Showing posts with label A.J. Pero. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A.J. Pero. Show all posts

DVD Review: Twisted Sister – We Are Twisted F***ing Sister

DVD Review: Twisted Sister – We Are Twisted F***ing Sister
Music Box Films
All Access Rating: A-

Twisted Sister - We Are
Twisted F***ing
Sister 2016
Dubbed "the band that killed disco," Twisted Sister did hard time for its crimes against '70s dance music.

Looking absolutely deranged with their outlandish costumes and garish makeup, the flamboyant, but gritty, glam-metal combo that brought drunks onstage to sing parts of the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane" and led boisterous chants of "disco sucks" in hot, sweaty venues couldn't catch a break.

Despite a rabid following growing exponentially in the club circuit around New York City, record labels passed on them time and time again, never doubting for a second they could possibly be wrong about this hot mess of a band. History would prove otherwise.

Directed by Andrew Horn, "We Are Twisted F***king Sister" is a rollicking, 134-minute documentary that never drags while providing an entertaining, in-depth account of Twisted Sister's decade-long struggle to make it big. Out in theaters as well, the DVD version includes a disc packed to the gills with bonus interview material. The main story doesn't need much embellishment, however.

While Dee Snider and Jay Jay French, among others, tell funny and revelatory old war stories – although one about a particularly racist club owner was troubling to say the least – loads of vintage footage of raucous live shows from the early days give a true and undiluted sense of the grassroots-level excitement they generated, as well as the palpable hostility the band faced. Viewers wind up in the trenches, pumping their fists along with the rabble with the knowledge that behind the scenes, not everything was peachy.

Unabashedly open about their ambitions and their ruthless intentions to mop the floor with any act they shared stages with, including poor Zebra, Snider and French are refreshingly candid about their thorny relationship, with Snider admitting to his alienation from the group and his desire to usurp power as Twisted Sister's leader. Snider was confrontational, whereas French established an easy rapport with audiences. They were different people. Yet on some level, even back then, they instinctively knew they needed each other to realize their dreams, and the film lets that sub-plot unfold naturally. What also emerges, from talks with managers, fans and other group members is a picture of a barnstorming bar band – loved by many, but also reviled in some quarters – that worked tirelessly and went to great lengths to get noticed, even to the point of exhaustion.

Just as importantly, what Horn does is give the unvarnished truth of how Twisted Sister became Twisted Sister, letting all the personalities in this dramatic comedy reminisce and confess to all sorts of misdeeds as the story unfolds about the band's difficult birth. In a sense, from the very beginning, they were entrepreneurs selling wild, rebellious rock 'n' roll and eventually their business took off. Along the way there were disappointments and deals that went south, but with a little help from an enthusiastic patron at Atlantic Records, they were able to get out of New York – to the chagrin of some supporters – and go national. Theirs is a story of dogged persistence, of chasing the American Dream really.

And if nothing else, "We Are Twisted F***ing Sister" is ... well, inspirational, but not in a "self-help book" kind of way. Empty platitudes are nowhere to be found here. Twisted Sister put in the hours. They, to borrow a phrase, stayed hungry. And when an opportunity presented itself, they weren't afraid to jump at it, even if there was nothing to catch their fall.
– Peter Lindblad

Twisted Sister - A Twisted X-Mas: Live in Las Vegas


Twisted Sister – A Twisted X-Mas: Live in Las Vegas
Eagle Rock Entertainment
All Access Review: B+
Twisted Sister: A Twisted X-Mas - Live in Las Vegas 2012
Move over, Bing Crosby. There’s a new king of Christmas crooning, and his name is Dee Snider. Yes, that Dee Snider. Doing the unthinkable, in 2006, Twisted Sister – having only reunited a few short years earlier – recorded an album of holiday classics with a heavy metal edge titled A Twisted Christmas. It was supposed to be Twisted Sister’s swan song, an amusing novelty LP they probably did for laughs and to, perhaps, take one more opportunity to stick it to those self-righteous, stick-up-their-ass Bible thumpers who tried so very hard in the ‘80s to censor them.
After all, what could be more blasphemous than for Snider to put “Oh Come, All Ye Faithfull” under the blade and do unspeakable things to it … and to the tune of “We’re Not Going to Take It” no less? That, my friends, is twisted.
Not much was expected of the album, but to the surprise of almost everyone, A Twisted Christmas was a massive hit, and the lineup of Snider, guitarists Eddie Ojeda and Jay Jay French, bassist Mark Mendoza, and drummer A.J. Pero decided to stick around a little longer, performing here and there at the odd festival and other gatherings. And, strangely enough, it’s been their Christmas music that’s played a big role in their well-received revival.
So, with that holy day approaching, there’s nothing like a Twisted Sister live release to spread some holiday cheer. This particular one has been available before, as part of the 2011 Bars to the Stars 5-DVD box set, but it is now being reissued on its own on DVD, CD and digital audio/video. A rollicking good time, as any Christmas party in Las Vegas should be, A Twisted X-Mas, out via Eagle Rock Entertainment, is a spirited, pile-driving mix of Yuletide favorites and Twisted Sister classics. While the video versions of this set are visual extravaganzas, it’s the raucous audio document that we’ll drink a toast to here.
While it’s tempting to dismiss Twisted Sister’s metallic takes on Christmas chestnuts as simple parodies, performed with a wink and a grotesquely made-up smile, these old war horses seem to have a grudging respect for them. And while the tone of the record can hardly be described as “serious,” the always jolly Snider and his demented, denim-and-leather-clad elves obviously enjoy bombing their way through a lighthearted and fun “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” a sludgy “Have Yourself a Merry Christmas” and their own stomping “metal” version of the “12 Days of Christmas” – with a statue of Ozzy, spandex pants and studded belts taking the place of five golden rings and a partridge in a pear tree. The sequencing is interesting, however, considering how they put “Come All Ye Faithfull” through its paces and ratchet up the tempo right before Twisted Sister gnashes its teeth on its descent into the thrash-metal pit of evil known as “Burn in Hell” – an odd juxtaposition to say the least.
Mostly, however, Twisted Sister tackles more secular holiday fare, as their versions of “White Christmas” – with its scorching guitar leads and a twin-guitar double helix that Thin Lizzy would kill for – and “Deck the Halls” stampede through your Christmas office party, trashing the place with booze-fueled mayhem they may or may not regret when morning arrives. But, as much devilish glee as they take in reimagining these old standards with power chords and Marshall amps turned all the way up, it’s the blazing defiance of familiar Twisted Sister anthems such as “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” “I Wanna Rock” and “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll” that made the band a household name. And they tear through them savagely on this night in 2009 – the rugged old chainsaw guitars, brawling bass lines and pounding drums covered with more glitter than grit, but still capable of inciting riots.
However, not all of the reworked Christmas material works, even if it delivered with energy and volume. At times, you get the idea that Twisted Sister is trying a bit too hard to pull off the impossible – that is, turning quieter numbers like “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” into something louder and more brutish. To beat up Twisted Sister over something so slight, however, would be like taking a dump in Santa’s cookies and milk. It is Christmas after all.
-            Peter Lindblad