Struck Down

Struck Down is the second album on which the band, still under the name Yesterday & Today, strongly asserted the momentum of linear hard rock. Dave Meniketti’s guitar and vocals, rough as they are, brim with urgency and pull the songs powerfully forward. Keeping the aggression shown on the debut, the playing is tighter and the band’s cohesion has grown. On the title track “Struck Down” and on “Pleasure in My Heart,” “Nasty Sadie” and “I'm Lost,” short sharp riffs, forceful rhythm and unadorned singing act as one, generating a live-band heat. Songs like “Dreams of Egypt” and “Stargazer (Round & Round)” hint at buds of the melodic development to come. Foreshadowing the refined melodic appeal Y&T would gain while first carving the band’s live feel and aggression, it is a strong record conveying the fullness of the early period.