Rabbit Don't Come Easy
Encyclopedia
Rabbit Don't Come Easy is the tenth album
by the German
power metal
/heavy metal
band Helloween
. It is something of a return to the roots for the band. Rabbit Don't Come Easy combines many old classic Helloween elements with newer sounds and a modern production.
No drummer is listed in the band line-up for this album. Mark Cross was hired for the position before recording, but only managed to complete two tracks ("Don't Stop Being Crazy" and "Listen to The Flies") before being forced to leave due to illness. Mikkey Dee
of Motörhead played on the rest of the songs on a session basis. The Japanese version contains a cover of Accept's "Fast as a Shark," with the band's new drummer, Stefan Schwarzmann
.
About the album title, bassist Markus Grosskopf explained in 2003 that "It's based on that English saying, pulling a rabbit out of the hat. Pulling this rabbit [the album] out of this hat [in reference to recent line up changes] wasn't that easy this time. That gave us the idea of just calling the album Rabbit Don't Come Easy. [Laughs] It's not to be taken too seriously. We were joking that statement around, and then I suggested we actually call the album that".
About the recording of the album, singer Andi Deris said in 2003 that producer Charlie Bauerfeind "shows on this new record that he is the biggest fan of our genre of music because he knows how to separate the frequencies and knows where the power has to be. You have to imagine that this type of music is so packed with frequencies that it is nearly impossible to mix because it is so overloaded and you have to single out all of the instruments so you can hear them all".
After the controversial release of The Dark Ride
, according to Grosskopf, "The record company also wanted us to show that were are back. This song "Just a Little Sign
" represents the more typical side of Helloween, and that's what we wanted to make clear. You can't really represent a whole album with one track, but this shows exactly where the album actually goes. It's more of that 'happy happy Helloween' direction. It shows that this album is not a sequel to 'The Dark Ride'".
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
power metal
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
/heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Helloween
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band was a pioneering force in the European Power Metal movement and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt...
. It is something of a return to the roots for the band. Rabbit Don't Come Easy combines many old classic Helloween elements with newer sounds and a modern production.
No drummer is listed in the band line-up for this album. Mark Cross was hired for the position before recording, but only managed to complete two tracks ("Don't Stop Being Crazy" and "Listen to The Flies") before being forced to leave due to illness. Mikkey Dee
Mikkey Dee
Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou , better known as Mikkey Dee is a drummer/songwriter in the Heavy metal band Motörhead. A Swede of Greek descent, he has been known for his speed and precision since his mid-80s stint with King Diamond.- Early life :Delaoglou began his musical career with local bands...
of Motörhead played on the rest of the songs on a session basis. The Japanese version contains a cover of Accept's "Fast as a Shark," with the band's new drummer, Stefan Schwarzmann
Stefan Schwarzmann
Stefan Schwarzmann is a German drummer who has recorded for Accept, U.D.O., Running Wild, X-Wild, Krokus and Helloween. Schwarzmann joined Helloween as a replacement for departing drummer Mark Cross in 2003. Although Stefan got on well with the members of the band, he had other musical preferences...
.
About the album title, bassist Markus Grosskopf explained in 2003 that "It's based on that English saying, pulling a rabbit out of the hat. Pulling this rabbit [the album] out of this hat [in reference to recent line up changes] wasn't that easy this time. That gave us the idea of just calling the album Rabbit Don't Come Easy. [Laughs] It's not to be taken too seriously. We were joking that statement around, and then I suggested we actually call the album that".
About the recording of the album, singer Andi Deris said in 2003 that producer Charlie Bauerfeind "shows on this new record that he is the biggest fan of our genre of music because he knows how to separate the frequencies and knows where the power has to be. You have to imagine that this type of music is so packed with frequencies that it is nearly impossible to mix because it is so overloaded and you have to single out all of the instruments so you can hear them all".
After the controversial release of The Dark Ride
The Dark Ride
On copies of The Dark Ride and Rabbit Don't Come Easy the disc has "Mr. Torture" and "All over the Nations" in reverse order so this way "All over the Nations" is track #2...
, according to Grosskopf, "The record company also wanted us to show that were are back. This song "Just a Little Sign
Just a Little Sign
"Just A Little Sign" is a song by the German power metal band Helloween from their album Rabbit Don't Come Easy. It is about a depressed man going to a night club intending to enjoy the music. He then unexpectedly falls in love with a woman there but is too afraid to tell her...
" represents the more typical side of Helloween, and that's what we wanted to make clear. You can't really represent a whole album with one track, but this shows exactly where the album actually goes. It's more of that 'happy happy Helloween' direction. It shows that this album is not a sequel to 'The Dark Ride'".
Track listing
Bonus Track on Limited Editions
Japan Bonus Track
Credits
- Andi DerisAndi DerisAndreas "Andi" Deris is the vocalist and the main songwriter for power metal band Helloween, and co-founder and former lead singer of German melodic metal band Pink Cream 69...
- Vocals - Michael WeikathMichael WeikathMichael Ingo Joachim Weikath is the guitarist of the German Power metal band Helloween."Weiki" was born in Hamburg, Germany. He is one of the Helloween founding members, along with the musicians Kai Hansen , Markus Grosskopf and Ingo Schwichtenberg . Along with Grosskopf he is the only other...
- Guitars - Sascha GerstnerSascha GerstnerSascha Gerstner is a German musician and photographer, currently playing guitar in German Power Metal act Helloween.-Biography:...
- Guitars - Markus GrosskopfMarkus GrosskopfMarkus Großkopf, born 21 September 1965 in Hamburg, Germany, is the bass guitarist, and one of only two remaining original members of the German power metal band Helloween...
- Bass - Mark Cross - Drums on Tracks 7, 11
- Mikkey DeeMikkey DeeMicael Kiriakos Delaoglou , better known as Mikkey Dee is a drummer/songwriter in the Heavy metal band Motörhead. A Swede of Greek descent, he has been known for his speed and precision since his mid-80s stint with King Diamond.- Early life :Delaoglou began his musical career with local bands...
- Drums on Tracks 1-6, 8-10, 12 (session) - Stefan SchwarzmannStefan SchwarzmannStefan Schwarzmann is a German drummer who has recorded for Accept, U.D.O., Running Wild, X-Wild, Krokus and Helloween. Schwarzmann joined Helloween as a replacement for departing drummer Mark Cross in 2003. Although Stefan got on well with the members of the band, he had other musical preferences...
- Drums on Tracks 13, 14
Trivia
- "Do You Feel Good" was originally written during the sessions for The Dark Ride.