Danish rockers PRETTY MAIDS were, are, and will be forever amongst my favorites. Perhaps due the worse-chosen band name in history, the Maids never enjoyed the recognition that truly deserved.
‘Future World’ (’87) and this one “Jump The Gun” (“Lethal Heroes” for its US release) both are staples in high quality Melodic Hard Rock history.
Heavier than American hair / hard rock and infinitely more melodic than most traditional European metal, Pretty Maids has the best of both worlds: razor double electric guitar attack and crispy acoustics, a finesse keyboard mix and excellent harmony vocals.
Ronnie Atkins’ slightly raspy but strong vocals sometimes reminds you Bonfire’s Claus Lessman, but I always thought Pretty Maids as the European answer to my beloved Icon, the Phoenix, Texas band.
I am not so far in the appreciation, as one track in this album (“Hang Tough”) was written by Dan Wexler for Icon’s ‘Night Of The Crime’ album, but did not make the final release.
“Jump The Gun” (and Pretty Maids itself, if you ask me) still remains unknown for many fans of the genre.
If this is your case, do not waste more time, pick up this limited UK reissue pronto.
Essential in any HQ Melodic Hard Rock collection.
01 – Lethal Heroes
02 – Don’t Settle For Less
03 – Rock The House
04 – Savage Heart
05 – Young Blood
06 – Headlines
07 – Jump The Gun
08 – Partners In Crime
09 – Attention
10 – Hang Tough
11 – Over And Out
12 – Dream On
Ronnie Atkins – Vocals
Ken Hammer – Guitar
Ricky Marx – Guitar
Allan Delong – Bass, Backing Vocals
Alan Owen – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Phil More – Drums
Additional musicians:
Ian Paice – Drums on “Young Blood”
Roger Glover – Bass on “Dream On”, Producer
Freddy George Jensen – Harp on “Dream On”
Ivan Pedersen, Knud Linhard – Backing Vocals
The New Jersey Mass Choir appears on “Savage Heart”