Audio Remasterers: Bill Inglot; Dan Hersch.

Crawling beneath the burgeoning glam metal scene on Los Angeles' Sunset Strip during the early 1980's, Ratt provided a gritty alternative to their more coifed contemporaries and were far more musically accomplished than most bands of the era. Stephen Pearcy's distinctive vocals, paired with the fretboard heroics of Warren DeMartini, proved to be irrepressible. The 20-track TELL THE WORLD celebrates Ratt's recorded history with much-deserved reverence.

Rhino's Tell the World: The Very Best of Ratt collects 20 tracks from the popular Los Angeles hard rock quintet's releases, ranging from the group's debut EP in 1983 to its self-titled 1999 comeback album. Fans who already bought 1991's Ratt & Roll 8191 have only the enticement of a couple of newer tracks like "Steel River" from 1997's Collage, 1999's "Over the Edge," and an MTV Unplugged version of "Way Cool Jr.," none of which are particularly memorable. That said, "Lay It Down," "Round and Round," "You're in Love, " "Slip of the Lip," "Wanted Man," and "Lack of Communication" are six of the best songs that the much maligned/beloved hair metal genre ever produced, and this collection, though padded with its share of misfires, is as good a retrospective of this talented band as you'll find anywhere. ~ James Christopher Monger