Liquid SundayLiquid Sunday
By
Larry Petro,
Pure Rock Patrol, Houston
Tuesday, March 2, 2004 @ 11:01 AM
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Man, talk about avoiding the spotlight. After a brief stint in the early days of the rock band Dokken, he went on to become a driving force, making his mark on the music world as bassist for one of the best rock bands of the ‘80s, Ratt. Then, in 1992, when Ratt broke up (the first time) he virtually disappeared from the public eye, concentrating all his time and energy into his new recording studio, aptly named 'The Cellar'. But the fire to make music instead of helping others record it still burned deep inside him. Says Juan, "...there was an unrelenting desire in me to perform live again as a musician. In late 1997, I could no longer resist, it was time for me to form a band that I would be a part of for years to come…" That band is Liquid Sunday and this is his very first musical offering since his departure from Ratt. And what a musical offering it is!
From the very first moment it was inserted in to my player it begged to be played, and played LOUD. The first track, “Why?” sets the tone for the entire CD with the same style of chords and aggression that made Ratt a household name. One thing that should be noted about this release is that Juan plays all the instruments, save the drums, which are played by his brother Rick, who is no longer a part of the band. Juan plays bass, lead and rhythm guitars, and all lead and backing vocals. His voice performs quite admirably on all the tracks and begs the question as to why he never sang any of Ratt's tunes.
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Probably the biggest surprise to me was the fact that it is quite obvious that Juan didn't waste his years in Ratt simply playing the bass; he was taking cues and tips from Warren D. because Juan can fucking flat out play the lead guitar! The solos in tracks like “Why?” “Sacrifice” and “Scratch That Itch” bear witness to his prowess on the six string. And while I'm on the subject, it is also quite apparent after only a few listens that Juan's contributions to the song writing process in Ratt were far greater than he is actually given credit for. Has anyone else noticed that the quality of songs by Ratt has diminished somewhat since his departure? Nearly every track on this CD could have appeared on a Ratt opus. One in particular, the above mentioned “Sacrifice” sounds as if it were ripped straight from the vinyl of Invasion of your Privacy -- it's that good. Another track, “Love Doesn't Change,” has huge potential to become a radio hit if given the right push.
The production and layout of the CD are absolutely top notch. The sound is astounding, the kind that you go out and spend good money on a stereo for. Again, quoting Juan, "This record is intended to be heard from beginning to end, as a whole piece of work. Nothing was computerized or sampled on this record. This is an analog recording. Everything you hear was sung or played in real time. No short cuts were taken. Nothing was 'fixed in the mix'. No excuses." And Juan needs not make any. This is a perfectly solid recording, one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of reviewing. Two very big thumbs up! My thanks go out to Juan for providing a copy to me to review. Listening to the CD removes any explanation as to why someone would want to take them for their own: because it fucking ROCKS! So what's the bottom line you ask? This: Throw Pearcy's vocals on top of these tunes and THIS is the Ratt album that should have been!
Cinnamon_Girl - 4/12/2004 12:30:17 PM
The Liquid Sunday CD is REALLY absolutely awesome! My favorite song is "Love Doesn't Change." I agree with the review, this song has the potential to be a radio hit. ALL of the songs are great and Juan truly has the gift of musical talent in every aspect (Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Bass, Rhythm Guitars, Lead Guitars, Lead/Background Vocals! His brother Rick rocks on drums!
Preach on brothers m2m and BP! Juan is incredibly in touch with his fans and more importantly, he appreciates our support. Rock on Juan!
Now go to The Cellar store and order this CD today!
Ah yes, 5 very strong stars *****
Maryanne :D
hammerofjustice - 3/7/2004 8:38:19 PM Juan is a better musician than he gets credit for. His solo on "Why" sounds like something Warren DiMartini would have played on the first Ratt album. The only points come off with all of the backwards sound effects on the CD. They just seemed really out of place with the rest of the album. Still, it gets an E for effort, and I hope the 2nd Liquid Sunday album does a good job of picking up where this one leaves off.
crazydave17 - 3/7/2004 1:53:13 PM good review, the cd better be good
7thavenue - 3/7/2004 9:45:20 AM well i think there is a big interest among metal fans for some good music out here....since ratt has been one of my favs i might just have to spring some cash out for this one....im so fucking board with music in general..i have been listning to the same records for like 22 years..shout at the devil,out of the cellar,bark at the moon ect....the last time i was exited about new music was the early 90s when grunge came out you has fresh good music,good image and talent alice in chains,pearl jam,stp,white zombie,dream theater....when is somthing going to break like that again.......although i could never get sick of listning to " and justice for all" or "shout" or "dancing undercover"..it would be nice to be exited over new music....and since the players of the 80s are so much better ill take a chance on juan cruicer making a killer record than some 10th generation silverchair rip-off band like default or shit name them
TJA_1972 - 3/7/2004 8:19:35 AM I listened to Man2machine's cd, and I was impressed. I hope he gets a band and starts touring soon.....
WATTTHAFUC - 3/5/2004 1:24:43 PM Sorry you schmucks nobody owns me, and yes for about a day and a half I liked RATT back in 85. Without being a trout mouthed heathen as you called me-Unlike Led Zeppelin, The Ramones, or AC/DC, Music like RATT'S does not stand the test of time.
Merrick - 3/5/2004 1:19:28 PM Why did Juan never sing any of the Ratt tunes? Because they already had a singer.
Man2machine - 3/4/2004 10:47:16 PM BP I wasn't going to attack him after his post and just let it lay, but I gotta say... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! You own him! He's probably a big fan of Culture Club! LMAO!
m2m
BigPerm - 3/4/2004 8:40:08 PM You a RATT fan WTF? How else would you know who the hell Juan Croucier is if you weren't. I mean... Since you think he has no musical talent, you should probably realize that alot of RATT's songs were penned by Juan himself. Or are you just another one of these ignorant little fucks that gets his jollys by talking like a trout mouthed hethen on every internet site you visit? People like you shouldn't be allowed to pro-create.
WATTTHAFUC - 3/4/2004 1:40:47 PM Unlike Juan I am smart enough to know I can't make music. Obviously there isn't a lot of interest in his music from the amount of posts on here.
Man2machine - 3/3/2004 8:34:07 PM So Mr. 'WTF", let's hear some of YOU'RE musical genius and talent.
m2m
WATTTHAFUC - 3/3/2004 6:36:55 PM I went to the website and checked out a song "WHY?" And that's a very good question WHY would anybody buy this absolute dog shit. It is so bad, it's comical!!!
fanna1968 - 3/3/2004 11:42:16 AM ATTA BOY JUAN!!!! We're so proud of you!!
ShannonM369 - 3/3/2004 6:18:22 AM I couldn't agree more with the Liquid Sunday review. Juan has worked his a** off on this CD and it shows! He is a multi talented musician who definitely deserves to be in the spotlight! If you don't own this CD, it is a definite must have!
filger - 3/3/2004 2:52:18 AM Glad to see Juan back in the saddle! It seems like it's a killer cd. I'll buy it for sure.
Man, talk about avoiding the spotlight. After a brief stint in the early days of the rock band Dokken, he went on to become a driving force, making his mark on the music world as bassist for one of the best rock bands of the ‘80s, Ratt. Then, in 1992, when Ratt broke up (the first time) he virtually disappeared from the public eye, concentrating all his time and energy into his new recording studio, aptly named 'The Cellar'. But the fire to make music instead of helping others record it still burned deep inside him. Says Juan, "...there was an unrelenting desire in me to perform live again as a musician. In late 1997, I could no longer resist, it was time for me to form a band that I would be a part of for years to come…" That band is Liquid Sunday and this is his very first musical offering since his departure from Ratt. And what a musical offering it is! 
