Traxter - Rock N Race (Reissue)

Ok,

So I got this a few weeks back and I'm finally listening to it.
I swear I used to have bootleg MP3 copy of this, but couldn’t find it.  I also have to confess that almost none of this sounds familiar (except for the Mr. Love track).  This is a talented group of musicians but I’m having a hard time getting into this album.  It almost seems like the band has an identity crisis.  They are playing what sounds like progressive hard rock/metal but in a commercial 80’s metal format.  I don’t think I have heard a band do anything quite like this before (it’s almost like they mixed Rush with some hair-metal band).  Any fans of this band from back in the day?  I’d be interested to hear your insights on their music.

My cassette is in near mint condition.  I may have listened to this album 5 times.

Quote :

So I got this a few weeks back and I'm finally listening to it.
I swear I used to have bootleg MP3 copy of this, but couldn’t find it.  I also have to confess that almost none of this sounds familiar (except for the Mr. Love track).  This is a talented group of musicians but I’m having a hard time getting into this album.  It almost seems like the band has an identity crisis.  They are playing what sounds like progressive hard rock/metal but in a commercial 80’s metal format.  I don’t think I have heard a band do anything quite like this before (it’s almost like they mixed Rush with some hair-metal band).  Any fans of this band from back in the day?  I’d be interested to hear your insights on their music.

You hit the nail on the hit- this is exactly the direction I am heading in putting together the review.  I am referring to Traxter as 'progressive hair metal'.

I had the cassette but only a couple songs grabbed me. Your description is spot on.

Traxter was kind of hard to label.  They sound somewhat progressive while trying sound somewhat like GnR.  So, I would guess a blend of Rush and GnR.  I don't think a lot of people got what they were doing at the time.  For some reason, I have always liked this album.

The guy on the cover looks like my friend John.

I enjoy it and played it every day when it was first released. Don't have it in my truck now but will pull it back out. Redsea came in the mail yesterday so I will play that for a while then go back to Traxter and the latest Bride.

I had never heard it until this re-release, but I got it anyway. Big mistake. This album is terrible.

Xid wrote:

My cassette is in near mint condition.  I may have listened to this album 5 times.

I will listen to it in it's entirety at least a dozen times (because I do that with all new releases).... but I suspect that when I listen to it again I will probably skip half of the tracks.

Dynamis wrote:

Quote :

So I got this a few weeks back and I'm finally listening to it.
I swear I used to have bootleg MP3 copy of this, but couldn’t find it.  I also have to confess that almost none of this sounds familiar (except for the Mr. Love track).  This is a talented group of musicians but I’m having a hard time getting into this album.  It almost seems like the band has an identity crisis.  They are playing what sounds like progressive hard rock/metal but in a commercial 80’s metal format.  I don’t think I have heard a band do anything quite like this before (it’s almost like they mixed Rush with some hair-metal band).  Any fans of this band from back in the day?  I’d be interested to hear your insights on their music.

You hit the nail on the hit- this is exactly the direction I am heading in putting together the review.  I am referring to Traxter as 'progressive hair metal'.

Really glad I wasn't the only one who was hearing that.  Talented band, but it seems like for the most part they couldn't buy hook if their life depended on it....and they were skirting the edges of a genre that pretty much required hooks to stay alive.

Black Rider wrote:

I had the cassette but only a couple songs grabbed me. Your description is spot on.

alldatndensum wrote:

Traxter was kind of hard to label.  They sound somewhat progressive while trying sound somewhat like GnR.  So, I would guess a blend of Rush and GnR.  I don't think a lot of people got what they were doing at the time.  For some reason, I have always liked this album.

I'm glad someone here likes it.

Xid wrote:

The guy on the cover looks like my friend John.

You mean the human, not the purple demon looking thing, right?

MikeInFla wrote:

I enjoy it and played it every day when it was first released. Don't have it in my truck now but will pull it back out. Redsea came in the mail yesterday so I will play that for a while then go back to Traxter and the latest Bride.

You were a radio DJ for a number of years, do you find yourself liking more of the stuff that isn't predictably hook-driven?

Follower of Jesus wrote:

I had never heard it until this re-release, but I got it anyway. Big mistake. This album is terrible.

Well at least I find myself liking a couple of the tracks (although I do find the singer's vocals a bit abrasive on several tracks).  It certainly won't make list of favorite purchases for the year.

Staybrite wrote:

MikeInFla wrote:

I enjoy it and played it every day when it was first released. Don't have it in my truck now but will pull it back out. Redsea came in the mail yesterday so I will play that for a while then go back to Traxter and the latest Bride.

You were a radio DJ for a number of years, do you find yourself liking more of the stuff that isn't predictably hook-driven?

When I got this I was expecting the worst. but I was pleasantly surprised by it and enjoy it. I don't skip any tracks except the last track, the bonus live cut. I have bootlegs that sound better than that! It's terrible! 

As a former DJ I find myself avoiding radio hits. I've become bored by them and really burned out after hearing songs thousands of times. If I never hear The Eagles again that is fine with me. I tend to stick to album tracks and deeper cuts from classic rock artists, unless I am playing an LP record. I just let them play instead of skipping around. I also burned out on the Hendrix stuff that was played on the radio and enjoy the album tracks from him, especially the more recent albums released by Experience Hendrix in the last few years. Lots of unreleased tracks and alternate takes. but yeah, I'd rather hear stuff that is less predictable. I think Traxter wasn't really sure what they were but I like it.

MikeInFla wrote:

Staybrite wrote:

MikeInFla wrote:

I enjoy it and played it every day when it was first released. Don't have it in my truck now but will pull it back out. Redsea came in the mail yesterday so I will play that for a while then go back to Traxter and the latest Bride.

You were a radio DJ for a number of years, do you find yourself liking more of the stuff that isn't predictably hook-driven?

When I got this I was expecting the worst. but I was pleasantly surprised by it and enjoy it. I don't skip any tracks except the last track, the bonus live cut. I have bootlegs that sound better than that! It's terrible! 

As a former DJ I find myself avoiding radio hits. I've become bored by them and really burned out after hearing songs thousands of times. If I never hear The Eagles again that is fine with me. I tend to stick to album tracks and deeper cuts from classic rock artists, unless I am playing an LP record. I just let them play instead of skipping around. I also burned out on the Hendrix stuff that was played on the radio and enjoy the album tracks from him, especially the more recent albums released by Experience Hendrix in the last few years. Lots of unreleased tracks and alternate takes. but yeah, I'd rather hear stuff that is less predictable. I think Traxter wasn't really sure what they were but I like it.

Very cool. Thanks for the detailed insight.