Roll Out the Red Carpet

In the 1980s and early 1990s, hard rock often meant pop-metal bands like Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Vixen, Warrant, and Kiss. But for the Miracle Workers, hard rock was something entirely different. In the hands of the Miracle Workers, hard rock meant a throwback to the garage and psychedelic era of the late 1960s and early 1970s — a time when the MC5, Steppenwolf, and the Kinks defined loud and proud. Roll Out the Red Carpet, which was recorded in late 1990 and released in 1991, isn't quite heavy metal. But aggressive, forceful tunes like "Burn Baby Burn" and "Rock N' Roll Revolution in the Streets (Part 1)" definitely recall a time when parents heard their teenagers playing the MC5 and wondered why kids would prefer something so noisy over "real music" like Doris Day and Rosemary Clooney. The Miracle Workers were never innovative or groundbreaking — they never claimed to be. But they were good at what they did and enjoyed an enthusiastic cult following. Roll Out the Red Carpet isn't considered the band's best or most consistent effort; many fans insist that they reached their creative peak with 1985's Inside Out on Bomp!. But even though Roll Out the Red Carpet isn't the Miracle Workers' most essential release, it's a generally likable outing that has more plusses than minuses.