ON ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY, RATT FRONTMAN, STEPHEN PEARCY, DISCUSSES “OUT OF THE CELLAR,” AND ADMITS, IT IS THE BAND’S MOST CONSISTENT ALBUM

Greg Prato spoke with Ratt frontman, Stephen Pearcy, about the band’s 40th anniversary reissue Out of the Cellar, for ALL MUSIC. Highlights, from the discussion , appear below.

How did the 40th anniversary edition of “Out of the Cellar” come about?

It was talked about months and months ago. And I got wind of it and thought, ‘Wow…OK!’ Because the single that we released with it, I tried to get on the box set [The Atlantic Years: 1984-1991] last year. But this song was written for Out of the Cellar, but never made the record. And I got it on there, finally. And I was very happy that I didn’t go on the box set – we put Nobody Rides for Free (listen here) on that one.”

How do you think that album holds up, listening to it 40 years later?

I think it holds up. All I would have done now – or Beau Hill, who produced it – was give it more volume. And that’s what we keep trying to do when you remaster – give it more ‘oomph.’ It sounds good. And it sounds better on the vinyl – analog.

Do you agree that “Cellar” is the most consistent Ratt album front to back?

Yeah. We got close with Invasion of Your Privacy, but Cellar…maybe because it was our debut and it kind of hit a nerve. It was hard to do Invasion – the next record. Because Cellar was everything you stood for. You worked for this all your life, and some of these songs on Cellar were ideas I had back in 1978 or something.

What do you recall about filming the Round and Round video, and how was it working with Milton Berle?

Oh my God, Miltie…he was in Back for More video, too. When we did that Round and Round video, what’s even weirder is Don Letts, the guy who directed it – Big Audio Dynamite, remember? – when Milton Berle walked in, he kind of created those parts on the spot. He knew he was going to do a ‘drag thing’ – he just didn’t know what he was going to do…

Some of the people I interviewed for one of my books, World Infestation: The Ratt Story, said that a reunited Ratt should have been included as part of the Stadium Tour a few years ago, with Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Joan Jett. Do you agree?

Of course. But I’m not the one…if it was a vote, of course not – I don’t think Mötley would want to play after us. And that’s how it would have settled up. We still have some kind of competition out there, y’know? We would consider it like, ‘What? We’re going to open up for you?’ So yeah, we should have. It would have made sense. I mean, I don’t care if you put us third, fourth, whatever – our motto was, ‘Go out there and beat your ass, anyway.’ And if they know you’re playing first, they’ll come and see you first, second, third, or whatever…” 

Read more at ALL MUSIC

For more details about the 40th anniversary edition of Out of the Cellar, please go here, and to order a copy, please click here.