RATT CHATT
Bobby Blotzer; ‘Bottom line, this is Ratt’ and fans react; ‘No it’s not’
Facebook — A recent post from the RATT camp sheds some light on the current state of the band. After some years in turmoil it looks like Bobby Blotzer is (legally) taking the reins and running full speed ahead.
Blotzer is the only classic era member of the platinum selling 80’s group that performs (with an entirely new lineup) as RATT.
The group’s official facebook posted a statement that includes the following: “Bobby has gained the legal right to take RATT back on the road so all of you can rock out to RATT once again. And Warren continues, unsuccessfully to this point at least, to try and keep RATT off the stage and out of your cities.”
The posting continues: “But despite Warren’s determination to keep the fans from hearing RATT live by filing a lawsuit against Bobby and, basically, the band (and the fans), this summer RATT is back with the re-invasion tour.”
Metal Sludge has heard from one industry source that Warren DeMartini has “thrown in the towel” for now and it looks like Blotzer just might be free to run wild as he wishes going forward.
The posting also includes a message from Bobby Blotzer himself.
Blotzer goes onto say, “I wanted to address some of the things that I have been reading on social media recently. Bottom line, this is Ratt. We have not done anything different than Foreigner, Y&T , Lynyrd Skynyrd, Styx, Journey, Dokken, and GN’R.”
However some fans online have reacted to this with thoughts that it is not the same thing and it is in fact different than the situations regarding the other band’s he listed.
One fan scoffed at Blotzer’s comments with; “Lynard Skynard? That is ridiculous to compare the two. Skynard had 3 members die in a plane crash and took a 10 year hiatus immediately after the tragedy. A full decade later the band reformed with Ronnie’s younger brother (Johnny) singing. It’s totally different.”
Another online fan noted the groups Blotzer named in his letter, and broke it down by band like this below.
Foreigner – Mick Jones founded the band and wrote the majority of the songs
Y&T – Dave Meniketti founded the band and wrote the majority of the bands music to date
Lynard Skynard – The touring band currently features 2 classic era players, and Ronnie Van Zant’s younger brother Johnny who has fronted the band since 1987. As many recall 3 of the original lineup were tragically killed in a 1977 plane crash.
Styx – James Young co-founded the band and co-wrote several songs. Tommy Shaw a classic lineup standout and major song contributor also performs with the band to date. Styx currently tours with 3 members from the classic years.
Journey – Neil Schon co-founded the band and wrote the songs. Journey currently tours with 4 members of the classic era lineup.
Dokken – Don Dokken founded the band and wrote many of the bands songs, most notably their singles.
Guns N’ Roses – Axl founded the band and wrote or co-wrote all of the group’s historical catalog. Currently the band features 3 of the core original lineup including Slash and Duff McKagan.
Blotzer’s own wikipedia notes that he was recruited by Stephen Pearcy 6 years after the singer founded the band.
According to online research it appears that Stephen Pearcy, Warren DeMartini, Juan Croucier and the band’s late guitarist Robbin “King” Crosby wrote or co-wrote the entire Ratt music catalog.
Metal Sludge searched the first 5 Ratt albums with the classic line-up all released on Atlantic Records.
Below in order of release are noted song credits for the band’s triple platinum 1984 debut “Out Of The Cellar“, the double platinum follow up “Invasion Of Your Privacy” (1985), their 3rd release “Dancing Under Cover” from 1986 which sold platinum along with “Reach For The Sky” (1988) that went also platinum and lastly the gold certified “Detonator” (1990).
Metal Sludge will attest that according to live videos posted and several reviews from fans who have seen the band live, that Bobby Blotzer’s RATT is indeed a solid sounding professional act.
We salute the hired-guns on a job well done for their great recreation of the band’s classic hits.
However it can be noted that there are many tribute shows and cover bands across the globe who also can recreate a band’s catalog and perfomance the same.
Here is what some fans have posted on the RATT press release thread on Facebook.
To be fair, we can tell you there are many postive posts on the facebook article.
Also a ton of others that were just brutal. But it looks like this posting is now being moderated and many of the most hateful comments have been deleted.
If you wanna go read through the near 200 comments, feel free to go read them on their facebook.
According to the listed RATT songs below (51 tracks) Blotzer contributed on 2 of them. Neither of which were singles.
