L.A. GUNS – released Rips The Covers Off back in 2004. My Metal research has found that there are some copies of this album titled Rips Off The Covers, how many copies exist with this title I just do not know. (The front cover album pic below shows this alternate title). This is the Phil Lewis – L.A. Guns lineup and no matter how you slice it… this lineup ROCKS… for me. I always state, nothing beats the original, nonetheless, L.A. Guns really gives these cover songs all of their Hard Rock splendor and energy. Original versions aside, Rips The Covers Off is meant to be played LOUD and with a good times spirit flowing throughout your mind and soul.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw is a Hard and Heavy blast… Rose Tattoo created it, L.A. Guns only ignites it with more fiery fuel. How do you possibly cover a Queen classic like Tie Your Mother Down? L.A. Guns pulls it off, with the upmost respect to the original as well… keeping the hardness that Queen initially instilled into this amazing song. Sure, I will admit that the unreal classic Custard Pie covered by L.A. Guns does not come close to the ultra iconic Led Zeppelin original, yet in the end it is not an embarrassment of a cover either… it grooves along L.A. Guns style. Moonage Daydream sounds pretty darn cool, Phil Lewis may not be David Bowie, only how many vocalists have Bowie’s unique and moving vocals anyways?
Wheels of Steel comes fully loaded with a gritty and heavy edged sound from L.A. Guns, the Saxon original can never be topped, still I can’t fib that this cover version is justifiably cool. The cover of I Just Want To Make Love To You is outrageously great… the great Foghat themselves should be proud. Stacey Blades on guitar is all over these cover songs, giving his hardened tone to each. Steve Riley is the man on drums… a W.A.S.P. alumni and L.A. Guns veteran never disappoints me.
The two live tracks – Revolution and Don’t Look At Me That Way are from the 2002 L.A. Guns album Waking The Dead. Both of these live songs are potent with the raw energy and sound you would expect, from L.A. Guns. These live tracks added into the mix is really a Metal bonus. I don’t hesitate for a Metal second, to recommend any Hard Rock or Heavy Metal fan to get their ears into Rips The Covers Off. I admire the fact, that this Phil Lewis led L.A. Guns lineup looks back on the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal roots with undeniable respect. The bands they have covered here are all incredibly influential, this album is a Hard and Heavy celebration of that.
L.A. Guns as they appeared on Rips The Covers Off:
Phil Lewis – lead vocals
Stacey Blades – guitar
Adam Hamilton – bass
Steve Riley – drums
Keri Kelli – guitar on Revolution (Live) and Don’t Look At Me That Way (Live)
Brent Muscat – guitar on Revolution (Live) and Don’t Look At Me That Way (Live)
Track Listing for Rips The Covers Off, With Original Band in Parentheses:
Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw – (Rose Tattoo)
I Just Want To Make Love To You – (Foghat)
Tie Your Mother Down – (Queen)
Until I Get You – (Hanoi Rocks)
Wheels of Steel – (Saxon)
Nobody’s Fault – (Aerosmith)
Custard Pie – (Led Zeppelin)
Moonage Daydream – (David Bowie)
Marseilles – (Angel City)
Hurdy Gurdy Man – (Donovan)
Search and Destroy – (The Stooges)
Revolution – (Live)
Don’t Look At Me That Way – (Live)
I’m always looking for good deals on my Heavy Metal Music purchases, from albums, CD’s to memorabilia and books. Upon one of my recent stops into a local thrift store, I happened upon quite the Heavy Metal find indeed, for the ripe price of fifty cents. Yes, fifty cents. The find you ask? Well, none other than The Rough Guide To Heavy Metal – and it is quite the book for me. (This book is a 1st printing, printed in 2005 by Rough Guides). While perusing the book aisle at this thrift store, the image of none other than Ozzy Osbourne caught my eye. What is this? I could not believe what I had found! Knowing immediately too, that any book in this thrift store is only fifty cents… I was Metal stoked. As a bonus, this book stared right at me in gem mint condition as well. As I picked it up and browsed through it’s Heavy Metal filled pages, it was obvious to me that the previous owner of this book never bothered to read it. As crisp of a new book you will find. Life is a sweet journey sometimes, especially when you can stumble on a 410 page book, when you least expect it, that is dedicated to your favorite music genre… Heavy Metal.
Yes! I got rid of it! I actually sold it! The “it” I am referring to is the absolutely annoying new album from Lita Ford – Wicked Wonderland. I foolishly bought the CD at Walmart for an even $10.00, (factor in the 6% sales tax and it set me back $10.60). The good Metal news is, I sold it today, finally! I brought it to f.y.e. and man, I never expected to get this much loot for it… f.y.e. took Wicked Wonderland off my hands for $6.25!! I’m NOT complaining. An extremely generous price that f.y.e. is, (for some reason), willing to pay for this CD. I was issued store credit towards other Metal purchases at f.y.e., a fine deal to me. Sure, I am out $4.35 at the end of the day, however, getting rid of this CD for any amount of money is a joyous Metal memory for me. I did state in my review, on this album, that I was definitely going to sell it… I actually held onto it for way too long.
Ah, Lita Ford. Reflecting on the 1980’s would not be quite the same without her being in the Heavy Metal world. Lita Ford proved back in those glorious ’80’s that she was more than just eye candy, she really did shred on the guitar for her albums. Plus, Lita Ford’s vocals always had the harmonic, Heavy Metal diva flare happening. Lita Ford even did a very sappy duet with Ozzy Osbourne, Close My Eyes Forever, that I honestly could never stomach back in 1989 and my opinion has not wavered since. Well, it is 2009 and Lita Ford is back, uh, yeah. Wicked Wonderland is her new album, the title really sums it all up quite well. The lyrics throughout this entire album are wicked indeed… with nuances, imagery and flat out references to sex and lust galore. I want to taste your goddess flesh and I penetrate you are two lines taken from the song Indulge… pretty hot stuff if you are a young dude that can’t buy a date for Saturday night. Lita Ford should have known that the majority of her audience buying Wicked Wonderland are the Old School Heavy Metal crowd and we are no longer eighteen and pissed off at our parents anymore.
Twisted Sister – Love Is For Suckers was released on August 13, 1987, on Atlantic Records. Back then, as a Metal fan, I was totally engulfed with Thrash and Speed Metal. To make a Metal confession, I never bought this Twisted Sister album, after owning their first four albums. I was not overly impressed with Come Out And Play, (released in 1985), I guess the first three Twisted Sister albums really spoiled me. So, I took in whatever songs MTV or the FM stations were playing from Love Is For Suckers. Seeing the video for Hot Love and hearing it played on FM radio very frequently, back in 1987-1988 was, I thought, the coolest extent of this album. I always liked Hot Love, this song reminds me of some cool times back in 1987-88… and there isn’t anything wrong with that. Hot Love is upbeat and (gasp), commercially catchy in it’s unique Heavy Metal way. A few years ago, I bought Twisted Sister’s Big Hits and Nasty Cuts: The Best of Twisted Sister, it contains several cool live bonus tracks that enticed me… unreal great songs at that. The Metal kicker here, is that there are no songs from Love is for Suckers on this Best of album… I smell controversy. Therefore, my continuation of never hearing more than Hot Love from Love is for Suckers continued… Fast forward to September 18, 2009… Twisted Sister – Love is for Suckers has for all Metal intents and purposes, made a sucker out of me.
On July 7th, 1984, Helix released Walkin’ the Razor’s Edge
Man, is it just me or does the world, national and even local news stink? Not just lately but for quite awhile now too. I was foolish in watching more news than usual on the television last night… ugh. Ugh again. The norm for me in obtaining any type of news has been to grab a sound bite or headline and be done with it. This is my own filtering process… it works for me. Certainly I will read many a news article, it is just that the messenger(s) of these news articles need to know the meaning of redundant. There is plenty of cool and inspiring news out there to be reported, however, feel good news stories don’t sell. What a shame. So, I have picked a Heavy Metal Song of the Day, for September 1, 2009! This Heavy Metal song is as righteous a statement, regarding the nature of the news as any song I have ever heard. “Somebody Save Me” by the Heavy Metal band – Cinderella. This cool and heavy song is found on the Cinderella album “Night Songs”. The “NIght Songs” album was released in June of 1986. “Somebody Save Me” was released on February 10, 1987… peaking at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. (The “Night Songs” album peaked at #3 back in 1986… not too shabby). Not only does this song ROCK, the lyrics are right on the Metal money when it comes to the bull crap/hot air that is thrown at us from every direction, courtesy of the mainstream television news networks and/or outlets.
Motley Crue really did it for me with their Heavy Metal ballad – “Home Sweet Home”. Since it’s release on the “Theatre Of Pain” album, (June 21, 1985), I still gravitate to this song. When I first heard it, (back in 1985), I was semi-surprised at the mellow side that Motley Crue had taken with “Home Sweet Home”… it only took one listen for me to get hooked for life. Mellow or not, Motley Crue in my Metal opinion, created an instantly memorable song that I could never grow tired of. The “Theatre Of Pain” album, (originally released on the label Elektra), is one strong Heavy Metal album at that. “Home Sweet Home” was written by Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil and Tommy Lee. (Mick Mars, of course, plays guitar on this song, I just have never read his name in any writing credits for it). I just always have been struck by the lyrics, there have been countless moments throughout my life where I have adhered to this song for inspiration. When I bought this CD twenty four years ago, little did I know, that there would be that one song, that would resonate such strong feelings inside of me.
Skid Row released their debut album, “Skid Row” on Atlantic Records, on January 24, 1989. The timing for this Heavy Metal band proved to be a successful one, for this “Skid Row” album sold in excess of five million copies, (going five times platinum in the U.S.A.). The time line of Skid Row becoming so popular, with their first two albums proves to be quite an accomplishment, (their sophomore album “Slave To The Grind”, (released in 1991), sold two million copies and hit #1 on the album charts in the U.S.A.). 1989 was the beginning of the Grunge Music era, with Nirvana and Soundgarden already in the marketplace. Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots later garnered massive commercial media attention and a strong following of fans in 1991. Regardless of the changing landscape in the Heavy Music culture, Skid Row made a major mark in Heavy Metal history between 1989 – 1991, with their first two albums. It is a tremendous Heavy Metal achievement for Skid Row to sell seven million albums after their first two releases in the United States. Fast forward to 2009, I still will listen to the debut Skid Row album and continue to revel in it’s variety of Heavy Metal songs.
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