Take me back cause I need to be reminded what I left behind me so far away. Take me back cause I need to feel the fire, yesterday's desire ain't far away.

''I can't tell ya baby what went wrong I can't make you feel what you felt so long ago, I'll let it show. I can't give you back what's been hurt, heartaches come and go and all that's left are the words I can't let go. If we take some time to think it over baby, take some time let me know if you really wanna go.

Don't know what you got till it's gone, don't know what it is I did so wrong, now I know what I got, it's just this song and it ain't easy to get back, takes so long.''

Did you ever notice how pain comes in waves? Sometimes nothing and sometimes it hits you full force? Sometimes you're completly alright, dare I say happy? And sometimes all you know is pain, pain, pain.

It's been a long week. Long hard week. And I sat here for an hour just thinking what to write about. Complain about the weather? Jesus summer go home you're drunk. This is Europe not hell. Well, feels like hell in more ways the one anyways, so I guess close enough. Should I give you another speech about any of the many things that bother me? About all the things that are wrong and ugly and unfair on this planet? Would I even make a difference?

I suppose I wouldn't. I picked a record to write about. Chester Bennington's death, literally swept the rug from underneath me and I am still processing and healing, it doesn't seem to hurt any less, thinking I'll never get to see him live again, thinking what an amazing man and kind caring soul was taken away from us by something as ugly as depression, thinking about his family and best friends…that is unbearable. So I've been listening to a lot of different music, to distract myself. Lord knows if I play their album I'd be a sobbing mess within minutes…

So it's this instead…

You don't know what you got till it's gone? Aint that the truth?

I love Tom Keifers voice. I absolutely love it and to think we almost couldn't get to enjoy it. He has been cursed with performance problems for so many years due to paralysis of one of his vocal cords, horrible situation for any singer. Yet I mean, would it be so bad if it happened to someone like Justin Bieber or would it actually be a blessing from above? Think about it…

Either way I believe that Long cold winter is not just Cinderella's finest moment but one of the best moments in 1980's hard rock. Yes you heard me hard rock. Calling them hair metal is just plain rude. They are so underrated it's not even funny. Sure they looked all poofed out on the back cover but under all the hair and makeup *yeah yeah hair metal I get it* their sound really more reminds of like 1970's southern rock. Did you pay attention to the inner sleeve? The cowboy hat? And live covers of Sweet home Alabama? Or Tom Keifer singing on a top 10 country album by Andy Griggs, okay it was what 14 years later but still. Not to mention the themathics, country songs have this eternal theme of trying to find your way back home, but isn't that what Gypsy road and The last mile and of course Coming home are all about?

This album is a step up for Cinderella if you ask me, I love Night songs but honestly this one is better in so many ways. This new found sound they got, a bit of bluesy rock kinda like the Stones you know. But we're at it again the ballad Don't know what you got, which I love don't get me wrong is what made them most commercial success. To be honest though the combination of those pop rock hooks and serious badass rock n roll on other songs such as Fallin apart at the seams is what done it for me. Amazing album, sound, lyrics. An amazing mix of screeching rock and bitter blues. Not to mention the lyrics, Tom is completly underrated as a song writer, you can hear just how much of his soul he bared on this record and he would deserve a lot more credit.

Night songs was all about hard rock, party all night long and basically sex. It was fun, but Long cold winter started picking up on some other influences which helped them find their own thing, their own voice. The acoustic blues parts that slowly transition into that well known hard rock sound are really cool, they actually remind me more of Aerosmith then of their first album.

Fun fact; did you know that Fred Coury their drummer was touring with Guns N' Roses almost through the entire recording process of Long cold winter. Steven Adler broke his hand while punching a wall. Really Stevie, really? Lol. Denny Carmassi and later Cozy Powell *R.I.P.* stepped in to help.

Bad seamstress blues is where I think it shows most clearly that the band has grown up and changed. In a good way mind you. The electric blues and organs and ''moaning guitar''. Not to mention how Tom stretches his voice almost to a breaking point. I'm willing to bet this right here was pretty much the first taste of blues rock if not blues alone that many hard rock loving fans got in the 80's.

Followed by Gypsy road and Fallin' apart at the seams which are holy shit amazing, they're hard rock, they're totally badass. That voice! My god. People call these two songs hair metal songs, which is why I don't like people. To be honest they only made one ''hair metal'' album which is Night songs, after that, their music sounded a lot more like Aerosmith rather then Poison. No offence to Poison either. I love them. But if you're still doubting then please, go check out their third album Heartbreak station, if you still hear hair metal there then all hope is lost for you.

Don't know what you got (till it's gone), power ballad. Epic one, radio stations still play it. Beautiful song to be honest. Tom's voice on it is really beautiful and that great guitar solo in between is also a total hair raising moment.

I really liked ''If you don't like it'' classic rock song which is follwed by three amazing songs, Coming home, which to be honest is the song that I was hooked up on almost more then Don't know what you've got, I like the vibe, the feeling, it's obvious they wrote songs while on the road. Then you've got Fire and ice, totally heavy and it totally stands out, for me at least. And then the album closes with Take me back, kinda the same vibe as Coming home yet a lot heavier, but an amazing closing song to such a great record.

Long cold winter is and will remain my favorite album they've put out and one of my favorite 80's rock albums in general. People lately are childish, ''embarrassed'' to admit they like something that was labeled ''hair band'' once. Like Poison. Well shit I still like Poison, Nothing but a good time, Talk dirty to me, So tell me why, Your mama don't dance and obviously Every rose has it's thorn are totally my jams and I aint ashamed to say I love them, so do expect me turning up the volume when either Poison or Cinderella come on.

Here's a life lesson for you kids, be who you are, don't be afraid to liking what you like, and loving who you love. No matter what people say. They have no right to tell you who to be or how to live your life.

''I can't feel the things that cause you pain, I can't clear my heart of your love, it falls like rain, ain't the same. I hear you calling far away, tearing through my soul I just can't take another day, Who's to blame. If we take some time to think it over baby, take some time let me know if you really wanna go...

Don't know what you got till it's gone, don't know what it is I did so wrong, now I know what I got it's just this song and it ain't easy to get back, takes so long...

Do you wanna see me beggin' baby, can't you give me just one more day? Can't you see my heart's been draggin' lately, I've been lookin' for the words to say.''