The most misunderstood and underrated band of the '80's is back.

January 29, 2002 6:22 PM

The most misunderstood and underrated band of the '80's is back. And they've got a website and a terrific tribute album (featuring Motorhead and Chuck D[!]) to go with it.The Sister, as we S.M.F.'s call them, started off a New York Dolls inspired bar band, testified before Congress, and made some undeniably great videos. The old early 70's publicity photos alone make it worth the click. So "What do you wanna do with your life?...."
posted by jonmc (23 comments total)

And, before you ask, yes, I am on a mission here.
posted by jonmc at 6:35 PM on January 29, 2002

I went to the same high school as Dee Schneider, 15 years later. To think that I could have sat in the same desk, read the same books, peed in the same urinals as Dee might have, well, it filled me with awe. Or something.
posted by skwm at 6:37 PM on January 29, 2002

I wanna rock.
posted by elvissinatra at 7:17 PM on January 29, 2002

I quite liked Mr. Snider's duet with Pink, Lil' Kim and Mya on Labelle's "Lady Marmalade" on the "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack. *giggles*
posted by allaboutgeorge at 7:20 PM on January 29, 2002

I dig the Sister.

You can't stop rock and roll....
posted by BarneyFifesBullet at 7:30 PM on January 29, 2002

allaboutgeorge - Dee giggles along with you. In his bio on his personal site he lists Bette Midler as one of his favorite actresses. It's that semi-campiness married to a genuine love of gutbucket rock and roll that made that people missed when they lump the Sister in with the likes of Motley Crue and Poison.
posted by jonmc at 7:36 PM on January 29, 2002

They were okay. They were no Autograph.
posted by dong_resin at 7:53 PM on January 29, 2002

I'm a fan... I even have a Twister Sister pin on my uniform! Welcome back boys!

Actually, I saw Dee Snider's solo band a couple of years ago -- I had pretty low expectations, but they were actually really good. At least one other Sister was in his band, maybe two, and they played all the hits. The writing was on the wall even then, but it's good that they've made it official. Hope they'll make more of an impact than the Quiet Riot reunion did...
posted by spilon at 7:57 PM on January 29, 2002

i saw TS open for Iron Maiden at the Long Beach Arena in '85 or '86. They are correctly rated. They sucked. Completely.
posted by tsarfan at 8:41 PM on January 29, 2002

tsarfan - I saw that same tour in Hartford and I gotta respectfully say that the Sister kicked ass. Perhaps it's an eastcoast thing. I always saw them as having a borderline punk sensibilty myself, being closer to Mott the Hoople and Alice Cooper than Warrant and Poison.
posted by jonmc at 8:48 PM on January 29, 2002

Where's that "Worst Band of all Time" thread? I just remembered my nomination.
posted by milnak at 11:23 PM on January 29, 2002

For a minute there I thought you were talking about The Sisters of Mercy. Andrew Eldritch vs Dee Snider anyone?
posted by GrahamVM at 3:58 AM on January 30, 2002

I will admit to being a closet TS fan. There was something about the whole tongue-in-cheek attitude that I liked. Plus, you gotta love any band with enough self-assurance to do a cameo in a Pee-Wee Herman movie.

And tsarfan, you might want to be careful, because someone may jump in with comments about the band in your username and their extraordinarily lackluster and laughable efforts opening for another band in the summer of 2000...
posted by Dreama at 4:05 AM on January 30, 2002

I'm grateful to Dee Snider for introducing me to the concept of enlightened self-parody in that over-the-top video of "We're Not Gonna Take It."
posted by alumshubby at 5:50 AM on January 30, 2002

The Sister was great. There's one thing that puzzles me, however. I remember on the VH1 Behind The Music about Twisted Sister, one of the band members (bass player, perhaps?) seemed disgusted with his TS past, actually apologized to his family for "what he did to them". Is he part of the reunion? If so, why? Because it's different now? Or is it just the money?
posted by starvingartist at 7:12 AM on January 30, 2002

My mom actually had MTV removed from our cable (at the cost of $10) after I responded to her telling me to do my homework by bouncing around my room screaming, "We're not gonna take it. NO! We ain't gonna take it!" I was 12. She was right. Rock and roll was making me insane. Still is.
posted by elvissinatra at 7:28 AM on January 30, 2002

And, before you ask, yes, I am on a mission here.

But, so.....what's the mission?
posted by Karl at 7:37 AM on January 30, 2002

> The most misunderstood and underrated band of
> the '80's is back.

Of the 70s, too, by the look of it.
posted by pracowity at 7:52 AM on January 30, 2002

Twisted Sister: Thank you. Without your good selves, Jello Biafra and John Denver I wouldn't have heard of Tipper Gore until I'd heard of Al. Now that I've heard of both it makes me bitter and twisted, sister.
posted by vbfg at 8:47 AM on January 30, 2002

But, so.....what's the mission?

Karl, in a couple other threads I've taken some (tounge-in-cheek)shit from people for my love of stuff like TS. I pictured them all seeing the thread, clutching their heads and saying "Oh, God, there goes jonmc again, what is it with him and Twisted Sister?"
I figured I'd beat them to the punch by poking fun at myself. So my mission, such as it is, is to be MeFi's defender of stuff most MeFi'ers don't like, I guess.
posted by jonmc at 8:49 AM on January 30, 2002

starvingartist -that was guitarist Jay Jay French, he was apologizing to his folks for playing his music too loud and growing his hair as a teenager, cos being a father now he sympathizes.
And yes he still is part of the reunion. He was the founder of the band, before Dee even came on the scene. He also has the distinction of bieng possibly the only person to be a drug addict who quit drugs and THEN joined a rock band to stay off them.
posted by jonmc at 8:53 AM on January 30, 2002

So my mission, such as it is, is to be MeFi's defender of stuff most MeFi'ers don't like, I guess.

Gotcha. That sounds like a noble enough cause. :)
posted by Karl at 12:07 PM on January 30, 2002

"...made some undeniably great videos"

no offence, but

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
posted by mikhail at 6:00 PM on January 30, 2002