They were founded in 1975 by guitarist Randy Rhoads (later associated with Ozzy Osbourne) with the original lineup of Kevin DuBrow (whose Steve Marriott influenced vocals powered most of their hits) alongside Kelly Garni (bass) and Drew Forsyth (drums). They initially released albums in 1977 and 1978, featuring heavy covers of British invasion era acts The Small Faces and Dave Clark Five, and their work was picked up for release in Japan only.
After Rhoads left, with him replaced by guitarist Carlos Cavazo, Quiet Riot had still had failed to break out of the Los Angeles metal scene with a record contract (unlike their hit British Invasion covering contemporaries Van Halen). Quiet Riot eventually scored a deal with Columbia Records, and their second stateside single was "Cum on Feel the Noize", a remake of the U.K. hit tune by Slade in 1973. Quiet Riot's version opened up a new world for the group. Their song became the first heavy metal single to make the 'Top 5' on Billboard Magazine's 'Hot 100' singles chart, spending two weeks at the #5 slot.
The band was reportedly reluctant to record the song, as none of them were Slade fans, and recorded it in one take, trying to play their worst. The success of the single helped carry parent album 'Metal Health' to the top of Billboard Music Charts pop album charts, making it the first heavy metal album to ever reach the #1 slot. Fortunately, lightening also struck twice as their song "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)" (also known as "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" or "Metal Health") also received significant airplay, peaking at the #31 slot on the 'Hot 100'.
A #1 album and a top 5 single was unheard of for a heavy metal band in 1983. The 'Metal Health' album also displaced Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'' on the charts, shocking critics, and it paved the way for a new, stronger commercial viability for the whole genre. Still, the band members were arguably unprepared for the spotlight put on them, with acrimony between them and the record company people to come.
The group's follow-up, 'Condition Critical' was a relative disappointment critically and commercially, selling only 3 million units. This release included another Slade cover ("Mama Weer All Crazee Now", which was a UK chart topper for Slade) and numerous musical and lyrical nods to the aforementioned act; whether this was a decision made with the band's support or forced upon them by their producer is still subject to debate, as evidenced in their VH1 'Behind The Music' documentary. As well, frontman DuBrow's combative behavior both in public and in private burned numerous bridges between the band and other musicians as well as the press. The other band members felt that DuBrow had turned what would had been middling or mixed critical reviews into scorn as well as ruined chances at future musical collaborations.
Various factors led to bassist Rudy Sarzo quitting the group in 1985 and joining up with Ozzy Osbourne. The bass slot in Quiet Riot was filled by Chuck Wright. Next, the band released 'QRIII' in 1986, which became another commercial failure and left the group frustrated in terms of where to go. Fed up with DuBrow's antics, the rest of Quiet Riot fired him from his own band and replaced him with former Rough Cutt vocalist Paul Shortino. Wright was also fired and was replaced by Sean McNabb.
The revamped band released 'Quiet Riot' in 1988, which also failed to gain much traction. This 1988 album technically has the same name as their original first album with Randy Rhoads. The band fell apart after a tour that ended in Hawaii in 1989 and DuBrow fought to keep control of the name; Quiet Riot appeared to be in shambles.
By 1991, tempers had cooled enough for the former bandmates to communicate. DuBrow and Cavazo formed Heat, but they eventually switched to Quiet Riot again and released 'Terrified' (1993) with Banali and Kenny Hillery (bass). That same year, DuBrow released a work titled 'The Randy Rhoads Years', featuring tracks from Quiet Riot's Columbia albums and some previously unreleased material (many of which included newly recorded vocals). Hillary left Quiet Riot in 1995, and he committed suicide on June 5, 1996.
Wright rejoined Quiet Riot to play bass. The band released Down to the Bone that same year. The following year (1996), the band released a 'Greatest Hits' album, which included nothing from the original two Rhoads albums and nothing from the two 90s albums but did have a few tracks from the 1988 Shortino album. After that, Rudy Sarzo joined up again in 1997, and the band began touring.
The tour was not successful, and the band was arrested several times; one angry fan sued DuBrow for injuries sustained during a show. The group still managed to release 'Alive and Well' in 1999, which featured new songs and several rerecorded hits. They followed this up with 'Guilty Pleasures' in 2001. Although their days of commercial success had come and gone, those albums received some mixed to positive critical reviews.
Quiet Riot officially broke up in February 2003, and Sarzo joined Dio in the following year. However, they reunited in 2005, with the line-up being made up of DuBrow, Banali, Wright, and guitarist Alex Grossi. The band joined the 'Rock Never Stops Tour' in 2005 alongside Cinderella, Ratt, and Firehouse.
Soon afterwards, Chuck Wright and Alex Grossi had left the band and former L.A. Guns/Brides of Destruction guitarist Tracii Guns had joined, only to leave two weeks later under musical differences. Other recent members of Quiet Riot have included guitarists Billy Morris and Neil Citron, and bassists Tony Franklin, Sean McNabb and Wayne Carver. In an interview with rock & roll comic C.C. Banana in August 2006, Frankie Banali attempted to clarify the matter of Quiet Riot's recent rapid-fire membership rotation, indicating that both Alex and Chuck were both back in the band again.
Quiet Riot's latest album with a line-up somewhat akin to their glory days was released on October 3, 2006, entitled 'Rehab. The band on the album consisted of DuBrow, Banali, Franklin, & Neil Citron. Former Deep Purple bassist and singer Glenn Hughes also made a guest vocal appearance on the album.
On July 13, 2007, Quiet Riot performed at glam metal festival "Rocklahoma." Then on September 19 they gave a free show to service members on Keesler AFB in Biloxi. DuBrow (vocals), Banali(drums), Wright(Bass), & Alex Grossi(guitarist), was the then line-up.
Kevin DuBrow died November 25, 2007, at his home in Las Vegas. He was 52 years old. The cause of death was an accidental overdose of cocaine, and that tragedy appeared to be the end of the group once and for all.
Despite his previous insistence that Quiet Riot could never return as a live performing entity, in September 2010, Frankie Banali announced a new version of Quiet Riot: himself on drums, Chuck Wright on bass, Alex Grossi on guitar and newcomer Mark Huff on vocals. The band sought the blessings of the DuBrow family, recorded new versions of classic hits with Huff singing, and resumed touring. The group has experienced somewhat of a 'broken base' as many fans are unwilling to accept a version of the band sans DuBrow.
The group's latest work is '10', which came out on June 27, 2014 through RSM Records. That incarnation of Quite Riot Made its live debut on December 31, 2013 at Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort in Flagstaff, Arizona. Jizzy Pearl of Love/Hate and L.A. Guns among other groups is the current vocalist.
Vocalist Jizzy Pearl departed the band at the end of 2016 to concentrate on his solo career, and was replaced by former Adler's Appetite and Icon vocalist Seann Nicols, formerly known as Sheldon Tarsha. On February 13, 2017, the band announced that they would release a new album Road Rage on April 21. However, in March, it was announced that Nicols had left the band and that James Durbin was the new singer. The band subsequently announced that Road Rage would be delayed until summer 2017 so that all of Nicols' vocals could be replaced by Durbin's with new lyrics and melodies. It was then announced that the new version of the album would be released on August 4 by Frontiers Music Srl.
Banali was forced to sit out several Quiet Riot shows throughout 2019 as he was receiving treatment for stage-IV pancreatic cancer, though he did not reveal his diagnosis until October of that year. He was replaced by either former Type O Negative drummer Johnny Kelly or former W.A.S.P. drummer Mike Dupke depending on each drummer's availability. In September 2019, Durbin quit the band to "follow his own path" according to Banali, and Pearl was rehired as the lead vocalist. Two months later, Quiet Riot's fourteenth studio album, and second and last to feature Durbin, Hollywood Cowboys, was released.
On August 20, 2020, Banali died from pancreatic cancer, which he had been diagnosed with sixteen months earlier, leaving him as the second member of the Metal Health-era lineup to die, following DuBrow in 2007. On September 9, 2020, Quiet Riot announced on their Facebook page that would continue on without Banali, who had wished that they keep the music and legacy of the band alive. He was replaced by Johnny Kelly, who had filled in for Banali on the band's 2019 and 2020 tours. The band embarked on their first tour since Banali's passing in the summer of 2021, and announced, in May of that year, that they were going to release new music in 2022. On August 2, 2021, Quiet Riot announced that former bassist Rudy Sarzo would rejoin the band in early 2022, once again replacing Chuck Wright. However, Sarzo played his first show with the band in nearly two decades at The Groove Music Hall in Woodford, Virginia on November 6, 2021. In December 2021, Sarzo confirmed that new music from Quiet Riot will be released to coincide with their upcoming 2022 tour: "We have a couple of surprises coming up that are already recorded. So they're just waiting to be released. We're gonna release 'em in conjunction when we start touring in February [of 2022]." That same month, he revealed that plans were being made to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Metal Health in 2023.
Metal Health
Quiet Riot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm an axe grinder, pile driver
Mama says that I never, never mind her
Got no brains, I'm insane
The teacher says that I'm one big pain
I'm like a laser, six string razor
I want it louder, more power
I'm gonna rock it 'til it strikes the hour
Bang your head
Metal health will drive you mad
Bang your head
Metal health will drive you mad
Alright
I'm frustrated and out-dated
I really wanna be over-rated
I'm a finder and I'm a keeper
I'm not a loser, and I ain't no weeper
I got the boys to make the noise
Won't ever let up, hope it annoys you
Join the pack, feel the crack
Well now you're here, there's no way back
Bang your head
Metal health will drive you mad
Bang your head
Metal health will drive you mad
Metal health will cure your crazy
Metal health will cure your mad
Metal health is what we all need
It's what you have to have
Bang your head
Wake the dead
We're all metal mad
It's all you have
So bang your head
And raise the dead, oh yeah
Metal health
It's not too bad (bad, bad, bad, bad)
Bang your head
Metal health'll drive you mad
Bang your head
Metal health'll drive you mad
Oh get your straight-jackets on tonight oh (bang your head)
Metal health'll drive you mad
The bad boys are gonna set you right and rock ya, rock ya, rock ya (bang your head)
Metal health'll drive you mad
Bang your head
The lyrics to Quiet Riot's song "Bang Your Head" are about the experience of being a hard rock musician. The singer claims to be an "axe grinder" and "pile driver," describing themselves as a powerful force in the world of rock music. Despite their apparent lack of intelligence, as described in the line "Got no brains, I'm insane," the singer is also incredibly skilled at playing guitar, boasting that they have a mouth "like an alligator" and a six-string razor. The lyrics suggest that the singer is frustrated by the limitations of their position as a musician, feeling that they are "out-dated" and craving more attention and recognition.
The chorus of the song, "Bang your head / Metal health will drive you mad," is a call to action for listeners to embrace the energy and excitement of hard rock music. The singer suggests that this kind of "metal health" is a cure for feeling crazy or out of control, and that it is something that everyone needs to experience. The song also includes references to the "bad boys" of rock music, who are portrayed as powerful and almost dangerous figures. Overall, "Bang Your Head" is a celebration of the wild and chaotic world of rock and roll, as well as a reflection on the complex emotions and desires that can motivate musicians to pursue this lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
And I'm an axe grinder, pile driver
I am a determined and forceful musician who is skilled at guitar and willing to work hard.
Mama says that I never, never mind her
My mother does not approve of my interests and I do not listen to her.
Got no brains, I'm insane
I am creative and unafraid to take risks, even if it means going against conventional wisdom.
The teacher says that I'm one big pain
My teachers do not understand or appreciate my talents and often criticize me for my behavior.
I'm like a laser, six string razor
I am precise and skilled at playing the guitar, with a fast and precise playing style that can cut through a song.
I've got a mouth like an alligator
I am confident and bold, with a powerful voice that can dominate a song.
I want it louder, more power
I crave a level of intensity and energy in music that is greater than what most people are able to handle.
I'm gonna rock it 'til it strikes the hour
I will play my music with passion and intensity until the clock runs out on me.
Metal health will drive you mad
Listening to hard rock and heavy metal music can be so powerful that it can have a lasting psychological impact.
I'm frustrated and out-dated
I feel stuck in a world that does not appreciate my values or my music, and I am eager to break out of it.
I really wanna be over-rated
I would rather be famous and successful than not recognized for my talent and hard work.
I'm a finder and I'm a keeper
I am good at discovering new music and ideas, and I work hard to keep them alive and relevant.
I'm not a loser, and I ain't no weeper
I am confident and proud of my abilities, and I refuse to give up or feel sorry for myself.
I got the boys to make the noise
I have assembled a group of like-minded musicians who can play hard and loud, creating a powerful sound that resonates with fans.
Won't ever let up, hope it annoys you
I will continue to play my music with intensity and passion, even if it bothers people who do not appreciate my style.
Join the pack, feel the crack
Become a fan of hard rock and heavy metal music, and let yourself be carried away by the energy and intensity of the sound.
Well now you're here, there's no way back
Once you become a fan of this type of music, it is hard to imagine going back to bland or less intense styles of music.
Metal health will cure your crazy
Listening to hard rock and heavy metal music can have a therapeutic effect on people who feel lost or disconnected, helping them find grounding and meaning.
Metal health is what we all need
In a world that can be stressful and divided, we all need a powerful outlet like hard rock and heavy metal music to help us cope.
Wake the dead
Let yourself be so energized by the music that you feel like you are rising from the grave, ready to take on the world with renewed vigor.
We're all metal mad
Hard rock and heavy metal fans have a unique and intense passion for their music, which can be seen as an obsession by those who do not share it.
It's all you have
For some fans, hard rock and heavy metal music is the only thing that they feel passionate about, giving their life meaning and purpose.
And raise the dead, oh yeah
Let the music be so intense and powerful that it feels like it is bringing you back from the dead, rejuvenating your spirit and your soul.
It's not too bad (bad, bad, bad, bad)
Overall, the impact of hard rock and heavy metal music on people's mental and emotional health may not be as negative as some critics suggest.
Oh get your straight-jackets on tonight oh
Let yourself be so carried away by the energy and intensity of the music that you feel crazy and out of control.
The bad boys are gonna set you right and rock ya, rock ya, rock ya
In a world that can be divided and judgmental, embrace the rebellious spirit of hard rock and heavy metal music and let it unite you with others who share your passion.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Frank Felix Banali, Carlos Eric Cavazo, Tony Cavazo, Kevin Mark Dubrow
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tommywankenobi
I graduated the the year this song was released - 1983. My final day of school, I came home, tuned into MTV and when this song came up I grabbed one of Dad’s beers from the fridge and cranked the volume so loud the glass in the windows was buzzing! Danced around the house like a damned fool because I was so glad to put high school behind me and didn’t even want to think about college. Man, to be that young and that happy about something so simple…..
@MarkNOTW
Tom Patton I hear ya! ‘85 here
@Pbirv
82 here!
@michaeldegovanni5644
Tom Patton 84 here bro!!!!
@scottfox7642
Amen.🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
@strebis6
85
@oldmanjim2376
80's metal is like NO OTHER!!!!!! Still rocks 25+ years later!!!
@joemartin1253
More like 35+ years later.
@silviaplank2066
never stopped rocking!!!!
@AngelofAnguish
AMEN or LIKEWISE!