Still Climbing

Still Climbing is the fourth and final studio album, on which Cinderella re-tied the earthiness of blues rock to hard-rock push, putting the feel of playing ahead of glamour. Released on Mercury in 1994, its making was badly delayed after Tom Keifer suffered a paralysis of his vocal cords, completed only after surgery and roughly two years away. Drums were handled by the noted Kenny Aronoff, known for his work with John Mellencamp, on this album alone (Fred Coury plays only on the closer “Hot & Bothered”). Tom Keifer’s rasping voice is powerful, and the guitar favors the grip of riffs and the ring of phrases over showy decoration. From the drive of “Bad Attitude Shuffle” and the feeling of “Through the Rain” to “Hot & Bothered,” used in the film Wayne’s World, a grounded rock-and-roll strength runs throughout. But in the heyday of grunge, hair metal rapidly lost its place and MTV stopped playing their music. After this album stalled at number 178 in the US, the band left the label and headed toward a breakup — an honest farewell that refused to pander to the times.