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Down Boys

Warrant
Composed By   Other Links
Jani Lane  

Song Review

by Steve Huey

The debut single by L.A. hair metal quintet Warrant, "Down Boys," was one of the toughest, heaviest songs in the band's catalog, and certainly at the top of both categories in terms of their hit singles. Unlike most of their rockers (and ballads), "Down Boys" didn't rely on bright, simple, major-key melodies -- the hooks were there, of course, but they were a little darker, and the guitar riffs more powerful and important to the overall memorability of the song. The opening riff featured unusual rhythmic accents that felt like a minor-key fanfare of sorts, with rapid-fire pickup notes leading into power chords that hammered away squarely on the beat. During the vocal portions of the song, the guitars rarely repeated the same figure two times in a row, indicating a level of craft and compositional dexterity not often duplicated in Warrant's oeuvre. Moreover, in spite of the glossy production and multi-layered overdubs that typified the band's work, "Down Boys" had a certain level of grit -- not up to the standard of Guns N' Roses, to be sure, but vocalist Jani Lane and the rest of the band were able to project the street-wise attitude that so much pop-metal strove to emulate in its lyrics. "Down Boys" reached the Top 30 in 1989, helping establish Warrant's audience among metal fans and setting the stage for their true pop breakthrough with "Heaven," the power ballad follow-up that nearly topped the charts.

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