UnEarthed, Vol. 1

For a group that released nine studio albums between 1976 and 1990, you have to figure that Y&T must have a few tracks that slipped through the cracks over the years, right? You are indeed correct, as the 2005 compilation, Unearthed, Vol. 1 collects 17 of these rarities. As far as pop-metal bands of the '80s go, Y&T had the hooks, the choruses, the riffs, and the party-hearty persona to do battle with the chart-topping Mötley Crües and Quiet Riots of the world, but for some reason, they managed to slip through the cracks. This remains puzzling, especially since most of the outtakes here prove stronger than the "hits" from the third-generation hair metal bands that MTV was plugging from 1988-1991. Included are such hard rockers as "Shout It Out," "Standing in the Fire," and "Shake Down" (proving that not all '80s-era pop-metal acts lacked cajones), as well as the obligatory power ballad, "In the Name of Love." While most outtakes albums usually come off as sounding like thrown-together affairs — with little sonic continuity running through the track listing — Y&T's Unearthed, Vol. 1 is an exception. In fact, it comes off as a long-lost studio album from their peak '80s period.