Endangered Species

by Greg PratoHaving been in mothballs since the early '90s, underrated West Coast rockers Y&T decided to give it another try later in the decade with the comeback album Endangered Species. And you couldn't blame them, as it seemed like just about every single supposedly "retired" hard rock band (Kiss, Ratt, Poison, etc.) was going back out on the road during this period. Only two longtime members were up for the reunion, however -- Dave Meniketti (vocals, guitar) and Phil Kennemore (bass, vocals) -- but the band's unmistakable anthemic hard rockin' style remains well represented here. Although often lumped in with the "pop-metal" set (and the group's biggest hit, "Summertime Girls," didn't exactly help matters much), Y&T was one of the heaviest bands to emerge from the Sunset Strip circa the late '70s/early '80s. Wisely, the group returned to the heavier approach of its earlier albums on Endangered Species, as evidenced by such standout rockers as "Hello! Hello! I'm Back Again," "Gimme the Beat," and "Can't Stop the Rain," plus the slightly more tranquil "Sail On By." True, only two participating original members usually doesn't mean a real "reunion," but in Y&T's case, Meniketti and Kennemore had no problem rekindling the flame on Endangered Species.