Pretty Maids - Spooked
It is pretty "Maids" amazing, when I think about all the great melodic songs this band has produced over time. All their records have some genius songs that just stick in my head forever. Well, on to this, my favourite Pretty Maids album.

After the short, but great, atmospheric keyboard intro we go right into Freak Show. A powerful beginning and a song where Ronnie Atkins sings with a lot of intensity. The detailed drums are very cool and overall a very fast song.

Dead Or Alive features a very melodic chorus and a great mid-tempo rhythm. Ken Hammer displays some great catchy guitar leads on this one.

Die With Your Dreams is one of my favourite Maids songs. The start with a stunning raw monster riff, the melodic chorus, genius keyboard arrangements and the perfect vocal break, all is just fantastic. A great personal lyric about being really down and depressed. The depth this song has is very solid.

The most melodic and positive song on the album is Live Until It hurts. The start is simply fantastic, great harmonious keyboard and a solid guitar riff. The contrast between the happy keyboard and raw guitar is very cool. The break in the middle is really working and I love the positive feel this song has, both lyrically and musically.

Spooked is a very direct and hard song. The intense singing is a big plus, and the spooked keyboard tunes are pretty cool. A very good and pretty angry song.

A great thing about this band is their ballads, about 9 out of 10 are fantastic and very catchy. If It Can't Be Love is one of them. It has a very passionate and atmospheric feel to it. The break it has is perfect. Stunning keyboard tunes, a brilliant vocal part that goes into a very melodic guitar solo. Fantastic! The chorus is very slow but it works with the pace of the rhythm.

Any critique then? Yes there is some. Some of the choruses could be a bit more exiting, Fly Me Out is a good powerful song, but the chorus is a bit standard. Your Mind Is Where The Money Is has, a not that great chorus which is a bit stretched out. The guitar is interesting though.

Twisted is a melodic song, but not with the same intense feel as most of the other tracks. The critique's I have is more details than serious problems. On to the rest of the songs.

Never Too Late has a cool pumping rhythm and a very solid and tight guitar. Once again the keyboard elements gives the song an extra dimension. Overall the keyboard stuff is a big plus.

The aggressive The One That Should Not Be ends the record. The energized melodic chorus is great and the guitar riff is raw and fitting.

The sound on the record is very tight and powerful.

The band has a lot of talent to offer. Fantastic vocals, tons of great riffs, very powerful and varied drums, atmospheric keyboards and a tight bass that could have played a more in front role.

Lyrically the album is well balanced between different themes. The critical lyrics about greed, oppression, evils of the world and so on are well written and important. The more personal stuff about love, living life to the edge, fighting for what you believe and related stuff is also very good and relatable.

This is a classic in my collection and a very powerful release.

Written by Tommy
Monday, February 3, 2003
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Ratings

Tommy: 9/10

Members: 9/10 - Average of 1 ratings.



Member ratings

RevelationZ StaffAlanna (Staff)

Rating: 9/10
Oh wow, yes I LOVE this album and its been a surefire favorite since it first came out. ... · Read more ·

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Review by Alanna (Staff) - Saturday, September 26, 2009
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Comments: 245
Oh wow, yes I LOVE this album and its been a surefire favorite since it first came out. "If It Can't Be Love" is just a genius of an infectious epic ballad. A bold, powerful sweeping statement that lavishes on the emotion without holding back, not even for an instant. "Your Mind Is Where the Money Is" has an under appreciated chorus, it takes a few spins but once it sinks its hooks, it is a difficult song to shake.

This is just a really solid, extremely well balanced melodic rock album (with the emphasis on "rock"). It has just enough of a modern touch to seem timeless, the years never seem to touch this one. A must-have rock album, and those that dismissed it will be sorry they did so once they get a few listens in.

Rating: 9/10

Posted by Alanna (Staff)
Saturday, September 26, 2009










Review by Tommy
None

Released by
Scandinavian Records - 1997

Tracklisting
1. Resurrection
2. Freakshow
3. Dead Or Alive
4. Die With Your Dreams
5. Fly Me Out
6. Live Until It Hurts
7. Spooked
8. Twisted
9. If It Can't Be Love
10. Never Too Late
11. Your Mind Is Where The Money Is
12. Hard Luck Woman
13. The One That Should Not Be


Style
Heavy Metal

Related links
Visit the band page

Pretty Maids - Official Website

Other articles
Planet Panic - (Tommy)

Live with Nice Try at Hollywood Hard Rock - Fredericia, December 17. 2004 - (Michael & Steen)

Live at the Skanderborg Festival 2006 - (Steen)

Live at Train - Aarhus Denmark, December 13th 2006 - (Michael)

Live at Open Air Varde - July 27th, 2007 - (Tommy)

Pandemonium - (Alanna)

Pandemonium - (Steen)

Wake Up To The Real World - (Alanna)



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