The band that never was: M.A.R.S.

[Fusionbear]

I love this album from 1986. Been listening to it a lot the last couple of weeks. I'm seriously thinking of asking my bandmates from H8TORADE to do four or five of the tunes at our next gig...

Tony MacAlpine
Tommy Aldridge
Rob Rock
Rudy Sarzo

I like all the tunes, really. Some of the ballads are a bit cheesy, but the songwriting is fun to work out, nevertheless.

The guitar tone sounds like a Rockman though. Not sure what Tony used. But then again, it was the 80's.

 

[skoora]

Oh man, I remember that album cover from perusing our local, specialty, metal record shop back then, all the way in Perth, Australia.

 

[D-Rock]

But why did they give the final 3 songs R&B titles?

 

[Greazygeo]

He was playing thru Peavey rack gear when I saw him back then….pa power amps, 31 band eq and cabs. Never saw what he was actually plugged into, but it sure sounded like a Rockman.

 

[Eazy-ESP]

Anything with T-Mac is worth listening to really.

 

[Wayniac3]

“You & I” always struck me a certain way.
Killer lineup & a really good release.
Typical Shrapnel production.

 

[mentoneman]

totally forgot about this one. i had the cassette. although it did suffer a bit from the squashed AM radio in a library Shrapnel production sound, TM blazed and TA’s drumming was fiery. sure sounds like Racer X / Jeff Martin vocals too.

although i’ve always loved his shredding, i saw TM with Planet X at a Carvin clinic in Santa Ana and his sitting right next to his new Legacy amp tone he sounded like he was playing through a bag of poi. his Project Driver tone is way better than that live tone was. in the Vai band his tone was ok.

 

[Devin]

Shrapnel Records was wild; take the best musicians in the world and give them the worst tones and production possible

 

[mentoneman]

Shrapnel Records was wild; take the best musicians in the world and give them the worst tones and production possible

the shred world got the short end of the stick when it came to production. first ratt and dokken lps were rough compared to VH/templeman joy.

the first yngwie album sounded like it was recorded in the grand canyon with a spoon.

did shawn lane powers of 10 record drums DI from a casio watch? the live album was also bizarre from a sonic standpoint. those drums sound like mr. slate chasing fred and barney with a brontosaurus rib



this is where i wouldn’t mind AI going in to the original master tracks and replacing/remixing some of these shred benchmarks.

 

[mentoneman]

kudos to mike varney for introducing the world to the shred brigade and space invader licks!