Beggars & Thieves

Beggars & Thieves: Louie Merlino (vocals); Ronnie Mancuso (guitar); Phil Soussan (bass); Bobby Borg (drums).In the '80s and '90s, Atlantic had an extremely busy A&R department. The major label signed artists left and right and released more CDs than many of their competitors. Unfortunately, putting out that many CDs meant that some artists were bound to fall through the cracks, and this self-titled debut album by Beggars & Thieves didn't do as well as it could have. The music on this 1990 release is melodic hard rock, pop-metal, and arena rock along the lines of Def Leppard and Bon Jovi. Beggars & Thieves doesn't get into fantasy metal à la Iron Maiden or Ronnie James Dio -- they steer clear of gothic fantasy themes, opting for major pop appeal. Nothing groundbreaking occurs and the material is highly derivative. But derivative doesn't necessarily mean bad. While Beggars & Thieves will never be accused of being the least bit innovative or forward-thinking, their son