. I think this is a cross between Out of the Cellar and Dancin' Undercover. You can find this in all the bargin bins for $2 I think it's far underrated because of the time it was produced (Nirvana Era) and the previously poor album. More People should have given this a chance. I gave it a 8.5

From: fetish_lord	Date: August 31, 2001 at 10:03
JUST ONE THE BEST GLAM N SLEAZE ALBUMS OF ALL TIME...PERFECT.IF YOU DONT HAVE IT THE ONLY SOLUTION WHO REMAINS YOU IS SUICIDE

From: Hard Cru	Date: October 3, 2001 at 23:05
The best Ratt album with no doubt!!! One Step Way rocks your mother's ass and Givin' Yourself Away... WOW... it's the best Ratt song ever! Desmond and Warren in the veins! By the way, Ratt is not sleaze glam, it's just crude.

From: John	Date: December 11, 2001 at 8:52
A good album, but the outside writing influences kinda made it not a Ratt album. And Hard Cru calling a ballad 'the best Ratt song ever' is blasphemy.

From: dokken6008

Date: April 8, 2002 at 11:25

While most 80's hard rock freaks call 'Out Of The Cellar' Ratt's best, I beg to differ. 'Detonator' is my favorite Ratt disc--EVER. A very solid album & really no filler. "Givin' Yourself Away" is indeed a very good tune, a ballad--a first for Ratt!--but is still not a standout track on 'Detonator'. What makes this record different than Ratt's previous cds (besides outside writers), is the pop element that never really existed in earlier Ratt material. 9.5/10. Best tune: "One Step Away"

From: Reno	Date: April 16, 2002 at 23:08
I agree with Dokken6008, but I have to add Hard Times and Shame Shame Shame as stand out tracks. A more Mature side of RATT. Has anyone seen Stephan Pearcy lately? I was told that he can't sing worth a shit anymore and can't even do it in tune! Whats happening to all the good bands

From: dokken6008

Date: April 18, 2002 at 13:54

Pearcy's voice started heading down the tubes around '93 or '94; he wasn't sounding quite right on Arcade. I always wished that Ratt had made a follow-up to 'Detonator', say, in 1992? And as for Ratt being a little "mature" on 'Detonator', I would agree, but only with the ballad. I love all the sleaze through-out the rest of the cd. "Top Secret" is another personal favorite--I love that tune. "Shame Shame Shame" is pure ear ectasy and "Lovin' You Is A Dirty Job" is a CLASSIC. Oh, well.

From: ThunderDan	Date: June 17, 2002 at 19:34
A high school favorite of mine. I couldn't put this tape out of my Walkman if someone held a gun to my freakin head! I LOVE this album, it's absolutely killer! For me, a close second to ...'Cellar'.

From: Martìn	Date: July 27, 2002 at 11:29
Great album. Givin`Yourself Aways is definitly the best song of the Ratt ever.

From: Steve T	Date: September 3, 2002 at 11:02
The most consistent Ratt album and my personal fave. Shame,Shame,Shame is just a monumental song and Desmond Child's production was a little more organic than Beau's and much better for it. Shame that the damage was already done.

From: Baris

Date: September 10, 2002 at 7:48

The last "true Ratt" album. At first listening, it gives a little disappointment. But after a few times you get used to it. Does't include hits as the previous albums. If you have the whole Ratt archive, this may a bit bring you down. If you're a new listener of the band, you may ask "Is this the Ratt that people can't live without?". Cause as its name implies, Ratt becomes somewhat "detonated" here. To the contrary of many, I didn't like "Givin Yourself Away" because it's too simple to be Ratt

From: luce	Date: November 6, 2002 at 10:10
it's a very pretty work...great desmond child!he's a monster of the music!

From: Sandrine	Date: November 29, 2002 at 18:13
Great cd ... Un de mes préféré sans hésitation !

From: Patrick	Date: November 30, 2002 at 3:14
Excellent cd, avec 11 titres imparables et une production top niveau. Those were the days

From: Gar

Date: April 4, 2003 at 7:45

Probably my #2 favorite RATT album(#1 would be OUT OF THE CELLAR). They had quite a bit of outside help on this, but I think that only made it stronger. Good songs and more slickly produced than what they'd done previously. Too bad this was their last(for several years, anyway). If the song they did for the POINT BREAK soundtrack was any indication, a followup to DETONATOR would have been incredible.

From: diferaos	Date: May 3, 2003 at 3:43
Brillante cd. Para mi gusto, el mejor de Ratt. A su sonido tradicional, acá le agregan un sonido bluesero que les sienta muy bien.

From: JOCANTARO	Date: May 9, 2003 at 16:55
TENEIS KE VER EL VIDEO-CLIP DE "LOVI´N YOU IS A DIRTY JOB" ES LA POLLA, ADEMAS DE SER LA MEJOR CANCION DEL DISCO.UNA BUENA EVOLUCION.

From: Harvey

Date: June 29, 2003 at 12:13

Na, sorry, I prefered the snarl toothed, spiteful Ratt of 1984- 1988. Can't get used to Pearcy singing songs like Givin yorself Away and don't want to. Ratt were supposed to be about swagger and cool, not crying over girls leaving you!! Even the opening song is about being shit on by a girl!! I'm not trying to be sexist, it's just that Ratt, in the 1980's, were about holding your head high and feeling good about yourself. Where are the lyrics like "your a human target in my eyes" (from Wanted Ma

From: FM

Date: August 29, 2003 at 21:24

I think this is the best RATT album along with "Out of the Cellar". The production is great, the songs are cool and most of all the guitar work is fuckin' brilliant! I like the warm and brilliant tone, the twin leads, the stunning texture of riffs and leads, the harmonizations... Crosby-DeMartini is one of the most underrated guitar couples ever, in my opinion. My favourite songs are "Shame Shame Shame", and "Hard Time". If you like RATT, you should not miss this CD!

From: red	Date: February 5, 2004 at 0:26
Very good album, somewhat overlooked. I bought it the month it came out in 1990. It got some radio airplay, but they still ended up touring in clubs for the first time in seven years.

From: razor2467	Date: May 7, 2004 at 10:35
A pretty good album compared to some of the other crap coming out at this time, but Ratt was capable of MUCH better. Doesnt seem to have much of a Crosby influence in the riff deartment. Still, "Shame Shame Shame" is a great tune(COOL intro), as well as "Top Secret" & "Lovin You is a Dirty Job".

From: BORDER RAT	Date: June 23, 2004 at 7:54
This is their best cd.Givin' yourself away is a monster riff laden melodic track with a hook big enough to catch a killer whale.The cd is just top drawer hard melodic rock and deserves to be in every rock fan's collection.

From: Big Papa K	Date: June 28, 2004 at 16:47
Ratt working with Desmond Child? Well, it actually works here as they come up with their most consisten album since "Out Of The Cellar". They throw in a good ballad ("Givin' Yourself Away") and an excellent aor tune ("One Step Away"), but still show they can turn out good hard rock as well ("Shame,Shame,Shame"). 8/10

From: Metal T

Date: June 29, 2004 at 14:54

Too polished ! Over-produced ! ( Congrats to Sir Arthur Payson,who produced the sh*t out of this one ). "The Ep","Out Of The Cellar", "Invasion Of Your Privacy" and "Dancing Undercover" are bonafide classics. I guess Robbin' was just along for the ride at this point.Considering he didn't contribute much to the writing.He had a hand in some of RATT's best stuff,before this.Plenty of talent in this band,they didn't need to bring in outside writers like Desmond Child' or JBJ to sing back up. -

From: jack	Date: July 20, 2004 at 0:45
Any metal band working with desmond child will produce more poppy album as far as i'm concerned.Look at slippery when wet,thrsh and countless suppose to be more metallic album. Why work with that desmond guy?DEsmond,why don't you work with AOR band?

From: jeff	Date: August 23, 2004 at 16:19
i love just about every ratt song. but the best song is NOBODY RIDES FOR FREE!! love it!!

From: Geoff

Date: September 21, 2004 at 18:35

I have always loved this CD. Though it may not be traditional Ratt, nothing can change the fact that 'One step away' is a perfect commercial rocking gem, 'Givin' yourself away' is one of the best ballads EVER recorded (That riff!), 'Lovin' you is a dirty job' is massive commercial genius, 'Shame, shame, shame', 'Can't wait on love' and 'Top Secret' are all awesome commercial rockers too. Basically, this is just a stellar, solid slab of commericial hard rock!!!

From: Dave	Date: October 16, 2004 at 5:59
Hearing this for the first time, i just kept thinking it sounds alot like Southgang's "Tainted Angel" album, but not as good.You really have to like Pearcy's vocals to really like RATT but i don't seem to be able to listen to him sing for long periods of time.

From: run2u

Date: November 7, 2004 at 6:13

Este es el equivalente al DrFeelgood de Motley Crue...pero (obviamente)no tan acertado.Ambos son trabajos casi de despedida,entrando en los'90 y buscando comercialidad y un sonido más"pulido".Pero para los que preferimos los primeros RATT,este DETONATOR resulta un poco más vacío y "del montón"...tal vez over-produced.Temazos como"Shame","Lovin'you is a dirty job", o"Givin'yourself away"(casi AOR!)realzan el CD,pero la falta de originalidad y frescura apagan el conjunto.6'5/10 run2u69@hotmail.com

From: DefLeppard8192

Date: November 17, 2004 at 8:33

Ratt's albums were never overdone, in fact everything besides the singles was not done enough. They do not compare with Def Leppard in consistency or songwriting skills, or just about anything else for that matter, but they are a good band. Desmond Child is a great songwriter, JBJ is questionable considering they sold out to pop after New Jersey. The EP was way undrproduced and sounded like it was done in someones garage, Out of the cellar etc were way better than any of Metallica's crap.

From: detective	Date: November 30, 2004 at 23:18
Somebody stop the Propane overload!!!!!!!! (Try some decaf dude)

From: Propane	Date: November 30, 2004 at 23:19
Excellent album. I don't care what anybody thinks... This is a great one.10/10.

From:	Date: January 9, 2005 at 19:57
This is a 10/10 record , i think even AOR fans will like this one ,no fillers 11 great songs !!

From: jaf	Date: March 25, 2005 at 17:40
Is robin crosby dead?

From: CL	Date: March 25, 2005 at 22:19
Yes, Robbin passed away June 6, '02. http://www.robbincrosby.net/bio/body.htm

From: Dave Stamos

Date: May 8, 2005 at 10:48

El sleazy inicial fue evolucionando y mezclándose con matices más hard,y aunque su nivel de ventas fue bajando,este disco es estupendo.En él Ratt desarrollan su trabajo más maduro,gracias al toque de Child consiguen escribir algunos de sus temas más míticos como "Lovin´ you is a dirty job","Shame shame shame","Heads I win, tails you lose"(con Jon Bon Jovi)y baladas como la insuperable "Givin´ yourself away" o"One step away",las unicas baladas de la banda que con este trabajo alcanzarían su cota.

From: ghettonation73	Date: July 4, 2005 at 13:10
AH!I BEG TO DIFFER, "CLOSER TO MY HEART," AND "I WANT TO LOVE YOU TONIGHT" WERE BALLADS TOO, AND I LIKE BOTH OF THEM.

From: Rafo Phoenix	Date: June 2, 2006 at 0:29
Aca la cosa cambia despues del bajon del anterior aca entregan un disco competente y muy bueno claro tambien con un estilo mas 90 mas actualizado a esa decada solo basta escuchar Givin' Yourself Away(un tema 10 perfecto) y Shame, Shame, Shame(otro 10) Top Secret, Hard Time acompañan bien, facil alcanzan el 8.5/10 Ratt un grande entre los grandes.

From: juan carlos

Date: June 2, 2006 at 14:43

Si claro, un clásico, su trabajo mas maduro, gran producción. Un disco para un 10/10 pero tiene un par de temas que personalmente no estan al nivel del album en general. Que no hay frescura en este disco? no lo creo. "one step away" es un temazo y es mi favorito para un dia de verano especialmente.. La segunda parte del disco es de lo mejor y convierten a esto en un clásico. Lo compré en k-sett ni bien salió acá en Peru y orgulloso por ello pues es un discazo. Super-recomendado. 9/10

From: Rycheage	Date: August 26, 2007 at 10:25
A nice return to form. Pity Robbin had very little to do with this one. Most of the songs are very good but I would stop short of calling this their best. The songs are not unforgettable but the catchy riffs and choruses are there. Worth buying if it's cheap.

From: Rambo Rockerman	Date: January 20, 2008 at 10:07
A great comeback,but why didn't they release One Step Away and Givin' Yourself Away as a single and do a video for it.They were the 2 most catchy songs they done that should have got a lot of airplay.

From: BIG-TIME	Date: February 20, 2008 at 16:42
"Shame, Shame, Shame" is the only good track for me here I really don't like this CD at all. I can hear the 90s sound creeping up on then on some tracks just not for me...KEEP ROCKIN ALL!!!

From: BIG-TIME	Date: February 20, 2008 at 16:44
Sorry, I mean creeping up on them on some of the tracks...

From: juan carlos	Date: November 12, 2008 at 0:04
I waited for you baby on that hot summer night. I was so hot for ya, you were nowhere in sight.. "One Step Away" Wow man What a song!! i enjoyed this album too much, what a year! "Lovin' You's a Dirty Job" "Givin' Yourself Away" "Heads I Win, Tails You Lose" among my faves songs too. Great production indeed. A must have and a Classic of course. 9/10

From: edwithmj

Date: May 10, 2009 at 14:04

Shame is an OK song but doesn't stand out enough; Lovin You is commercial hard rock and you can hear Desmond Child in this one. I like it but it's still too commercial; Scratch That Itch I'm sorry to say is simply terrible, it's boring lyrically and musically; One Step Away sees Ratt bring out a standard ballad which again makes them sound too similar to other bands of the era. Hard Time is a brilliant song with great solos and riffs, a classic and it definitely makes the album stand out. Heads I Win was actually the first Ratt song I ever heard and it remains one of my favourite. I always thought Pearcy's vocals sounded like Axl Rose's in this which again draws the conclusion that this album is too much like other commercial rock albums of the era. All or Nothing almost sounds like a hard rock rap song but despite this the main riff makes it a good song. Can't wait On Love is Robbin's effort to the album and is a standard rocker...

From: edwithmj

Date: May 10, 2009 at 14:04

...A second superfluous ballad comes next which sounds far too radio friendly. Pearcy's vocals sound very bad in this and the whole song sounds far too cheesy. This could have been a Bon Jovi song had Desmond Child decided so. Diane Warren just should not write hard rock songs especially for classic bands like Ratt. The album ends poorly with Top Secret, a tuneless number that never seems to end. All in all, far too commercial and an attempt by the band to force themselves back into popularity with extra song writers and over production yet ends up sunding far too similar to other cheesy bands. This is almost a betrayal of their original sound as Motley Crue were with the release of Generation Swine.

From: WookieEnthal	Date: July 11, 2009 at 22:41
After a short hiatus (Reach For The Sky) The real Ratt returns. This is probably my second favorite CD from them. Saw them front row at a small club when this came out and they were just amazing...but the best part of the show was I discovered a new band in Saigon Kick who opened for them...they were just as good as Ratt. Love this one from start to finish...great hooky songs.

From: Put-Put	Date: August 10, 2009 at 6:51
very nice back to the roots album , not so clear polish like the 2albums before,i like it this one rocks

From: pie75	Date: August 5, 2010 at 1:06
to me this goes very close to out of the cellar but not quite their second best album love shame shame shame, loving you's a dirty job,one step away,hard time,heads i win tails you lose,can't wait on love and giving yourself away is ok not one of the great ballads but nothing wrong with it i love the line "lovin' you's a dirty job and i'm the man to do it" fine stuff

From: rockhardrock	Date: February 7, 2011 at 15:36
Their last studio album before they disbanded and it's a good one. This record has by my opinion their best ballad-givin yourself away. other songs I like here: shame, lovin you, can't wait on love and all or nothing.

From: metalmaniac777

Date: March 29, 2011 at 14:49

The swaggering dirty boys of Ratt apply a coat of polish to their sound and get some hired gun help in the songwriting department from the always-reliable Desmond Child, and the results are the best album of their career. Everything about this release is designed to detonate your speakers, from the pounding drums to the soaring hooks to the commercially-heavy guitars to the catchy hair-metal choruses.

From: the rocker	Date: January 4, 2012 at 21:53
I love Ratt period, but yes this is their best cd. I personally love the "polished" sound in my music, so this is awesome! Shame Shame Shame, Lovin' You's A Dirty Job, One Step Away(my favorite), Heads I Win Tails You Lose, Can't Wait On Love, & the fantastic ballad Giving Yourself Away. Very highly recommended!

From: MelodicMetal4Ever	Date: June 1, 2013 at 17:51
i have to agree with the masses. IMO Detonator was THE best Ratt album. With songs such as Shame,Shame,Shame, Lovin' You Is A Dirty Job, One Step Away & Heads I Win, Tails You Lose there is NO mistake for ME the sure catchiness of the sing-a-long songs (some say "Commercial") I say if its catchy I LIKE IT...and THIS album is DEFINATELY THAT! Go get it!

From: Doghouse Reilly	Date: June 2, 2013 at 0:05
From Stephen pearcy's book: "The label brought in Desmond Child to help with songwriting. We barely noticed he was there."

From: 123charpenay	Date: June 2, 2013 at 3:38
that s right "detonator" is their best record.thanx to the help of the master desmond child.many hits with irresistible choruses.my fave song is "nobody rides for free".this song is a bomb!!!

From: rick kerch vzla

Date: June 2, 2013 at 13:37

Well for me this album has an special meaning because i had the chance of meeting the whole band in a Record Store in London-England in a "greet & meet" encounter,got my "Detonator" vynil signed ...afterwards they did some shows around the country supporting the album and saw them too at the Town & Country Club in 1990...good memories of living in that country..."Shame Shame Shame","Lovin' You's A Dirty Job","Scratch That Itch","Heads I Win,Tails You Lose" are great songs indeed...90/100

From: hair metal again

Date: September 16, 2013 at 9:49

along with Invasion ,this one is RATT s finest hour for me!commercial hard rock perfection with the great Desmond Child on board is 100% and Detonator is no exception!there isnt any filler in it and all the songs are catchy and could be released as singles!"giving yourself away" and "lovin you is a dirty job" are mega hits and the band seems to enjoy their commercial edge without losing their rockin elements!one of the best releases in hard rock music ,essential in every hard rock collection

From: JONBONPIGO	Date: September 25, 2014 at 19:34
HAIR METAL RATT...Love It!! My Favourite RATT release...contains 5 of my Top 10 RATT songs of All-Time.. Anyone looking for the late 80's/ early 90's Hair Metal Essentials...then this is a MUST HAVE!!!

From: CC

Date: February 6, 2017 at 15:02

My first introduction to a lot of the 80s bands would have usually been the albums they released between 89-91, as that was when I started to really try a lot of bands I had never heard before. So quite often, my favourite with a lot of bands is the ones I first heard by them, which ends up falling into this little 3 year era. Strangely though, for some reason the first Ratt album I ever bought was Invasion of your privacy, yet this is easily my favourite album by them. Ratt released some absolute stormers throughout their career, which is why there is not a bad song on Ratt n Roll 81-91, despite it having more tracks than your traditional best of. For me though, until this album, I had always found their albums to be hit or miss from track to track, with what felt like a lot of filler on most of them, but Detonator was the first album I loved from start to finish. Even listening to it right now, I find myself loving every track. Every song is a winner here.

From: dany69	Date: March 23, 2017 at 16:58
Can't Believe nobody wanted The King Crosby 4 This Album!! Shame Shame Shame,,,,

From: Doghouse Reilly

Date: April 1, 2024 at 13:28

Detonator was released in August of 1990, and the hope was that it would be a comeback of sorts, after the lackadaisical Reach For The Sky. In a way, it succeeds, as you can't deny this is a cat×ier batch of tunes than the previous album, or maybe even Dancing Undercover. But it's also a smoother, more melodic version of the band's sound, lacking much of the menace of early material. The songs just seem more labored? Calculated? Less spontaneous? Less organic? Something. Even at the time of its release, I felt like Ratt were a band from an older generation whose fortunes were beginning to wane.

From: Doghouse Reilly

Date: April 1, 2024 at 14:23

Pearcy's protests notwithstanding, Desmond Child's presence is felt in the greater number of major-key melodies in songs like "One Step Away," "Heads I Win" and "Givin' Yourself Away," not to mention the incongruous, sugary "I'm gonna love you till the end of time" bridge dropped almost randomly amid the over-the-top sleaze of "Lovin' You's A Dirty Job." You can also detect Child's influence in the greater emphasis on lyrics. This is not to say that they're great lyrics. They're not, but they show a level of creativity, with their verbosity and internal rhymes, that Ratt had not previously been known for. The words to "Heads I Win" are almost like something out of a hard-boiled detective story from the 1930's: "You're a user, you're a slime, you'd send your mama down the river for a lousy dime." You just have to laugh, and then raise your eyebrows on the next song when Pearcy casually mentions selling his ass on the street. For his part, Pearcy splits his time between surprisingly melo

From: Doghouse Reilly	Date: April 1, 2024 at 14:27
... melodic singing and a nasal whine that grates on the ears and almost reminds of Joe Leste trying to sing. A fair share of the HH gang cite Detonator as their favorite Ratt album, often for its more AOR leanings, but for me, despite a handful of good songs, nothing can rival Out Of The Cellar or Invasion Of Your Privacy.

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