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Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich

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Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich
Original album artwork by Mark Ryden
Studio album by
Warrant
ReleasedJanuary 31, 1989[1]
RecordedApril–November 1988
GenreGlam metal
Length37:08
LabelColumbia
ProducerBeau Hill
Warrant chronology
Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich
(1989) 		Cherry Pie
(1990)
Singles from Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich
  1. "Down Boys"
    Released: April 1989[2]
  2. "Heaven"
    Released: July 1989
  3. "Big Talk"
    Released: October 1989
  4. "Sometimes She Cries"
    Released: December 1989

Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich is the debut studio album by American glam metal band Warrant, released in 1989.

The album was highly successful, spawning the hit singles "Heaven" (No. 2, 1989), "Down Boys" (No. 27, 1989) and "Sometimes She Cries" (No. 20, 1990).[3] The album peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200.[4]

The unique cover art features "Fugazi", known as "Cashly Guido Bucksley" in the "Big Talk" music video, an overpaid, amoral infrastructure manager and archetypal business psychopath.[5] Artwork by Pop Surrealism artist, Mark Ryden.

Musical style

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The album's sound is typical of the Sunset Strip glam metal scene of the 1980s,[6][7][8][9][10][11] featuring heavy guitars and melodic, catchy choruses.

Production and marketing

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The album was released amidst some controversy. It was widely rumored that guitarists Erik Turner and Joey Allen had not played a note on the album and that all guitar work had been performed by ex-Streets guitarist and session musician Mike Slamer.[12] While the rumor has never been verified, Slamer's wife confirmed in 1998 that her husband played guitar on the record.[13] Mike Slamer has stated in interviews that he played guitar and the lead solos on the album. Producer Beau Hill stated in a 2012 interview that Slamer did in fact play on the album. Hill had said to the band that the "songs are really great, but I think we’re a little weak in the solo department and so [I'd] like to bring somebody in". Hill also stated that "everybody in the band signed off on it and everything was done above ground".[14]

During the recording of the album, singer Jani Lane walked in on his best friend in bed with his girlfriend, leading to his nervous breakdown, and its release was delayed by several months while Lane recovered. These events would later be recounted in the single "I Saw Red" on the band's following album, Cherry Pie.[15]

The record was produced and engineered by Hill, who also contributed keyboards and backing vocals. It was recorded at The Enterprise in Burbank, California.

Songs

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The album's themes, which include materialism ("32 Pennies", "D.R.F.S.R"), sex ("Down Boys", "So Damn Pretty", "Cold Sweat"), heartbreak ("Heaven") and loneliness ("Sometimes She Cries"), would be echoed on later Warrant releases.

The debut single from the band was "Down Boys", the song has been described as "one of the toughest, heaviest songs in [Warrant's] catalog, and certainly at the top of both categories in terms of their hit singles".[16]

The second single was the smash hit "Heaven" which took Warrant's record company by surprise. Indeed, once the widespread appeal of the song became apparent, the band was instructed to re-record the track to lend it a "bigger radio sound". Beau Hill remixed the song for the single release. The first 250,000 copies of the record featured the original version while later pressings featured a new version.[17] "Heaven" had previously been recorded by Jani Lane and Steven Sweet's old band Plain Jane.

"Big Talk" was released as the third single followed by the popular "Sometimes She Cries" as the fourth single. All the singles featured music videos.

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
Kerrang![19]
Los Angeles Times[20]

The Los Angeles Times called Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich "a rock 'n' roll romp that's both colorful and loaded with heart."[20]

AllMusic gave the album a rating of four out of five stars, saying that it was "sleek and clean, built on processed guitars and cavernous drums" and that it "sounds exactly like that year [1989], both for better and worse."[18] Dave Reynolds of Kerrang! considers the album "hardly outstanding", with only "a bunch of distinctly average songs matched to a brace of worthwhile moments".[19]

Solo recording dispute

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Much of the record's solos have been unofficially credited to Mike Slamer. Beau Hill felt Joey Allen and Erik Turner were not at the standard required to compete with similar bands at the time for the solos. It was Hill who put Slamer forward, in an interview with Full in Bloom [21] Hill claimed Slamer played all solos in all songs.

However, in September 2020, Erik Turner was interviewed on the Chuck Shute podcast and stated everyone [Turner, Allen and Slamer] played on the tracks and Mike [Slamer] did some of the solos.[22] In June 2022, Allen was interviewed on the subject and stated each solo on each song and who played what. Some songs were entirely Slamer, while others were a mix of the three and some entirely Allen.

Allen states Hill wasn't particularly helpful with Turner and Allen, stating Hill required them to record "bone dry" [no effects] while allowing Slamer effects such as delay. Allen confirms he did take lessons from Slamer even after the completion of the record.[23]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Jani Lane

No.TitleLength
1."32 Pennies"3:09
2."Down Boys"4:04
3."Big Talk"3:43
4."Sometimes She Cries"4:44
5."So Damn Pretty (Should Be Against the Law)"3:33
6."D.R.F.S.R."3:17
7."In the Sticks"4:06
8."Heaven"3:57
9."Ridin' High"3:06
10."Cold Sweat"3:32
Total length:37:08
Bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Only a Man" (demo)4:22
12."All Night Long" (demo)2:42

Personnel

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Warrant
  • Jani Lane – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Joey Allen – lead guitar
  • Erik Turner – rhythm guitar
  • Jerry Dixon – bass
  • Steven Sweet – drums
Additional personnel
Production
  • Beau Hill – producer, engineer, mixing (5, 7, 10)
  • Joel Stoner – engineer
  • John Jansen – mixing (except 5, 7, 10)

Charts

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Chart (1989) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[24] 72
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[25] 20
US Billboard 200[26] 10

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[27] Platinum 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[1] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Video Album

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Live - Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich
Video by
Warrant
Released16 January 1990
RecordedBucksley Arena, Tampa, Florida, 1989
GenreGlam metal
Length53 min.
LabelColumbia
DirectorNick Morris
ProducerFiona O'Mahoney
Warrant chronology
Live - Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich
(1990) 		Cherry Pie: Quality You Can Taste
(1991)

Warrant: Live - Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich is the first Warrant video album released in 1990 on VHS and Laserdisc, featuring the band performing live in concert on the D.R.F.S.R tour in 1989. The video features the album cover character (calling himself "Cashly Guido Bucksley") watching Warrant in concert. The video was certified Platinum.[28]

Track listing

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  1. "So Damn Pretty"
  2. "Ridin' High"
  3. "32 Pennies"
  4. "Heaven" (music video)
  5. "Down Boys"
  6. "Cold Sweat"
  7. "D.R.F.S.R."
  8. "Sometimes She Cries"
  9. "Big Talk" (music video)

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[28] Platinum 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ a b "American album certifications – Warrant – Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  2. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 884. ISBN 9780862415419.
  3. ^ "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
  4. ^ "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on 2011-05-30. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
  5. ^ Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, sleeve notes.
  6. ^ "Top 50 Glam Metal Albums". Metal Rules. Archived from the original on 26 November 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Top 20 Hair Metal Albums of All Time: The Complete List". LA Weekly. 2011-12-09. Archived from the original on 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  8. ^ Westhoff, Ben (6 December 2011). "Chuck Klosterman's Favorite Hair Metal Albums". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  9. ^ DiVita, Joe (November 9, 2016). "Top 30 Hair Metal Albums". Loudwire. Archived from the original on 2016-11-10. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  10. ^ Beaujour, Tom; Bienstock, Richard; Eddy, Chuck; Fischer, Reed; Grow, Kory; Johnston, Maura; Weingarten, Christopher R. (2019-08-31). "50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2017-12-09. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  11. ^ "6 Glam-Metal Albums You Need to Own | Revolvermag". 2017-07-28. Archived from the original on 2017-07-28. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  12. ^ "Info from Cityboy Recordings". Archived from the original on 2007-02-24. Retrieved 2005-06-28.
  13. ^ Interview with Slamer's wife
  14. ^ "Beau Hill: 'Your Only Constraint is Your Own Imagination' | Interviews @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com". Archived from the original on 2012-01-12. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  15. ^ "Rockhole Bravepages.com". Archived from the original on 2019-10-05. Retrieved 2005-01-11.
  16. ^ "Warrant - Down Boys review". Allmusic. Archived from the original on 30 May 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
  17. ^ Biography at Rock Detector.com Archived December 1, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich - Warrant". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
  19. ^ a b Reynolds, Dave (21 January 1989). "Rich Rags". Kerrang!. Vol. 222. London, UK: Spotlight Publications ltd. p. 20.
  20. ^ a b Garza, Janiss (26 Feb 1989). "Record Rack". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 75.
  21. ^ "Warrant: Beau Hill on Replacing Erik Turner & Joey Allen on the Albums, "We're going to get smoked"". YouTube. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  22. ^ "Erik Turner (Warrant Guitarist)". chuckshute.com/.
  23. ^ "alking Shred w/ Joey Allen ~ Who REALLY Wrote The Guitar Solo's on WARRANTS Albums! Part 1 : DRFSR!". YouTube. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  24. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  25. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6505". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  26. ^ "Warrant Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  27. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Warrant – Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich". Music Canada. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  28. ^ a b "American video certifications – Warrant – Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich Live". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
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