Artist: PRETTY MAIDS
Album: JUMP THE GUN (CD)

Release date: 1990
Media type: CD

The 1990 Follow up Jump The Gun, was produced by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, offered more of the same catchy riffs. The record label had put in all efforts to break the charts worldwide with this record, but it never took off. Whether it was lack of hits, marketing or simply another hair metal victim of grunge music we will never know, but the record didn't live up to expectations. The band more or less broke up after the lack of success with this record, leaving only founding members Ron Atkins and Ken Hammer.

They would however not quit, so they recruited drummer Michael Fast and bass player Kenn Jackson, and went on to record Sin-Decade in 1992. The album produced the hit single Please Don't Leave Me - a John Sykes/Phil Lynott cover which opened the band up to an even wider audience.

The band did very well in Japan in the first half of the 90s and founded large fanbase over there. The Asian audience has a special craving for Pretty Maids' ballads and more soft repertoire.

In 1995 however, the band really surprised the fans and critics by releasing the storming Scream. This was an altogether heavier and guitar-lead approach which gained numerous plaudits and saw the band release their first live album, Screamin' Live.

The follow up Spooked, released in '97, was regarded by many as an instant classic, maintaining the energy and heaviness of Scream whilst still capturing the quintessential melody that is Pretty Maids.

1999's Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Overdoing, whilst certainly having an overdone album title, also produced one of the songs of the year with Hell On High Heels, an absolute monster of commercial, hard driving rock.

TRACKLIST:

1. Lethal Heroes
2. Don't Settle For Less
3. Rock The House
4. Savage Heart
5. Young Blood
6. Headlines
7. Jump The Gun
8. Partners In Crime
9. Attention
10. Hang Tough
11. Over And Out
12. Dream On

LINE-UP:

Ronnie Atkins - lead vocals (1981 - present)
Ken Hammer - guitar (1981 - present)
Ricky Marx (Henrik Mark) guitar (1988 - 1991)
Phil More - drums (1981 - 1990)
Alan Owen - keyboards (1981 - 1990, Still plays the keyboards on most records)