As a huge fan of hair bands, this was sad news to me, especially knowing that Lane had children. I still have my tape of Warrant's debut album, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich. I can remember when Lane performed with Warrant at the infamous 1990 American Music Awards with a black eye because his bandmate tried jumping over him the night before and clocked him in the face with a guitar in the process. (Those are the same awards that prompted tape delays of live shows, due to Slash and Duff McKagan, both hammered, swearing as they accepted awards on behalf of GNR. I was lucky enough to have taped the show for some reason, and it is still somewhere at my mom's house. I am legend.)
In recent years, I've come to view Lane as kind of a tragic figure (even before his death). He was on Celebrity Fit Club a couple years ago, and you could tell he had some pretty clear recurring issues with alcohol and with his past.
Most tragic for me, though, was his hatred of what Warrant is probably best remembered for -- their 1990 hit "Cherry Pie." The band's second album, also entitled Cherry Pie, was supposed to be called Uncle Tom's Cabin (which is also the name of a song on the album) and was thought to be complete, but the record company wanted the band to write a hit single for the album. Lane wrote "Cherry Pie" in 15 minutes on the back of a pizza box. During VH1's fantastic 2006 documentary, Heavy: The Story of Metal, Lane discusses "Cherry Pie," his distaste for the song, and the fact that his legacy is tied so closely to that song. In a line that has stuck with me since the first time I heard it, he said, "I could shoot myself in the fucking head for writing that song." I remember thinking how sad I felt for the guy because he absolutely despised a song that millions of people (including me) loved, and from his demeanor, it didn't seem like too far of a stretch that he would shoot himself in the head.
But let's not think of the bad things. Let's focus on the good. Warrant made some pretty solid music in the late '80s and early '90s. Sure, they had a lot of power ballads, but they were some pretty good ones. And they also had their fair share of rockers as well. With that, here are my ten favorite Warrant songs (unfortunately, Playlist.com didn't have a lot of them):
Honorable mention: "You're The Only Hell Your Mama Ever Raised"; "Blind Faith"; "Train, Train"; "Sometimes She Cries"
10. "So Damn Pretty (Should Be Against the Law)"
While I disagree with the outlawing of hotness that seems to be advocated by the song, I agree that it rocks.
9. "Love In Stereo"
It's a song about a threesome. Enough said.
8. "Big Talk"
I had forgotten about this song until I got DRFSR on CD last year. It's a pretty solid, catchy rocker. Apparently, the band made a video for the song as well, which I saw this weekend on VH1 Classic's Metal Mania.
7. "Heaven"
This was the band's highest charting song, making it all the way up to #2 on the charts back in 1989. It's a pretty damn good power ballad, and it made Warrant a household name.
6. "Sure Feels Good to Me"
This song is a great, fast-paced song that reminded you that Warrant could very well rock.
5. "I Saw Red"
Sure, it's a little cheesy, but that doesn't mean I don't like it. It's about a dude who's in love with some chick. He walks in on her getting tagged by some other dude, apparently both of them covered in red body paint. The imagery from the chorus has always stuck with me: "I saw red / When I opened up the door / I saw red / My heart just spilled onto the floor / And I didn't need to see his face / I saw yours / I saw red / And then I closed the door / And I don't think I'm gonna love you anymore." I also like the bridge, when the "power" comes to the "ballad."
4. "Mr. Rainmaker"
This is another solid, catchy hard rock song.
3. "Uncle Tom's Cabin"
The song that should have been the title track to Warrant's second album is every bit as good as the song that became the title track. It starts off slow, then builds into a solid rocking force. The song is about two kids who witness someone disposing of two bodies in the woods.
2. "Cherry Pie"
Lane's hatred aside, this is a great song. It drips with innuendo, has a loud and memorable chorus, and the video featured Bobbie Brown (the model, not Whitney's husband) getting a slice of cherry pie dropped in her lap.
1. "Down Boys"
This was the first Warrant song I remember hearing, and I've loved the song since then. It has everything a great hair band song should have: a good riff, sneaky hooks, a solid drum beat, and a chorus you can sing along to.
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