Sneak Preview were offered a recording contract in 1985 if they relocated to Houston, TX, which they did, but the deal failed to materialize. Undeterred, the trio continued on and perfected its sound and songwriting further, catching a break when ZZ Top video producer Sam Taylor took the group under his wing, helping it secure a recording contract with New York's Megaforce label in 1987, and suggesting that the band change its name to King's X (the name of a local outfit that Taylor was an admirer of back in his high-school days).
In 1988, King's X released their debut album, Out of the Silent Planet. Despite praise among critics, the public didn't know exactly what to make of the group's original and multiple genre-encompassing style, and the album sank without a trace. But with the band's sophomore release, 1989's classic Gretchen Goes to Nebraska, a buzz began to develop around King's X in the metal community, as members of Anthrax and Living Colour praised them in the press, and MTV granted a few airings of their anthemic track "Over My Head." The stage was set for the group's big breakthrough, and things appeared to be going according to plan when the band's third release, Faith Hope Love, surfaced in late 1990.
The album just missed the U.S. Top 30 and nearly reached gold certification, due to landing a lengthy spot opening on AC/DC's sold-out arena tour in both the States and Europe, while the Beatlesque "It's Love" received major air time on MTV. What should have been an exciting time for the group quickly turned sour, however, as the bandmembers began to experience trouble with manager Taylor. King's X's self-titled release from 1992 (and first to appear on Atlantic Records without the Megaforce imprint) proved not to be as focused as their previous pair of albums, resulting in the album disappearing quickly from sight after release (and their ensuing tour halted), as they ended their relationship with Taylor.
But it appeared as though the change had refueled the group's musical desire once again, as evidenced by the Brendan O'Brien-produced stellar 1994 release, Dogman, which performed respectfully on the charts. This success resulted in the band opening shows for Pearl Jam and a show-stopping performance on the opening night of the mammoth Woodstock '94 festival. Atlantic Records began putting pressure on the trio to deliver a breakthrough hit but when Ear Candy failed to live up to expectations, King's X left the label (Atlantic would issue one more release from the band a year later, The Best Of, which featured 13 fan favorites, as well as three unreleased compositions and a live track).
In 1998 the group signed to the Metal Blade label, as both Pinnick and Tabor issued their first solo albums (Tabor with Moonflower Lane and Pinnick with Massive Grooves, the latter issued under the alias Poundhound), followed by the group's seventh studio release overall, Tape Head. Now free to issue albums at their own pace, the group issued two more albums only a year apart -- 2000s Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous and 2001's Manic Moonlight. Pinnick continued his solo career in conjunction with King's X, issuing Poundhound's second release, Pineappleskunk, the same year (as well as forming a side project with former members of Trouble, dubbed Supershine), while Tabor issued two albums with the prog metal supergroup Platypus -- 1998's When Pus Comes to Shove and 2000s Ice Cycles. Around the same time, King's X received a pleasant accolade from their peers when they were voted as one of the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" on a VH1 TV special. In 2003, they released Black Like Sunday, a collection of re-recorded songs from early in their career that had previously only existed as demos or bootlegs. Their first concert album, Live All Over the Place, arrived the following year, followed by their 11th studio recording, Ogre Tones, in 2005. King's X released XV on the InsideOut label in 2008.
Hurricane
King’s X Lyrics
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She came up from the ocean
Driven by the sea
Then she kept on hanging round like she would
Never leave
In between the wind and rain she screamed
Allison, that's just like a hurricane
Thunder clouds and blackouts in the night outside of dreams
Where rivers ran where there was once a stream
If we can walk on water well it's too hard to perceive
And you know it's even harder to believe
Allison, that's just like a hurricane
The lyrics of King's X's song "Hurricane" involve vivid imagery and metaphorical language to detail a powerful force that has descended upon the singer, in the form of Allison. The song starts with Allison emerging from the ocean, a force of nature that cannot be ignored. She lingers around the singer, seemingly never wanting to leave. Her presence is so strong that she screams above the wind and rain.
The use of hurricane as a metaphor for Allison is significant because a hurricane is a force of nature that is uncontrollable and unpredictable. It can wreak havoc and destruction, leaving everything in its path changed forever. The second verse of the song depicts a world where the storm has already hit, with thunder clouds and blackouts. The rivers are now where there were once streams, showing the permanent changes that the hurricane has brought about.
The song is a reflection on the power of nature and the impact it can have on our lives. It also delves into the complex emotions that can come with being caught up in something you cannot control. The allusion to the name "Allison" could also be a nod to the Category 5 Hurricane Allison that hit the United States in 2001.
Line by Line Meaning
At the moment when she knew we couldn't see
She appeared when we were unaware
She came up from the ocean
She emerged from the sea
Driven by the sea
Her actions were determined by the ocean
Then she kept on hanging round like she would
She lingered around like she had no intention of leaving
Never leave
She looked like she wasn't going to depart
In between the wind and rain she screamed
Amid the storm, she yelled out
Thunder clouds and blackouts in the night outside of dreams
The sky was dark and stormy as if in a nightmare
Where rivers ran where there was once a stream
The water flow was heavier than usual
If we can walk on water well it's too hard to perceive
Something impossible to do is difficult to understand
And you know it's even harder to believe
It's almost unbelievable
Allison, that's just like a hurricane
She is like an unpredictable storm
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ALAN DARBY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind