QR (also known as Quiet Riot, Quiet Riot IV, or QR IV) is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Quiet Riot, released on October 21, 1988.[1] The album featured a major line-up change. Singer and founding member Kevin DuBrow had been fired before the recording sessions began, and replaced by Rough Cutt vocalist Paul Shortino. The band had fired DuBrow mainly because of comments he was making to the metal press about Quiet Riot's supposed superiority over other bands, which strained friendships that members of Quiet Riot had with those bands.[2] Shortino's hiring was not the only line-up change, as Chuck Wright had quit the band and was replaced by Sean McNabb.[2] This left the album with the distinction of being the only Quiet Riot release without DuBrow on vocals, or any other original members (until 1993's Terrified).
| QR | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 21, 1988 | |||
| Recorded | Pasha Music House, Hollywood, California, 1988 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal, hard rock, Pop | |||
| Length | 43:58 | |||
| Label | Pasha / CBS | |||
| Producer | Spencer Proffer | |||
| Quiet Riot chronology | ||||
| ||||
Due to the confusion over the album's proper title, Paul Shortino was asked in 2015 on Twitter what the proper name of the album was, and he replied back that the name is simply "QR".[3]
Reaction to the album at the time was tepid, but did manage to attract a bit more interest than the previous album. However, the only major single spawned from the album, "Stay with Me Tonight" made a small dent in the pop charts and the video received moderate airplay on MTV in late 1988, but nothing comparable to the impact that previous albums had.
The album also featured studio musicians Jimmy Waldo (keyboards) and Jimmy Johnson, who played bass on "Stay with Me Tonight" and "Coppin' a Feel".[4] The album was produced by Spencer Proffer, who had produced every Quiet Riot U.S. released album up to this point.[4]
Paul Shortino and Sean McNabb later played together on Rough Cutt's Sneak Peek EP.
The album was remastered on CD in 2010 by Jon Astley.
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Kerrang! |  [6] |
| Los Angeles Times | [7] |
| The Record | [8] |
Upon its release, Gary Blockus of The Morning Call wrote: "Now that Dubrow is gone, Quiet Riot is finally able to showcase its true talent. Shortino is a cross between a soulful Robert Plant and David Lee Roth, but in no way is a Kingdom Clone. One listen will tell you this is atypical Quiet Riot. Dubrow's departure was a gift for this band."[9] John C. Evosevic of The Pittsburgh Press wrote: "Shortino possesses an expressive, controlled baritone akin to Whitesnake's David Coverdale, but more raspy. He contributes to the songwriting and brings into the band a tougher, bluesier, heavier sound. Thankfully gone with Dubrow are the dopey teen anthems. This album is a pleasant surprise. Although [it] sounds tentative in spots, on the whole it is filled with smart, mature heavy rock."[10]
Janiss Garza of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "This smoky, moody LP bears little relation to the bold, brash feel imparted by ex-frontman Kevin DuBrow. New singer Paul Shortino's passion-soaked vocals surround the melodic, often contemplative songs on this ballad-heavy album."[7] Dave Gattinger of The Leader-Post commented: "Quiet Riot is back, and may have found the sound to climb back to the top. Shortino has brought some heart and soul in addition to rough and ripping vocals reminiscent of Aerosmith's Steven Tyler."[11]
Billboard wrote: "Absence of former vocalist Kevin DuBrow is at least partially felt by this once-platinum metal band. New vocalist Paul Shortino tries hard, but album's general anonymity - along with songs' lack of pop hooks - does not bode well."[12] Barbara Jaeger of The Record commented: "The changes [to the line-up of the band] haven't resulted in any improvement. Quiet Riot is still a run-of-the-mill metal band, long on heavy metal cliches and short on originality."[8]
In a retrospective review, Barry Weber of AllMusic commented: "Shortino sounds competent, but overall he lacks the general charisma of Dubrow. The real problem with the album, however, is the songs themselves, which are loaded with unmemorable lyrics and melodies. The performances on QR make the album horribly faceless; the record shows a once-popular rock group trying to retain their glory days with a handful of disgustingly generic material."[5]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stay with Me Tonight" |
| 4:40 |
| 2. | "Callin' the Shots" |
| 4:41 |
| 3. | "Run to You" |
| 4:38 |
| 4. | "I'm Fallin'" |
| 4:17 |
| 5. | "King of the Hill" |
| 4:24 |
| 6. | "The Joker" |
| 3:55 |
| 7. | "Lunar Obsession" |
| 1:44 |
| 8. | "Don't Wanna Be Your Fool" |
| 5:02 |
| 9. | "Coppin' a Feel" |
| 3:44 |
| 10. | "In a Rush" |
| 2:38 |
| 11. | "Empty Promises" |
| 4:26 |
Personnel
editQuiet Riot
edit- Paul Shortino - lead and backing vocals
- Carlos Cavazo - guitars, backing vocals
- Sean McNabb - bass, backing vocals
- Frankie Banali - drums, percussion
Additional musicians
edit- Jimmy Waldo - keyboards, backing vocals
- Jimmy Johnson - bass on “Stay With Me Tonight” & ”Coppin' A Feel”
Production
edit- Spencer Proffer - producer
- Hanspeter Huber, Alex Woltman, Jeff Clark - engineer, mixing
- Steve Hall - mastering
- Hugh Syme - art direction
Charts
edit| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[13] | 119 |
References
edit- ^ "Quiet Riot History". Facebook. 21 October 2018. Retrieved 2018-10-21.
- ^ a b "Quiet Riot". Sleaze Roxx. Archived from the original on 2011-10-20. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
- ^ @PaulShortino (12 August 2015). "What was the name of the 1988 Quiet Riot album?" (Tweet). Retrieved 2015-08-12 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b "Quiet Riot - Quiet Riot". Sleaze Roxx. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
- ^ a b Barry Weber. "QR - Quiet Riot | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
- ^ Oliver, Derek (19 November 1988). "Riotous Assembly". Kerrang!. Vol. 214. London, UK: Spotlight Publications ltd. p. 16.
- ^ a b "Los Angeles Times: Archives - QUIET RIOT". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 1988-12-18. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
- ^ a b Jaeger, Barbara (December 15, 1988). "You can take David Knopfler out of Dire Straits, but...". The Record.
- ^ Blockus, Gary (December 3, 1988). "Records". The Morning Call.
- ^ Evosevic, John C. (April 28, 1989). "Quiet Riot's new album is nice surprise". The Pittsburgh Press.
- ^ Gattinger, Dave (January 11, 1989). "Rookie rocker joins veteran on Dare". The Leader-Post.
- ^ "Album reviews". Billboard. November 19, 1988.
- ^ "Quiet Riot Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 February 2021.