By STEVE MASCORD
I’M SUPPOSED to hate Nelson. Y’know, call ’em a pair of purse-carrying nancies, fake, pretty boys, talentless poseurs who’ve only gone to number one in the US because their dad is a dead pop icon.
An’ what came spewing out of the speakers? Well, a whole heap of choruses that left me humming all arvo, a slightly heavier arrangement than I expected and quite reasonable lyrics to boot.
Before you spit on my very words, let me make it patently clear that Nelson is not a metal band. But is Bon Jovi? Take a listen to Jon Bon Jovi’s formularised Young Guns I LP before you brand Nelson as formularised, contrived and cheap.
Both acts appeal to the teen market’s sense of pathos, emotion and drama. And a lot of the Nelson album was written after one of them broke up with his girlfriend.
When did JBJ write his album? After he was shot dead by Billy the f__kin’ Kid?!
You tell me who means it!
“Everywhere I Go” beats most turgid metal power ballads hands down, “I Can Hardly Wait” is catchy and “Fill You Up” is even a teeny-weeny bit obscene. Even so, the constant harmonising does wear a bit thin.
I won’t recommend you go out and buy this if you’re a Slayer fan – this isn’t even as heavy as Bon Jovi. Still, Nelson have more talent, sense of melody and vocal ability than Warrant, Slaughter and 1927 put together.
A long way from great, but they’re not as bad as you think.
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