Metal Health
Metal Health is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Quiet Riot. It was released on March 11, 1983, bolstered by the No. 5 hit "Cum On Feel the Noize" and the No. 31 hit "Metal Health". Metal Health holds the distinction of being the first heavy metal album ever to reach the top spot on the Billboard 200, replacing the Police's Synchronicity at number one in November 1983. The album went on to sell more than ten million copies worldwide[1] and is considered a classic among heavy metal fans. Some critics, such as AllMusic,[2] describe it as a one-hit wonder, owing to Quiet Riot's relative lack of critical and commercial success with following albums (and subsequent disintegration) towards the end of the 1980s. The title track was ranked No. 35 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs.
| Metal Health | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 11, 1983 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Studio | The Pasha Music House, Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal, glam metal | |||
| Length | 40:57 | |||
| Label | Pasha | |||
| Producer | Spencer Proffer | |||
| Quiet Riot chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Rolling Stone | (not rated) link |
The band went on a tour the same year and supported Black Sabbath on their Born Again tour in the US.
"Slick Black Cadillac" is a re-recorded version of the same song from Quiet Riot II.
The song "Thunderbird" is dedicated to guitarist and founding member Randy Rhoads. Although the bulk of the song was written for Rhoads while he was still alive, Kevin DuBrow added one final verse as a tribute to Rhoads after he died in a plane crash on March 19, 1982.[3]
The title track is known by a number of slightly different names. It was simply called "Metal Health" on the original vinyl release, but most subsequent reissues of the album on other formats call it "Bang Your Head", with the phrase 'Metal Health' in parentheses, either before or after the "main" title. The lyric from that song, "Well Now You're Here, There's No Way Back", eventually became the title for Quiet Riot's documentary in 2014.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)" | 5:16 | |
| 2. | "Cum On Feel the Noize" (Slade cover) | 4:51 | |
| 3. | "Battle Axe" |
| 1:39 |
| 4. | "Slick Black Cadillac" |
| 4:13 |
| 5. | "Love's a Bitch" | DuBrow | 4:11 |
| 6. | "Breathless" |
| 3:51 |
| 7. | "Run For Cover" |
| 3:38 |
| 8. | "Don't Want To Let You Go" | Cavazo | 4:43 |
| 9. | "Let's Get Crazy" | DuBrow | 4:08 |
| 10. | "Thunderbird" | DuBrow | 4:43 |
2001 The Metal Remasters Bonus Tracks
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Danger Zone" | DuBrow | 5:06 |
| 12. | "Slick Black Cadillac (Live)" | DuBrow, Rhoads | 5:14 |
2012 Remaster Version Bonus Tracks
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Danger Zone [Bonus Track]" | |
| 12. | "Metal Health [Live Version '83] [Bonus Track]" | |
| 13. | "Let's Get Crazy [Live Version '83] [Bonus Track]" | |
| 14. | "Slick Black Cadillac [Live Version '83] [Bonus Track]" | |
| 15. | "Love's A Bitch [Live Version '83] [Bonus Track]" |
Personnel
Quiet Riot
- Kevin DuBrow - lead vocals
- Carlos Cavazo - guitars, backing vocals
- Rudy Sarzo - bass, synthesizer
- Frankie Banali - drums, backing vocals
Additional personnel
- Chuck Wright - bass guitar on Metal Health, Don't Wanna Let You Go[4]
- Riot Squad - backing vocals
- Tuesday Knight - backing vocals (10)
- Spencer Proffer - backing vocals
- Donna Slattery - backing vocals
Production
- Arranged by Quiet Riot
- Produced by Spencer Proffer
- Recorded and mixed by Duane Baron at The Pasha Music House
- All songs published by The Grand Pasha Publisher, except "Cum on Feel the Noize" (Barn Publishing, Inc)
Additional notes
- Quiet Riot - artwork
- Jay Vigon - art direction, design
- Sam Emerson - photography
- Ron Sobol - photography
- Stan Watts - illustrations
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[5] | 3× Platinum | 300,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[6] | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000^ |
|
^shipments figures based on certification alone | ||
Chart positions
Album
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart[7] | 5 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart[8] | 33 |
| U.S. Billboard 200[9] | 1 |
Singles
Billboard Music Charts (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "Metal Health" | Mainstream Rock | 37 |
| "Cum on Feel the Noize" | 7 | ||
| "Slick Black Cadillac" | 32 | ||
| "Cum on Feel the Noize" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 5 | |
| 1984 | "Metal Health" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 31 |
References
- "Quiet Riot - BIO". www.quietriot.band. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
- Rivadavia, Eduardo; John Franck. "Metal Health review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
- Quiet Riot 2001 CD: Liner notes
- "Chuck Wright Interview". Music Legends. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- "Canadian album certifications – Quiet Riot – Metal Heath". Music Canada.
- "American album certifications – Quiet Riot – Metal Health". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- "Bienvenue au site Web Bibliothèque et Archives Canada / Welcome to the Library and Archives Canada website". 2 January 2014. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
- New Zealand charts portal
- "Top 200 Albums". Billboard.com. Retrieved 26 May 2018.