Love & Rockets

Love & Rockets | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000002WD9
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,234 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. **** (Jungle Law)

2. No Big Deal

3. The Purest Blue

4. Motorcycle

5. I Feel Speed

6. Bound for Hell

7. The Teardrop Collector

8. So Alive

9. Rock & Roll Babylon

10. No Words No More

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good album from a fun band!, April 23, 2004

By 

Rich Latta (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love & Rockets (Audio CD)

These guys have a way of making very basic songs (often just standard blues runs at their core) sound very cool. They do exactly that on much of this self-titled album, which is an unfortunate title in my view. Unless a band is truly capturing its essence, a self-titled album usually indicates a classic sell-out bid for mainstream popularity and $ (ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN, METALLICA). While that doesn't seem to be the case with LOVE AND ROCKETS, it's certainly not their strongest or most creative album. Still, it's a good listen, despite the fact that certain words have been edited (I abhor all forms of censorship).

The breakdown:

"**** (Jungle Law)" - The sound this song has is actually cooler than the song itself. It's a neo-psychedelic sounding riff souped-up by sampled percussion and a stomping, almost plodding drone. The title stands for the "F" word which is also the name of the main character in the song, apparently a real loser. ***1/2

"No Big Deal" - another basic blues run cranked out with background guitar antics and more fuzz bass. ***1/2

"The Purest Blue" - an art piece featuring multitasker Daniel Ash on sax. Ash takes the lead vocals on the songs he writes, about half of them. Equally versatile partner David J writes and sings on the other half including this one. ***1/2

"Motorcycle" - great rocker propelled by 2 basses, loaded with guitar and bass feedback and a thudding beat full of riding cymbals from drummer Kevin Haskins. Towards the end, guitars evoke a motorcycle from hell accelerating into the stratosphere. ****1/2

"I Feel Speed" - a sort of coda or continuation of "Motorcycle" (and the last song on the 1rst side of the original LP), this song is gorgeous and soothing save for the reemergence of the demonic motorcycle. ****1/2

"Bound for Hell" - Probably the most fundamentally blues-based tune on LOVE AND ROCKETS, with David J blowing harp and cool lyrics about, well, going to hell. David J starts out confessing his lack of faith and desire for something to believe in. He then relates a harrowing, darkly comical dream that wakes him with a start and sends him to his knees to pray. ****

"The Teardrop Collector" - a 50's style finger-snapper with a subdued, dreamy quality. Ash lays down those trademark L&R acoustic guitars and overdubs electric guitar and "ghost" keyboards that perfectly portray the rather downer "that's life" sentiment. ****1/2

"So Alive" - A fun classic that deserves the wide airplay it got. Ash sings the words, "I'm alive, so alive" like a 300 year old vampire in need of a blood fix. In contrast, the background singers are angelic. "I wish I could stop/ Switch off the clock/ Make it all happen for you." *****

"Rock N Roll Babylon" - a real switch after "So Alive," this tune is dominated by an acoustic guitar sound that hearkens back to SEVENTH DREAM OF TEENAGE HEAVEN. Makes adventurous use of a miniature string section and more great sax from Ash, but seems to end rather abruptly. ****

"No Words No More" - Once again Daniel Ash confesses to being lazy as he did on "Lazy" from EARTH SUN & MOON. It seems to be a personal issue with him. Here he longs for, "No words, no reasons why." The song also illustrates another common L&R theme: a desire for paradise as a blissful, burdenless state. "No Words No More" is a fabulously dreamy song, largely aided by heavily processed vibes played by Kevin Haskins. It's a cool way to close the album. *****

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars some good moments, October 30, 2005

By 

J. Holmes "blood+whiskey" (yokohama, japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Love & Rockets (Audio CD)

foregoing Bauhaus's spooky dark rock, Love And Rockets created a glammy street rock goth with some Elvis worship and a hint of psychadelia. there's a delicious buzzing drone throughout these songs that give it a nice slippery trashy appeal. as a whole, this album is skittery and off balance, but it contains some great little singles like "No Big Deal", "Motorcycle", and the surprise hit of "So Alive."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Has its ups and downs...kind of a mixed bag., May 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Love & Rockets (Audio CD)

Actually, I'd give this album a 7.5 if I could. It's not bad, but it's not great...some of the songs, like "Motorcycle" and "Teardrop Collector" are very cool; at first, I really liked "Jungle Law," but now I just find it annoying; and I never really liked "The Purest Blue". I would like to listen to some other Love and Rockets stuff, though.