"Skid Row was slightly different from contemporary albums by Warrant and Great White because it contained less "fake-gutter narratives of sluts and bad boys", and instead leaned more towards Bon Jovi's earnest anthems." Erik Davis Spin Magazine June 1989
1989 gave us Skid Row's debut self-titled album. Personally, I can only hear some of these titles as read by MTV VJ Adam Curry or Headbanger's Ball host Rikki Rachtman as they seemed on heavy request rotation, along with Aerosmith, Queensrÿche, and Poison. It was different, heavier, and the songs weren't just about love and partying. 18 and Life told the story of Ricky who threw his life away, Youth Gone Wild was about the questioning of authority, and that video for I Remember You - who can forget that sad story?
For those of us who cut our teeth on Poison and Bon Jovi, Skid Row was the stepping stone to heavier music and gave us an outlet for our teen angst. While not without controversy, the band toured for the next 17 months and even played in the Moscow Music Peace Festival and would open for and play with a myriad of the 1990's super groups: Aerosmith, Guns N Roses, Pantera, and Soundgarden.
Big Guns
Sweet Little Sister
Piece of Me
18 and Life
Rattlesnake Shake
Youth Gone Wild
Here I Am
Makin' a Mess
I Remember You
Midnight / Tornado
