BITTERSWEET – Loaded Up [2-CD Retrospect Records release]

From their start in 1988 and into the early nineties, the band BITTERSWEET rock their brand of US Melodic Hard Rock up and down the East Coast of the United States of America. Touring from Miami, Florida to Toronto, Canada the talents of David Shaw, Mike Jolly, Joe Jordan, Stephen Shaw and Craig Daily made BITTERSWEET a household name. More than just the next rock act, BITTERSWEET’S sound gave truth to the saying “Rock and Roll is here to stay.” In the early years of decay for what would ultimately be known as trendy ‘Hair Metal’, BITTERSWEET held strong against the oncoming adversity and carried the torch for generations of rock and roll fans. Powerful vocals and well crafted guitar licks combined with
consistently catchy and pumping rhythms make up some of the best and most overlooked material to come from that hard rock era.
All BITTERSWEET recordings have been unearthed by Retrospect Records for this 2-CD release titled “Loaded Up“, personally remastered by the band’s guitarist Stephen Shaw.

These 20 tracks represent the span of this band’s career and serve as a first class representation of what talent, practice and dedication can create. Bands can come together to sound as tight and well constructed as BITTERSWEET, but you need sear it for yourself. Put in these discs and remember a time when rock and roll was all you needed.
Some record labels were interested in the band due their quality. But BITTERSWEET never make it big or released an album back in the day – all songs here were recorded 1989 -1992 – because they refused to move to Hollywood.

Between the track list we can find classic American 80s Melodic Hard Rock tunes like “Like The Wind”, “Living In America”, Spread Your Wings”, “Wild Ones”, “Paradise” (a great uptempo AOR/Melodic Rocker, very fun pure ’80s song similar to Firehouse) and “Falling For Your Love”, but also beautiful Warrant-ish ballads like the fantastic “Love Fade Away” (could have been huge in the US back in 89) and “Take A Stand”.
Another favorite is the superb semi-midtempo AOR of “Down To The Wire” which is in the same class as a Shy, and has a really amazing chorus, which all fans of the genre will love instantly.

The original tracks presented here were stored on tape for many years. With time comes erosion and degrading of quality. Every song here has been carefully remixed from the original master tapes and remastered to digital CD quality by guitarist Stephen Shaw.
Most of the damage has been removed from the original masters, and the sound quality is fine.
Highly Recommended

Disc 1:
01. Love Loaded
02. Money Man
03. Bought And Sold/Love Fade Away
04. Outlawed
05. Take A Stand
06. Like The Wind
07. High Road To Heaven
08. Guitar Solo Stephen
09. Shot Round The World
10. Living In America

Disc 2:
01. Loaded Up
02. Down To The Wire
03. Loco-Motion
04. Tear It Down
05. Under The Gun
06. Wild Ones
07. Falling For Your Love
08. Paradise
09. Spread Your Wings
10. Bad Bitch Broken Woman

David Shaw: Lead Vocals
Stephen Shaw: Guitars, Backing Vocals
Mike Jolly: Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Craig Dailey: Bass
Joe Jordan: Drums, Percussion

out of print / try here:
www.amazon.com/Loaded-Up-BITTERSWEET/dp/B001B4OZUA