FIRST TIME REISSUED / NEWLY REMASTERED / FULL BOOKLET - Beggars & Thieves is a band initially made up of lead vocalist Louie Merlino, guitarist Ron Mancuso, bassist Phil Soussan, and drummer Bobby Borg. Phil Soussan and Bobby Borg left after the band's first album and after some light touring, and they are pictured on the album sleeve/liner notes and credited as having played on it. They released a video for the song "Beggars & Thieves" from their first album. After that album, Beggars & Thieves went through some personnel changes. Soussan left to put together a band and write for long-time friend Vince Neil's first solo project and Borg left the band. Mancuso, Merlino and producer Barbiero decided to carry on without them. In 1991, a new three-person lineup was formed-one that consisted of Louie Merlino on lead vocals, Mancuso on both bass and guitar and newcomer Bobby Chouinard on drums. And it was also in 1991 that Beggars & Thieves left Atlantic and signed with Epic. American melodic rock band Beggars & Thieves released their self-titled debut in 1990. As huge as this kind of arena rock was in 1990, Beggars & Thieves went largely unnoticed, which is a real shame when you consider just how good this album is.Like Von Groove and Tyketto, Beggars & Thieves was one of those lesser-known melodic rock bands that had a lot more to offer than the average Hollywood hair band. They shared the same focus on big hooks and catchy melodies, but they opted for polished love songs with real heart instead of spandex and sleaze (not that there's anything wrong with those). Well-written songs like "Isn't It Easy," "No More Broken Dreams" and "Heaven & Hell," infectious melodies and Louie Merlino's strong, clear vocals make this album stand out, and make it an album that you'll keep coming back to year after year.While the band has been sporadically active over the last two decades, the party was pretty much over after this album. The world moved on, and radio and MTV decided we didn't want to hear this kind of music anymore. If you're a fan of the late `80s and pre-grunge `90s melodic rock sound, and still love bands like Tyketto, Von Groove, Giant, Kiss of the Gypsy, Bad English and Damn Yankees, the Beggars & Thieves debut is a must-have album.