Y&T Albums (15)
'Unearthed, Vol. 2'
Release Date 1/1/2004
Tracks 18
Label Meanstreak Music Co.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
A follow-up to Dave Meniketti's first trawl through the Y&T tape vaults, Unearthed, Vol. 2 contains 18 more Y&T songs recorded at various points between 1973 (when they were a Bay Area hard rock band called Yesterday & Today) and 1989 (the end of their largely failed Geffen-era attempt at an Aerosmith-style comeback appealing to the hair-farmer audience). The album opens with the snarling "Face to Face," a riff-rocker co-written by Ronnie Montrose of the titular band with whom Y&T were most often compared in the early days, and skips around non-chronologically from there. Highlights include early versions of a few familiar tunes: "Dance Dance Dance" was eventually re-recorded in 1987 as "L.A. Rocks," but this rougher-edged version is superior, as is the original acoustic version of "Hands of Time," which smokes the later power ballad version that appeared on a charity compilation in the late '80s. Meniketti's impressively honest liner notes promise a warts-and-all listening experience, the most bumpy-sounding being the sluggish, overlong "More" and "Help Me Hear Me," which is rather blatantly ripped off from Deep Purple's "Gypsy." ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
'BBC in Concert: Live on the Friday Rock Show'
Release Date 7/25/2000
Tracks 12
Label Varese
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Out of all the heavy metal bands that appeared on the Billboard charts during the 1980s, one that appeared destined to lead the pack was Y&T. After all, they'd been honing their sound since the '70s, had built a large cult following, and with each successive album had several new anthems for teenaged males to pump their fists in the air to. But aside from scoring a few moderately sized MTV hits, Y&T somehow slipped through the cracks, as groups such as Mötley Crüe (who used to open for Y&T on the Sunset Strip) and Quiet Riot surpassed them on the charts. Regardless, Y&T's music still packs quite a punch -- sure, it's "unmistakably '80s," but it certainly stands up much better than the average metal band from the era. The group was always a top live act throughout its career, and the 12-track BBC in Concert: Live on the Friday Rock Show does not disappoint. Containing selections from two separate shows (one from the Black Tiger era, the other from the In Rock We Trust era), it's quite impressive how the energy of the group's performance has been captured here, especially on such high-decibel rockers as "Open Fire," "Mean Streak," and "Lipstick and Leather," while the group experiences a "Bic lighter moment" with two different versions of "Rescue Me." Even though it doesn't contain their two best-known tracks, "Don't Stop Runnin'" and "Summertime Girls," BBC in Concert: Live on the Friday Rock Show is certainly not a bad summary of or starting point for this underrated band. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
'Down for the Count'
Release Date 11/30/1999
Tracks 10
Label MVP Japan
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Endangered Species'
Release Date 10/6/1997
Tracks 12
Label Music For Nations
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Having been in mothballs since the early '90s, underrated West Coast rockers Y&T decided to give it another try later in the decade with the comeback album Endangered Species. And you couldn't blame them, as it seemed like just about every single supposedly "retired" hard rock band (Kiss, Ratt, Poison, etc.) was going back out on the road during this period. Only two longtime members were up for the reunion, however -- Dave Meniketti (vocals, guitar) and Phil Kennemore (bass, vocals) -- but the band's unmistakable anthemic hard rockin' style remains well represented here. Although often lumped in with the "pop-metal" set (and the group's biggest hit, "Summertime Girls," didn't exactly help matters much), Y&T was one of the heaviest bands to emerge from the Sunset Strip circa the late '70s/early '80s. Wisely, the group returned to the heavier approach of its earlier albums on Endangered Species, as evidenced by such standout rockers as "Hello! Hello! I'm Back Again," "Gimme the Beat," and "Can't Stop the Rain," plus the slightly more tranquil "Sail On By." True, only two participating original members usually doesn't mean a real "reunion," but in Y&T's case, Meniketti and Kennemore had no problem rekindling the flame on Endangered Species. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
'Yesterday & Today Live'
Release Date 1/1/1990
Tracks 13
Label Metal Blade
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Too many rockers have made the mistake of never providing an official live album, but thankfully, Y&T isn't one of them. Recorded at the San Jose Cabaret in San Jose, CA on December 28 and 31, 1990, this CD paints a most impressive picture of the Deep Purple-influenced heavy metal/hard-rock band. Heavy metal enthusiasts who never saw Y&T live will wish they had after hearing this excellent album, which brilliantly captures the Bay Area headbangers' vitality. Turning its attention to material from the 1970s and 1980s, Y&T is in fine form on gems that range from "Black Tiger," "Beautiful Dreamer," and "Winds of Change" to "Hurricane," "Midnight in Tokyo," and "I'll Cry." Yesterday & Today Live is as melodic as it is forceful. In fact, headbangers who like their metal/hard rock with a lot of melody should make a point of obtaining this album, which is without a dull moment. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With the release of Ten in 1990, Y&T had the chance of riding the tail-end of the hair metal era. "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" has a good riff, and the album is full of well-produced, slick mainstream metal. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As had been amply proved by their dismally recorded studio albums, Y&T's songs were simply made to be heard in a live setting. Arriving at the tail end of the band's association with A&M Records, Open Fire is hardly exceptional by live-album standards, but the difference between these performances and their studio counterparts is so immense that one has to wonder if the performances are even by the same band. Every forced lyric, every lame arrangement, and every lost nuance are forgotten as Y&T come to explosive life on this astounding set, which revisits the best moments from the band's early-'80s career, including "Rescue Me," "Forever," "Barroom Boogie," and "Open Fire." Later material like "Go for the Throat" and "Summertime Girls" is less impressive, and the inclusion of an old track ("25 Hours a Day") from their late-'70s origin as Yesterday & Today comes off as pedestrian at best. But a final encore of the beautifully cathartic "I Believe in You" is guaranteed to send everyone home happy. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
