Beggars & Thieves: We Are The Brokenhearted

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Detailed Information

  • Label: Frontiers, 2011
  • Order number: 1481826
  • Release date: 2.12.2011

Product Information

Das Beggars & Thieves Debutalbum erschien 1990 auf Atlantic Records und enterte prompt die Top 40 der Billboard Charts. Rotationen in den Major AOR Radios des Landes folgten und festigten den Status der Band.

Das zweite Album ‘Look What You Create‘ (produziert von Jim Vallance, der mit Künstlern wie Aerosmith, Bryan Adams oder den Scorpions arbeitete) sollte ursprünglich über Epic Records erscheinen, doch als sich das musikalische Klima mit der Welle des Grunge veränderte, entschied sich das Label gegen die Veröffentlichung.

Erst Ende der 90iger Jahre sollten Beggars & Thieves das Album unters Volk bringen, gefolgt von ‘The Grey Album‘ 1999. Danach wurde es still um die Truppe bis die beiden Gründungsmitglieder, Sänger Louie Merlino und Gitarrist Ronnie Mancuso, 2004 das Sin City Allstar Projekt zusammen mit Gitarrist, Brent Muscat (Faster Pussycat) und Drummer, Lez Warner (The Cult) gründeten. Sie performten mit Acts wie Tesla, Vince Neil, Ratt, Slaughter und Skid Row und katapultierten sich so wieder in die Köpfe und Herzen der Rockjünger.

2010 performten Beggars & Thieves im Zuge des legendären britischen AOR Festivals Firefest in Nottingham. Das neue Album ‘We Are the Brokenhearted‘ verspricht die Band wieder da zu positionieren wo sie hingehören, ins Herz der Hardrock Welt.

Product Information


Beggars & Thieves was formed in NYC in 1989 by singer Louie Merlino and guitarist Ronnie Mancuso. After 5 gigs and a demo recorded with mega producer Desmond Child (Bon Jovi, Areosmith) and (Billy Squier, Alice Cooper) drummer Bobby Chouinard and (Bon Jovi bassist) Hugh McDonald, B&T was signed by Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun.

Released on Atlantic around Christmas of 1990, Beggars & Thieves self-titled debut was critically acclaimed. The first single (“Beggars & Thieves”) started to take off, charting in the top 40 Billboard Magazine Album Rock Charts and being added to rotation on over 100 Parallel One AOR radio stations.

The band then lost momentum when their A&R man left the label and their managers Q-Prime (Metallica, Def Leppard and Muse) were understandably distracted by the death of one of there biggest clients, Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark. By the time Q-Prime regained their focus, Atlantic had moved on. Q-Prime still believing in the band managed to get Beggars released from Atlantic and immediately signed them to Epic / Sony.

Beggars recorded their second album “Look What You Create” in Vancouver with (Aerosmith, Scorpions, Bryan Adams) collaborator Jim Vallance and (Rush, Dream Theater) engineer Paul Northfield. By the time of the release, Grunge was king and Beggars (although really a Classic Rock Band) were lumped in with the hair bands and pass their due date.

Ronnie & Louie stayed in the music business doing jingles as well as lots of music for Fox Sports and NASCAR.

Louie and Ron started playing together again in 2004 forming Sin City All-Star’s with (Ex-Faster Pussycat Guitarist) Brent Muscat, opening shows for Tesla, Vince Neil, Ratt, Slaughter, and Skid Row.

Mancuso started writing songs again and thought “Louie has one of the best voices in rock and he sounds better than ever. I’m finally getting really good at songwriting. As an artist I’m doing my best work ever. Why shouldn’t we continue?”

So Beggars started the recording the basic tracks of “We Are the Brokenhearted” with legendary NYC drummer Thommy Price (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Billy Idol, Scandal) and his cohort in the (Blackhearts) bassist Enzo Penizzotto.

While finishing their album, Beggars started playing live when Vince Neil along with Las Vegas Legend Custom Motorcycle Builder (The Count) opened the club Feelgoods in Las Vegas, Ronnie & Louie’s hometown since the early 2000’s.

Rounding out the group now is drummer Erik Gloege, who played for years in a rhythm section with (Metallica) bassist Robert Trujillo and 22 tears old bassist Blake Newman, whose youth has invigorated the band. As Merlino says, “the younger crowds seem to love us, it’s so cool to look out and see kids in there 20’s get it as much as the older rock crowd”.

Beggars played the renowned Firefest Festival 2010 in Nottingham, England where they received glowing reviews and were voted biggest surprise of the festival.

Beggars have just begun re-establishing their brand after using Firefest as their launching pad. Mancuso says “This is just the beginning; we want to focus on Europe as well as putting our songs in movies and commercials in America. This isn’t just some guy's trying to have a little fun reliving the past. We are very serious about this. We want to compete with the big boys!”

And judging from the response from the European press and fans they just might!

(frontiers. it)

Rezensionen


Rock Hard (7 von 10 Punkten):
„Die zehn knackig produzierten Plüschrocker definieren das Genre (natürlich) nicht komplett neu, aber der Verzicht auf klebrig-süße Refrains und gar zu offensichtlichen Kitsch sowie Highlights wie das hymnische ‚We Are The Brokenhearted‘ oder das forsch-rockige ‘Innocence‘ düften keinen Fan der Band enttäuschen.“

Eclipsed (8 von 10 Punkten):
„Wundervollster Melodic Hardrock mit einer traumhaften Gitarrenarbeit von Ronnie Mancuso, die sowohl weiß, was in den siebziger Jahren gelaufen ist, sich aber auch soweit zurückzuhalten weiß, dass jede Melodie richtig durchatmen kann.“

Stormbringer. at (4 von 5 Punkten):
„(…)Freunde des gepflegten AOR/Hard Rocks sollten das Album aber auf alle Fälle mal an testen.“

EMP:
„‘We Are The Brokenhearted‘ ist mehr als nur ein gelungenes Comeback, es ist ein eindeutiges Statement dafür wie zeitlos guter Melodic Rock zu klingen hat.“

EUR 17.99*

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