Baton Rouge

[metalmaniac777]

Mebbe this band has been polled before, but if so, I couldn't find it and the Search Engine didn't dig it up, so here it is, a poll on the truly excellent (in my opinion anyway) melodic hard rock band Baton Rouge. Big guitars, excellent production, a killer lead singer, gigantic hooks, massive choruses, tons of backing vocals...one of those bands that just had it all, yet somehow missed the so-called "big time."

 

My vote goes to the debut, "Shake Your Soul," which I consider damn near flawless.

 

So what say ye?

[hardrockhaven]

Man oh man...this is one of the hardest polls I've ever had to vote in. Baton Rouge is one of my all-time favorites and I consider each Baton Rouge album to be a masterpiece in its own right. I even just voted Kelly Keeling as my most favorite male vocalist in another thread. But, after careful thought, I decided to go with "Lights out in the playground". Such a variety of songs on that album and they're just about all awesome. Why can't these guys make a comeback like everybody else.....please, I beg.

 

Chris

[Rockposer]

Love the band, gotta vote Shake Your Soul.

[Jez]

Probably 'Shake Your Soul' but 'Lights Out..' pushes it.

[heaven&hell]

"Lights" gets my vote but the debut is really good too.

 

 

I think there was a thread somwhere around here where we talked about these albums but we never did do a poll on them. Come to think of it I think it was in the "spin it again" thread where mostly Geoff and I discussed "Lights" vs the debut.

[Mullethead]

The first one by a mile. Not real crazy about the other two.

[Geoff]

"Lights" gets my vote but the debut is really good too.

 

 

I think there was a thread somwhere around here where we talked about these albums but we never did do a poll on them. Come to think of it I think it was in the "spin it again" thread where mostly Geoff and I discussed "Lights" vs the debut.

Yeah, I remember that, and I stand by it. The debut is a beauty. Nice, fresh melodic hard rock. Some really excellent songs.

 

'Lights out' is still, song-wise, a very good album - but it is also tired, dreary and formula-driven hard rock with no trace of a soul... imo. I ended up really disliking Ponti's song writing stlye and Baton Rouge's 2nd album was a huge reason why. There is not a trace of passion that I can detect on 'Lights out'. I should also say that LOVED this disc once, and still wouldn't turn it off... I would probably like it quite a bit if I played it tomorrow... but it did get worse for me with every listen. the third is worse than the other 2, but again not a total write-off. Debut is the best by a mile.

[Nelson]

As I have always wrote here (somewhere), I find their songs a little funny. Not saying that they're not good. They are very, very good! But they just hit me as too "nursery rhyme".

 

But I love the first one, SHAKE YOUR SOUL.

[aMetalhead1966]

I think Shake is their best...

[phaffas]

was just listening Shake Your Soul this morning... will have to get Lights out later...

just great singalong hard rock

[Geoff]

But they just hit me as too "nursery rhyme".

Yeah, that's Jack Ponti for you. Once you've heard one of his lullabies you're pretty much heard them all. I've grown quite tired of his nursery rhyme chants through the years.

[hardrockhaven]

But they just hit me as too "nursery rhyme".

Yeah, that's Jack Ponti for you. Once you've heard one of his lullabies you're pretty much heard them all. I've grown quite tired of his nursery rhyme chants through the years.

Blasphemy Geoff...blasphemy I tell ya! Jack Ponti was one of the greatest song writers of that era. I love the fact that he wrote catchy sing along choruses. I wouldn't call them nursery rhymes. That does it, LOL

[Geoff]

But they just hit me as too "nursery rhyme".

Yeah, that's Jack Ponti for you. Once you've heard one of his lullabies you're pretty much heard them all. I've grown quite tired of his nursery rhyme chants through the years.

Blasphemy Geoff...blasphemy I tell ya! Jack Ponti was one of the greatest song writers of that era. I love the fact that he wrote catchy sing along choruses. I wouldn't call them nursery rhymes. That does it, LOL

Haha. Yeah, I was with you a few years ago - I actually would seek out and look for Ponti's stuff. But in the end - and there are exceptions - I just found his style to be far too similar between bands and projects and not as good as I first thought. Like I said above, almost "chant"-ish.

[phaffas]

But they just hit me as too "nursery rhyme".

Yeah, that's Jack Ponti for you. Once you've heard one of his lullabies you're pretty much heard them all. I've grown quite tired of his nursery rhyme chants through the years.

Blasphemy Geoff...blasphemy I tell ya! Jack Ponti was one of the greatest song writers of that era. I love the fact that he wrote catchy sing along choruses. I wouldn't call them nursery rhymes. That does it, LOL

Haha. Yeah, I was with you a few years ago - I actually would seek out and look for Ponti's stuff. But in the end - and there are exceptions - I just found his style to be far too similar between bands and projects and not as good as I first thought. Like I said above, almost "chant"-ish.

 

What else was Ponti involved with? And was BR the best of his lot?

[phaffas]

Wasnt BR - s/t pretty much a different band? I heard one of their songs... cont remember what... and it was cool, but strange... nothing like the first two albums...

[Jez]

But they just hit me as too "nursery rhyme".

Yeah, that's Jack Ponti for you. Once you've heard one of his lullabies you're pretty much heard them all. I've grown quite tired of his nursery rhyme chants through the years.

Blasphemy Geoff...blasphemy I tell ya! Jack Ponti was one of the greatest song writers of that era. I love the fact that he wrote catchy sing along choruses. I wouldn't call them nursery rhymes. That does it, LOL

Haha. Yeah, I was with you a few years ago - I actually would seek out and look for Ponti's stuff. But in the end - and there are exceptions - I just found his style to be far too similar between bands and projects and not as good as I first thought. Like I said above, almost "chant"-ish.

 

What else was Ponti involved with? And was BR the best of his lot?

 

 

Ponti did Surgin didn't he - I quite like their debut disc.!

[phaffas]

But they just hit me as too "nursery rhyme".

Yeah, that's Jack Ponti for you. Once you've heard one of his lullabies you're pretty much heard them all. I've grown quite tired of his nursery rhyme chants through the years.

Blasphemy Geoff...blasphemy I tell ya! Jack Ponti was one of the greatest song writers of that era. I love the fact that he wrote catchy sing along choruses. I wouldn't call them nursery rhymes. That does it, LOL

Haha. Yeah, I was with you a few years ago - I actually would seek out and look for Ponti's stuff. But in the end - and there are exceptions - I just found his style to be far too similar between bands and projects and not as good as I first thought. Like I said above, almost "chant"-ish.

 

What else was Ponti involved with? And was BR the best of his lot?

 

 

Ponti did Surgin didn't he - I quite like their debut disc.!

 

Surgin? never heard of them!

[Jez]

But they just hit me as too "nursery rhyme".

Yeah, that's Jack Ponti for you. Once you've heard one of his lullabies you're pretty much heard them all. I've grown quite tired of his nursery rhyme chants through the years.

Blasphemy Geoff...blasphemy I tell ya! Jack Ponti was one of the greatest song writers of that era. I love the fact that he wrote catchy sing along choruses. I wouldn't call them nursery rhymes. That does it, LOL

Haha. Yeah, I was with you a few years ago - I actually would seek out and look for Ponti's stuff. But in the end - and there are exceptions - I just found his style to be far too similar between bands and projects and not as good as I first thought. Like I said above, almost "chant"-ish.

 

What else was Ponti involved with? And was BR the best of his lot?

 

 

Ponti did Surgin didn't he - I quite like their debut disc.!

 

Surgin? never heard of them!

 

'When Midnight Comes' was their debut - very Bon Jovi'ish ala the S/T. 'Desiree' was a fabulous track. A good little disc and worth hunting down - shouldn't be a prob to find a copy.

[Geoff]

Yeah, Ponti was a member of Surgin. I agree with Jez - good early Bon Jovi-style band. Where else was he? He wrote songs with China Rain (with Randy Jackson), did a lot of Nelson's 'Imaginator' album, Doro's 'Angels never die', he worked with Bonfire ('Sleeping all alone' is a Surgin song), he did a couple of tunes with Babylon AD... seriously, his name would pop up in a lot more places than you'd expect. He co-wrote a lot of songs on 80's and early 90's hard rock discs.

 

As for the 3rd Baton Rouge album - yes, Ponti was actually a part of the band. It was Keeling, him and a bunch of dudes.

[TIM (2)]

I don't think I've ever heard a Baton Rouge song in my life... Have always meant to check them out, but I have a horrible feeling their gonna sound like Slaughter or Poison....

[Glen]

I don't think I've ever heard a Baton Rouge song in my life... Have always meant to check them out, but I have a horrible feeling their gonna sound like Slaughter or Poison....

 

WTF! I cant believe you've never heard a Baton Rouge song???!

 

Get the debut - f awesome melodic hard rock and sounds fuck all like Poison.

 

Cheers

[TIM (2)]

I don't think I've ever heard a Baton Rouge song in my life... Have always meant to check them out, but I have a horrible feeling their gonna sound like Slaughter or Poison....

 

WTF! I cant believe you've never heard a Baton Rouge song???!

 

Get the debut - f awesome melodic hard rock and sounds fuck all like Poison.

 

Cheers

 

Ok, maybe I will thanks....

 

P.s. Like the new avatar. You are a bad man.

[hardrockhaven]

I don't think I've ever heard a Baton Rouge song in my life... Have always meant to check them out, but I have a horrible feeling their gonna sound like Slaughter or Poison....

Slaughter and Poison could only dream to sound as awesome as Baton Rouge. BR blow them both away. Not even in the same league! Can you tell I'm a huge fan

[Mullethead]

I don't think I've ever heard a Baton Rouge song in my life... Have always meant to check them out, but I have a horrible feeling their gonna sound like Slaughter or Poison....

Slaughter and Poison could only dream to sound as awesome as Baton Rouge. BR blow them both away. Not even in the same league! Can you tell I'm a huge fan

 

 

 

They sound nothing like Poison or Slaughter. I really like the debut but they were never on the same planet as Poison or Slaughter. I think the record sells would show that too. Still, it's a very good album.

[metalmaniac777]

I don't think I've ever heard a Baton Rouge song in my life...Have always meant to check them out, but I have a horrible feeling their gonna sound like Slaughter or Poison...

I'll keep this brief:

 

Poison > Slaughter

Baton Rouge > Poison

 

Get the picture?