'Givin' Yourself Away' - A True Gem
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 12:01PM If you asked people for their top RATT songs, I bet “Givin’ Yourself Away” wouldn’t make the list and that is a shame. The song is on the album Detonator which is one of my favorites by the band. Overall the album is slick as hell – just as you would expect for a 1990 hair metal release. The entire album sounds huge!
The guitar solo in this under-appreciated RATT ballad just might be some of Warren DeMartini’s best work. The solo really complements the song and gives it an edge. The overall guitar work is excellent in the song throughout as well.
The guitar melody is deceptively simple. The notes challenge Stephen Pearcy’s voice in just the right way. Pearcy sings higher and DeMartini makes his axe squeal in response. There’s bends, hammer pulls, sweep picking and a vacation up and down the fret board.
The melody and solo could fit right into a Hollywood "rom-com" blockbuster. I said what I said.
RATT
Reader Comments (4)
. . . and Pearcy, Fletch. He contributed to this song too.
Thing is, dropping Beau was probably not a right or wrong move on their part. The tea leaves were easy to read (for them, for their genre, etc.). It certainly does sound slicker. Heck, I even like their bid at _Point Break_ success. And I am sure that the songwriter Canton got some checks for their efforts.
Then again, you put those two song titles together--"Giving Yourself Away Because Nobody Rides for Free" and you could create a pretty cool discussion of lots of bands, from lots of genres, that released slick songs while they were slowly declining (oftentimes, through no fault, or little fault, of their own). Or a really dirty discussion of other things!
Hope people keep posting interesting stuff. Still reading. Posting (more though) infrequently.
Love your site, Allyson. Thank you.