Out of the Cellar is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band Ratt, released in 1984 by Atlantic Records. The album was an immediate success, with wide airplay on radio and heavy rotation on MTV of its singles, especially the hit "Round and Round". The album is certified as triple platinum by the RIAA.[9] The album brought Ratt to the top of the glam metal scene in Los Angeles. Out of the Cellar would prove to be the band's most successful album.[4][10][11]
| Out of the Cellar | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 17, 1984[1] | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 36:41 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Beau Hill | |||
| Ratt chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Out of the Cellar | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Collector's Guide to Hevy Metal | 9/10[5] |
Production and composition
editThis section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2024) |
Produced by Beau Hill, Out of the Cellar features Ratt's best-known hit, "Round and Round". It also contains other popular songs such as "Wanted Man", "Lack of Communication", and a re-recorded version of "Back for More". The latter song originally appeared on the EP Ratt. "In Your Direction" was a song that Pearcy wrote when the band was still called Mickey Ratt. "I'm Insane" and "Scene of the Crime" were songs Crosby had co-written and performed with his pre-Ratt band, Mac Meda, featuring future Riverdogs vocalist Rob Lamothe. "Wanted Man" was co-written by bassist Joey Cristofanilli, who had briefly substituted for Juan Croucier. Original lyrics for "She Wants Money" and "Lack of Communication" have been posted on Croucier's website.[12]
According to interviews with Hill that were shot for the film Hair I Go Again, Tom Allom was originally slated to produce the record before he was recruited to do it.
Cover art
editThe model on the album cover is actress Tawny Kitaen, better known for her appearances in Whitesnake music videos. The long-time girlfriend of Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby at the time, Kitaen also appeared in the "Back for More" music video.[13]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wanted Man" | Robbin Crosby, Stephen Pearcy, Joey Cristofanilli | 3:37 |
| 2. | "You're in Trouble" | Crosby, Warren DeMartini, Juan Croucier, Pearcy | 3:16 |
| 3. | "Round and Round" | DeMartini, Crosby, Pearcy | 4:22 |
| 4. | "In Your Direction" | Pearcy | 3:30 |
| 5. | "She Wants Money" | Croucier | 3:04 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lack of Communication" | Croucier, Pearcy | 3:52 |
| 2. | "Back for More" | Crosby, Pearcy | 3:42 |
| 3. | "The Morning After" | DeMartini, Crosby, Pearcy | 3:30 |
| 4. | "I'm Insane" | Crosby | 2:54 |
| 5. | "Scene of the Crime" | Crosby, Croucier | 4:54 |
Personnel
editRatt
- Stephen Pearcy – lead vocals
- Robbin Crosby – guitars, backing vocals
- Warren DeMartini – guitars, backing vocals
- Bobby Blotzer – drums, percussion
- Juan Croucier – bass guitar, backing vocals
Technical
- Beau Hill – producer, engineer
- Jim Faraci – engineer
- Dave Clark – assistant engineer
- Clif Smith – assistant engineer
- Robin Laine – assistant engineer
- Ray Leonard – assistant engineer
- Dennis King – mastering
- Barry Levine – photography
- Tawny Kitaen – cover model
- Bob Defrin – art direction
Charts
edit| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[14] | 12 |
| US Billboard 200[15] | 7 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[16] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[17] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ "The 40 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time". Spin. October 30, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ DiVita, Joe (February 12, 2014). "10 Best Metal Albums of 1984". Loudwire. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ a b c Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Ratt - Out of the Cellar review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
- ^ a b Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 282. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "Ratt - Round And Round". hitparade.ch.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "Ratt - Wanted Man". hitparade.ch.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "Ratt - Lack Of Communication". hitparade.ch.
- ^ "RIAA Searchable Database: search for Ratt". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
- ^ Phillips, William; Cogan, Brian (2009). Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal Music. ABC-CLIO. p. 197. ISBN 9780313348013.
- ^ Konow, David (2009). Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal. Crown/Archetype. p. 181. ISBN 9780307565600.
...a pop metal classic.
- ^ "Ratt's Juan Croucier - Lyrics". Ratt's Juan Croucier. July 28, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ Rolly, Bryan (May 8, 2021). "When Ratt Threw Rats at Tawny Kitaen for Their Album Cover Shoot". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 8977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ "Ratt Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Ratt – Out of the Cellar". Music Canada. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ "American album certifications – Ratt – Out of the Cellar". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
