Mean Streak

Mean Streak

Track Listings

1. Mean Streak

2. Straight Thru the Heart

3. Lonely Side of Town

4. Midnight in Tokyo

5. Breaking Away

6. Hang 'Em High

7. Take You to the Limit

8. Sentimental Fool

9. Down and Dirty

Tracks:

Mean Streak
Straight Thru the Heart
Lonely Side of Town
Midnight in Tokyo
Breaking Away
Hang 'Em High
Take You to the Limit
Sentimental Fool
Down and Dirty

Album Description

Japanese 24-bit remastered reissue of 1983 album. A&M. 2002.

Album Details

Japanese digitally remastered re-release.

Customer Reviews:

Not quite "Black Tiger," but a classic.......2006-08-22

I've long said this album was one that would never leave my collection, and I still feel that way. But despite the fact it is one of Y&T's best albums, it's not their best.

Oh, it starts off like a rocket, certainly. "Mean Streak" is one of Y&T's signature songs, and is as strong a leadoff to an album as I can think of. "Straight Through The Heart," "Lonely Side Of Town" and "Midnight In Tokyo," for those owning the LP or cassette, completes a solid side of metal, while "Breaking Away" and "Hang 'Em High" start the second side with gusto.

The problem comes afterward. "Take Me To The Limit" has a powerful edge to it, but somehow leaves me wanting a little more. "Sentimental Fool," meanwhile, sounds as if it belongs on another album: I really didn't care for it. But "Down And Dirty" makes you almost forget the last two songs, and rounds out a very solid album perfectly.

"Mean Streak", despite it's very few flaws, is a Y&T classic, one of the best albums in my collection. I highly recommend it.

Best Y&T 80's effort.......2006-06-11

There are always mixed feelings when listening to a Y&T album. They often feature some nice tunes, good vocal harmonies, and attractive guitar work. But equally often, they resort to the pompous, boring stereotype sound we know and hate from a lot of US bands from this era. Moreover, Dave Meniketti's singing is quite ambitious but sometimes comes of as one-dimensional, it lacks variety and soulfulness.

This said, Mean Streak is probably the most enjoyable album from the Y&T 'metal' years. It features the Y&T trademark variation between up-tempo rockers, stomping hard rock and emotional power ballads and packs six good-to-great songs: Mean Streak (the best song on the album), Straight Thru The Heart, Lonely Side Of Town, Midnight In Tokyo, Hang 'Em High, and Sentimental Fool. The closest runner-up, the Black Tiger album, while containing bigger "hits", really has only four good songs (Open Fire, Don't wanna Lose, Forever, Black Tiger), the other albums under the Y&T name (I'm not familiar with their albums when they were still called Yesterday & Today) sadly have even less.

A great rock album by a great hard rock band.......2006-02-13

The Good
There's no mistaking that the opening riff to "Mean Streak" represent the rock music scene of the early eighties. Vocalist Dave Meniketti delivers his trademark melodic yet husky vocals, reminiscent of Sammy Hagar & Ronnie Montrose. It should come as no surprise that Dave has collaborated with Ronnie many times. There's nothing flashy or fancy about "Straight Through the Heart," but it's still a killer rock track. More of that great Y & T vocal harmony returns for "Lonely Side of Town."The group chronicles their first-ever trip to Japan on "Midnight in Tokyo." Even though you'll want to get caught up in the lyrics, it's Meniketti's & Joey Alves' guitar work that really shine here.

"Hang `Em High" has Y & T crossing the line from AOR rockers, to heavy metal head bangers as they pump up the distortion, quicken up the riffs, and lay down some pounding drum beats. "Sentimental Fool" has a great pop-rock radio appeal to it, as the arrangement is not too complicated and the group gives it there all vocally. "Down and Dirty" is all about the power chord riffage. The bonus track "I'm Not Sorry" has a darker tone to it, but it still comes off melodic.

The Bad
Nothing notable

The Verdict
Mean Streak was a gateway album for Y & T. It helped the group finally get noticed by American audiences. It wasn't long after this one that Y & T really started cranking out some hits. Although it's not their strongest album, Mean Streak is still a great rock album by a great hard rock band. It's a good representation of the music scene at the time as well.

Quality 80's metal lacking depth..........2005-08-22

I love Y&T... Don't get me wrong. I always have, and I always will. Y&T never lets down for simple, "Hell Yeah!" rock and emotional power ballads. Killer guitar solos abound... But, if you can't get over the Movie Soundtrack aspects (Like Survivor in Rocky III or The Iron Eagle films, young guys and headphones rocking to win the day) then stay with their earlier stuff. But if that sound doesn't bother you, put on your ripped 501's, strap a bandanna around your head and jam to this great album. :)

BEST Y&T ALBUM.......2005-06-02

THIS IS MY FAVORITE Y&T ALBUM AND I BELIEVE IT TO BE THE BEST ONE.EVERY SINGLE SONG IS GREAT,CHECK OUT "LONELY SIDE OF TOWN",AND OF COURSE THE MORE POPULAR SONGS LIKE "MIDNIGHT IN TOKYO","MEANSTREAK","HANG EM HIGH",ETC.LEONARD HAZE REALLY SHINES ON HIS DRUM PERFORMANCE,ALSO GREAT RHYTHM GUITAR FROM JOEY ALVES.OF COURSE DAVE MENIKETTI AND PHIL KENNEMORE ARE ALSO GREAT AS USSUAL.AFTER LISTENING TO "CONTAGIOUS" I BECAME A FAN OF THIS BAND,AFTER LISTENING TO THIS ONE,I BECAME ADDICTED.Y&T IS ONE OF THE TOP 5 BEST BANDS EVER AND THIS ALBUM ENGRAVES IT IN STONE.

Average customer rating:

One of the good ones
Watered down cd
Good songs, no staying power
Hard Rock Lover From Chicago
A Melodic Metal Masterpiece!

Mean Streak
Y&T
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Classic Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
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Black Tiger

ASIN: B000007ULQ
Release Date: 2000-01-25

Tracks:

Mean Streak
Straight Thru The Heart
Lonely Side Of Town
Midnight In Tokyo
Breaking Away
Hang 'Em High
Take You To The Limit
Sentimental Fool
Down And Dirty

Album Description

1995 Japanese reissue on A&M of the metal band's 1983 album for the label. Features 'Mean Streak', 'Straight Thru The Night' and seven other tracks.

Album Details

1997 Polydor Japan rerelease of Y&T's 1985 A&M offering 'Mean Streak'. Includes the title track, 'Straight Thru the Heart', 'Sentimental Fool' & six more.

Customer Reviews:

One of the good ones.......2004-08-14

Mean Streak was, to me the last of the really good Y&T efforts. The band moved from the more primitive leanings of Earthshaker to a more melodic, contemporary, mainstream hard rock. Not that its all bad,the first four tracks are real success stories in this musical vein, highly melodic with plenty of punch and tasty licks. This is where it really ends as the band finishes out the release with a handful of forgettable mid-tempo rockers with dull, uninspired riffs. Only "Hang em High" stands out with its interesting bridge and of course one of Dave Meniketti's (?)better solos. This guy really has a ear for solos, he usually delivers somthing interesting. Better than most of the era, no doubt. Overall a solid effort, worth picking up if your interested in this type of genre. I've had it since it's release, and I still think it has interesting parts.

Watered down cd.......2002-07-28

I suppose this pretty good..still have a tape of it. It does have one great song on it..Midnight in Tokyo. It has some other pretty good songs on it but simply doesn't compare to some their other cd's like earthshaker, in rock we trust, black tiger, endangered species, struck down, and even contagious.

Good songs, no staying power.......2001-07-31

This is an underrated rock album. Rocks all the way thru. Extremely good guitar hooks and songwriting. However after listening to it over time, the songs become kinda dull. Production seems to be a bit dry too.

Hard Rock Lover From Chicago.......2001-06-25

This CD is one of the best albums of the entire 80's. Great Grooves, Great Hooks, Very down to earth hard rock. This by far is their best album.

A Melodic Metal Masterpiece!.......2000-06-05

The third in a Classic Melodic Metal triology (EARTHSHAKER, BLACK TIGER, and MEAN STREAK), MEAN STREAK is probably Y&T's best album. EARTHSHAKER was raw, but filled with great songs that had great riffs and catchy hooks, BLACK TIGER polished up that style, and MEAN STREAK perfected it. The title track immediately gives the listener a preview of what he or she is in for throughout the album; it is a Heavy song (in an early-80's way) with a LOT of melody and hooks. "Straight Through The Heart" is a great mid-tempo song with a fairly good sense of groove and a somwhat choppy riff (not a bad thing at all). "Lonely Side Of Town" is more melodic, with a slightly more "pop" feel than the previous two songs, but the band cranks it back up on "Midnight In Tokyo," one of their signature tunes. "Midnight.." is somewhat reminiscent of "Forever" off of BLACK TIGER, only with more dynamics (mellow first half of the verse, heavier second half of the verse and bridge, and a Heavy chorus with a GREAT vocal hook). "Breaking Away" is a more polshed version of their EARTHSHAKER style; great riffs and hooks without being at all "wimpy." Y&T again ups the ante with "Hang 'Em High," a one of the faster and heavier songs on the album, but still melodic with good hooks, and then they slow it back down to mid-tempo with "Take You To The Limit," another solid track. They show more polish on "Sentimental Fool," before closing with the raw AC/DC-esque "Down And Diry." There is not one song on this album that even comes near sounding like "filler," as they are all so well written that even the more melodic songs come off well. One key factor in the album's artistic (if not commercial) success is the PERFECT production by Chris Tsangerides (how do you pronounce that last name anyway?). The drums are big, but not too boomy, the guitar tone is crunchy and fat, but still distinct, and the bass is mixed in just right (not too much, but enough that it holds up the bottom end VERY well). The "pop" songs end up sounding more "Rock" thanks to Tsangerides' production. Y&T never again matched this album, but they did have some good ones after this including CONTAGIOUS, TEN, MUSICALLY INCORRECT, and ENDANGERED SPECIES. If you like straight-ahead Hard Rock/Melodic Metal, you've got to get MEAN STREAK (and check out the rest afterwards)!

Average customer rating:

A Shot in the Dark

Manufacturer: Mean Streak Productions
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000H58V8Q

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Blonde on a Bum Trip
Citizen Rahne
Manufacturer: Citizen Rahne
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CA8IAW
Release Date: 2005-06-21

Tracks:

3 Metamorphoses
College Type Jo
Make a Living
At Noon
Bad Shit
Cold Coffee
Breakfast
Hideous Mutant
Get Out
Evil That Men Do (Featuring Jamie Amos)
Soft Glass
Persistent Vegetative State
Papal Tracheotomy
Meat Coma

Average customer rating:

Feeling

Manufacturer: Famous Unknown
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CAEB1C
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Tracks:

The Feeling
Let's Prove Them Wrong
You Were Mine
Little Dove
Blues Infection
I Miss the Ice Man
North Shore Angel
There's a Chill Inside
Frozen Shadows
Cheaters Never Win
Let Me
One Less Dream

Average customer rating:

Cupids Got a Mean Streak

Manufacturer: Maria De Angelis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CAESME
Release Date: 2003-12-16

Average customer rating:

Mean Streak
Y & T
Manufacturer: Phantom Sound & Vision
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000A2PFZI
Release Date: 1996-11-21

Average customer rating:

Mean Streak
Y & T
Manufacturer: Msi Music Corp
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Pop Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000DESAO
Release Date: 2002-09-11

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