At last someone has seen the light and re-released this classic glam rock album. Vinnie Vincent was one of the most talented guitarists of the eighties. The very fact that he was in a band like Kiss speaks volumes about his playing. For many, myself included, it wasn't until he formed this band that he really stepped into the spot light and showed us just how good a lead guitar player he really was.

This album appealed to not only all the glam rock fans out there, but also due to Vinnie's blistering guitar work, to all the Metallica brigade too. An accomplishment which is hard to imagine when you consider just how heavy the early Metallica material was in comparison to the high-pitched pure sleaze rock that graces this album.

This album speaks volumes for the rock scene that was around in the mid eighties. The hair was long, the hair was shaggy, it didn't matter what genre of rock you followed, you had hair and you had lots of it. This was the rule for all rockers, whether male or female. A bloke could walk the streets then with 3 ton of hair spray on and more lippy than a Boots No. 7 counter and not get beaten up. Yes they were the glorious hair days when men weren't afraid to visually show their feminine characteristics. The more make-up they had on, the more stud like they felt.

I remember the first time I heard this band, I was totally in awe of lead singer Mark Slaughter's voice. He hit the notes other bands could only dream of. Sure Led Zeppelin and Whitesnake had reached high notes, but this guy, this gorgeous looking, 100% male singer sang so much higher than that and then some. I, like so many others were so impressed with what we heard.

Mark would later go on to form his own band, aptly named 'Slaughter' after himself. Slaughter are a band that still get regular playback in rock clubs around the UK. It would have been nice if this reissue had included a bit of background information on the band and what they all went on to do after they split up. There's a whole new generation out there who will love this album and simply won't have the foggiest who they are or what they were about as individual musicians.

Anyway, back to the songs! In the eighties these songs were the order of the day with plenty of sleaze and lashings of suggestive lyrics. In fact they weren't so much suggestive as out right blatantly sexual in every sense of the word. But that's how bands were those days and the whole scene loved it to bits. Blokes and birds alike would be all but pole dancing when these gems were played.

How times have changed since then. Sure the rock world has become more blatant in its use of foul language, and sometimes shocking subjects such as abuse and drug abuse, but will it take kindly to such sexually charged songs as these? Kiss knew how to live it large in the sexual rock arena and a lot of their songs were tongue in cheek. Vinnie Vincent Invasion is much along the same lines. It's so near the knuckle and yet at the same time candy coated you can't help but laugh at them.

There are so many highlights on the album, and for all it's a good 15 years or so since it was first released, it still stands fresh and vibrant in the world of rock today. My personal favourites include 'Dirty Rhythm' which is oh so delicious it's more scrummy than a tub of Ben & Jerry's. 'Heavy Pettin' and 'Naughty Naughty'. Two very danceable tracks which show just how high Mark's voice could go in those days. This sure was sleaze/glam rock at it's finest. 'Deeper and Deeper' actually blows a lot of the newer AOR/Melodic Rock songs out of the water.

If you preferred the softer side to your rock then why not try 'Love Kills', 'Ecstasy', or 'That time of Year'. However if you prefer your rock a bit heavier and with plenty of balls then I think you might prefer the power of 'Burn' or 'Breakout'.

This album has so many great tracks on it and is an excellent example of the diversity this band and its generation of rockers were accustomed to. It was this diversity that made the band so acceptable to such a wide variety of rock and metal fans.

If like me you already had the Vinnie Vincent Invasion albums on vinyl then good for you. However those vinyl's just don't sound as crisp and inviting these days as they do on these lovely shiny silver CD discs. Go on treat yourself; one listen and you'll wonder why it's been so long since you last played your albums!