Manitoba's Wild Kingdom - ...And You?
1990 MCA
by Horatio

Quick Summary:
While searching fruitlessly for my copy of Black Oak Arkansas greatest hits I chanced upon this, a CD I forgot I owned.  In five years of ownership I can only recall listening to it once or twice.  There must be a reason why.  This band was formed in 1988 shortly after Ross The Boss left Manowar after perhaps realizing how stale that act was becoming.  Instead he rejoined his old Dictators bandmate Dick Manitoba in forming Wild Kingdom.  The Dictators were a revered 70's act whose three albums that decade ranged from appalling ( 1974's 'Dictators Go Girl Crazy') to fair (1978's 'Bloodbrothers'), the band noted as some sort of punk rock innovator.  This theme crossed over to Wild Kingdom a fusion of punk meets metal, with the emphasis on New York and its urban jungle.  Sounds thrilling doesn't it?

With ten tracks, only two over three minutes this is an easy listen thankfully.  Nothing exceptional, although 'Fired Up' is a good piece of metal where Ross The Boss gets off some Manowar type riffs which are far preferable to the sub punk/sleaze ones that tend to dominate the album.  The most tiresome aspect is the New York factor, which is played up non-stop.  Tales of poverty, urban decay and junkies, man who cares?  This is what those other flakes, The Ramones, made a career out of, harmless pop punk with about as much charm, attitude, and verve as a dead bloated deer that lies dead on the interstate while you drive to work.  Back in the late 80's it seems everyone was writing about some heroin junkie who ruined a perfect life, and deserved their fate by overdose.  The only other recommended cut is 'Prototype', simply because of the metal strains.  It shows what madness the record business was in during the late 80's that these guys were signed to MCA.  This was their only album, and the last I heard several years ago was that The Dictators reformed.  In 2004, even Powerplay Records wouldn't touch them.  Back to the closet for another five years then.

Song Summaries:

1. The Party Starts Now - With such an identifiable vocal style, Manitoba brings back memories of The Dictators instantly, although this is no 'Faster And Louder'.  Mid paced and with the line 'can't take living nine to five', you know where this ones heading.  C
2. Haircut And Attitude - Manitoba gives an explanation on how to becoming a rock star.  Maybe he should have taken his own advice.  C
3. New York, New York - I loathe this punk anthem, mainly due to the played out lyrics.  'Everyone's an asshole...I look out my window and there's garbage in the streets.'  So what?  'I ride trains with B-boys, junkies, queens and squares'.  So?  Does that make you bad?  I could ride with such people in any city, but this is New York!  But wait, 'the fat man counts his money while the South Bronx slowly burns'.  The injustice, eh Dick?  That doesn't happen anywhere except New York.  D
4. D.W.I. - Believe it or not, this is an almost carbon copy of that gay 80's hit 'Wild Wild West'.  D
5. I Want You, Tonight - Maybe if they had covered the Pablo Cruise song of the same name this could have been worth listening to.  Instead they rip off Nugent's 'Wango Tango' in the intro.  Shades of dodgy 80's hard rock here, especially in the typical backing harmonies which wouldn't be out of place on some Dokken or Tesla album.  D
6. Fired Up - Decent metal, good riffs and a healthy sense of speed.  B
7. The Perfect High - Amazingly dull.  Did you know Tom Selleck turned 59 today?  I knew he was getting on, but man he's up there with Gillan, Daltrey, Byford and co.  By the same token I recommend the 'Magnum P.I.' theme as a more worthwhile listen.  D
8. Had It Coming - 'You got fired from your job, man you blew a good career, so you slept on my couch and my TV disappeared!'  But he deserved it.  I assume the 'Handsome' one had seen this happen to many of his old friends from Little Italy in the late sixties, although of what descent he is from I do not know.  Rude as hell.  D
9. Prototype - Metal once more, but the preachy lyrics about fads and whatnot leave me cold and I can't be bothered giving a description.  The music's heavy when Manitoba's silent but he ruins matters by opening his mouth.  B
10. Speedball - No one could guess this tracks subject matter could they?  This dude must have been an addict if this is all he had to write about.  Well, Andy Shernoff anyway as he wrote all the songs, which shows how much of a hired goon Manitoba and 'The Boss' were.  Just as in Manowar where DeMaio wrote all the lyrics, Ross having his name on about three tracks in his six years and six albums with the band.  I suppose Mark Mendoza wrote everything for The Dictators.  C 

Average Song Rating:  C-
Overall Album Rating:  D