Masked Jackal | Ft. Lauderdale, FL United States | 05/16/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These guys are what rock is all about. I think when this came out in 89', it was at a very strange period for R&R.....Guns and Roses were all but done, and Bon Jovi was still making "Glam".Kiss, Poison, Cinderella, Skid Row, and a few others were still putting out pretty good stuff, but this album was like a breath of fresh air.Surprise Attack took my breath away. It was great to hear a new fresh group, especially one with some real talent for a change.... .... Tora Tora was straight forward ROCK.These guys, along with Tesla, were way overlooked. It's unfortunate for such good musicians to never get credit, just because they won't wear pink and purple spandex. These guys were the true element of Rock and Roll....no cheese.I think "Surprise Attack" would have been huge, if Mtv would have given them the airtime they deserved.....But everybody wanted Axl Rose instead. Guns and Roses had one good album!!....Tora Tora is nothing but pure Rock and Roll bliss!!!If you like Guns and Roses'"Appetite", Kiss, ACDC, Tesla, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Dokken, Cinderella, Poison, or any of the other "good" 80's R&R, don't hesitate....BUY IT!!Another very incredible debut that never got the recognition it deserved is John Sykes "Blue Murder".....excellent.Tora Tora could have been huge. Timing killed this release. If it would have been released 2 years earlier, who knows???"
SURPRIZE ATTACK!
Michael Courtney | San Antonio, Texas United States | 02/01/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"One of the absolute best first albums ever released by anyone period! These guys are from Memphis and have a bluesy edge to their rock. The music and singing is intense from the begining to end. I'm only going to mention one song and that's "28 Days", which is my favorite. To be truthful, there isn't a song on this disc that isn't good. I can't think of a single song I didn't put on a tape or two. Definitely great guitar work here and vocals. Great disc to play at a party, as every song is a mover! I honestly feel everyone would love this! It is one of the best 100 Rock releases of all time!"
Used to watch them jam 3 years before the album came out!!!
Mark Edwards | Memphis, Tennessee United States | 06/01/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is true Memphis rock; bluesy lyrics and hard rock. They won a rock contest put on by Strings and Things (local music store) and took the money and made a demo. Needless to say, we all had a copy of that demo. Kids like myself would go watch them jam at warehouses owned by one of the band members. And, after this album was released, they came home and put on a killer show at the Omni New Daisy that I'll always remember.They put out this record in 1989, after we knew the songs for 2 years. We all skipped school to go buy it. It's truely a great album. Phantom Rider is awesome, and Walkin' Shoes is true Memphis rock.The sad thing is that this album came out in 1989. Had it come out in 1987 or 1988, it would have been ten times bigger than what actually happened.They also put out a second album, Wild America, that is just as good if not better. They also recorded a third album, Revolution Day, that was never released by A&M. Supposedly, it's sitting on the shelves.Find this record and buy it, it's truely one of the best rock albums I own! Around here in Memphis, you can find a copy at a used CD store."
Some of the greatest Blues Heavy Rock ever recorded
tim@ai.org | Indiana | 02/04/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This band is great. If you've not heard Tora Tora, and you like Heavy Rock and or blues, then this is a must get CD. The band re-formed later with a new name and only 2 of the members if memory serves me under the name "Hometown Flavor" .. These guys were just kids, but man did they rock ! Rock like this is just classic."
Solid debut
Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 03/14/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I hate to rain on everybody's parade, but a 5-star album this ain't. Think about the real 5-star albums from the 80's rock scene. They're going to be from bands like Tesla, Dokken, Ratt, Cinderella, Leatherwolf, Y&T, Whitesnake, hell, even Bon Jovi. Honestly, is there any way this album can measure up to those?
Before you start sharpening your knives for me, I will say that Tora Tora's 1989 debut album is a perfectly decent 80's hard rock album. It's completely derivative of the era's more popular artists, but it's still plenty of fun to listen to. It's your basic party rock album with a slight bluesy, southern style (they were a Memphis band after all), with Anthony Corder's wailing vocals taking the spotlight. Judging from the rest of the reviews here, Tora Tora has a very dedicated fanbase, and I imagine their live shows back in the day were lots of fun. I just don't see a lot about Surprise Attack that makes it stand out from the very crowded 80's rock pack.
File this one with bands like Jet Red, Big House, Tangier, and Trixter as fun, but not necessarily essential, bands from the hard rockin' 80's. If you run across a cheap used copy, by all means pick it up. I just can't see paying a collector price for this one.