🌊 SURF 'N TURF 🏝️

-THE ISLAND LIFE-

'Come Out and Play' is the fourth studio album by Twisted Sister, released by Atlantic Records on November 22, 1985 and produced by Dieter Dierks, a recognized German record producer, studio owner and musician among other virtues, that became well known as producer of the rock band Scorpions who were signed to him between 1975 and 1988.

This album of Twisted Sister was significantly less successful than its predecessor 'Stay Hungry' from 1984, both critically and commercially, although it achieved Gold status by selling more than 500,000 copies. The intro to the title track features an homage to the 1979, cult classic movie 'The Warriors', in which the main villain, Luther, chants "Warriors, come out to play". The song features the glass-bottle clinking chant performed by the bands leader Dee Snider at the start.

Following the massive success of 1984's 'Stay Hungry', which established Twisted Sister as one of the world's top recording acts, the band was faced with the question of whether they should continue in the same MTV and radio-friendly direction that brought them so much success, or return to their heavy metal roots. 'Come Out and Play' saw them attempt to do both, but the approach ultimately proved devastatingly unsuccessful and the album marked the beginning of the band's commercial decline.

The band's decision to record a cover of the 1964 Shangri-Las' hit "Leader of the Pack" and release it as the album's first single proved very unpopular with the band's fanbase. Ultimately, neither "Leader of the Pack" nor second single "Be Chrool To Your Scuel", that featuring guest appearances from artists such as Alice Cooper, Brian Setzer, Clarence Clemons and Billy Joel came close to matching the success of "We're Not Gonna Take It" or "I Wanna Rock" from 1984's 'Stay Hungry'. By other side, the 1986 world tour in support of 'Come Out and Play' was a failure, marked by low attendance and ticket sales so low in some cities that several shows were simply canceled. Longtime drummer A.J. Pero left the band following the tour in 1986, contributing to the chaos that eventually saw Twisted Sister disband in 1988.

The music videos for "Leader of the Pack" and "Be Chrool to Your School" followed the same comedic formula that had been so successful for the band in the 'Stay Hungry' era. The latter single, featuring a prominent guest spot by Dee Snider's hero Alice Cooper, was banned by MTV on the grounds that it was offensive. The band didn't produce a video for the album's second and final U.S. single, "You Want What We Got".

Track listing

All tracks are written by Dee Snider, except "Leader of the Pack"

Side one

01. "Come Out and Play"

02. "Leader of the Pack" (The Shangri-Las cover)

03. "You Want What We Got"

04. "I Believe in Rock 'n' Roll"

05. "The Fire Still Burns"

Side two

06. "Be Chrool to Your Scuel" (featuring Alice Cooper)

07. "I Believe in You"

08. "Out on the Streets"

09. "Lookin' Out for #1"

10. "Kill or Be Killed"

Cassette and CD versions bonus track

11. "King of the Fools"

Personnel

Dee Snider - lead vocals, backing vocals

Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda - lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals

Jay Jay French - rhythm & lead guitars, backing vocals

Mark "The Animal" Mendoza - bass, backing vocals

A. J. Pero - drums, percussion