Rediscovering My Records: Metal Health

I bought a cheap turntable and have been playing albums that have sat untouched for 30+ years. Everyone had a copy of Metal Health in '83.

This isn't trendy, these aren't 180 gram remasters, these are my old records from back in the day. My mom has saved everything from my childhood, but finally started to get rid of things a few years ago. When it came to a stack of LP's that were in the closet of my old bedroom, I just couldn't throw them in the trash. I took my old records home where they sat in my basement for a couple of years. Now, after remaining unplayed for almost 40 years, I'm rediscovering my records and learning a lot about my teenage self.

At this point, I can't remember if I had this album before Quiet Riot was all over MTV, but I'm guessing I did. I was a metalhead in high school, but also one of the "smart" kids. It wasn't unusual to see me in a Ratt t-shirt on Monday, then a tie for the debate tournament on Tuesday. Quiet Riot was right in my wheelhouse. Metal Health was the album the brought metal to the mainstream, powering to #1 on the Billboard charts.

Side 1 starts with the one-two punch of "Metal Health" and "Cum on Feel the Noize." After that, things drop off pretty quickly. Listening again to this record in 2021, I'm realizing I didn't really play it all that much in the '80s. I still have Condition Critical in my collection too, but never bought anything before or after these two albums.

I did buy the striped tank top when I saw them play at the American Rock Festival with Accept, Ratt, Night Ranger, Triumph, Motley Crue and Ozzy. (I kind of wish I still had that.) I was excited to see guitar player Carlos Cavazo with Ratt when they played Wings Stadium with Lita Ford, Sebastian Bach and Don Dokken in 2013.

Back to Metal Health: for me, it sounds very dated. It deserves a place as a foundational record to a lot of the music I loved then, but it doesn't have much relevance in my life today. It simply hasn't held up for me- it may be another 40 years before it gets a spin again.