Customer Reviews

Love and War

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Blaze and Taylor were one of the greatest duo's to come out of the 80's but they just came along a few years too late to really capitalize on their ability in my opinion. I actually saw them live in support of this release in some backwoods fire trap in Amite, La. that I wouldn't be able to find in the day light if my life depended on it. It's probably been demolished by now. I went to all of the big arena shows back in the day and I remember thinking during that Axe show in Amite that this band should be playing the big stages as an opening act but those kind of breaks never seemed to come their way. They were definitely the kind of young, talented and hungry band that could go out and embarass an established headliner.

This release went relatively unnoticed when it came out. My Number (a cover of the old Girl track) and She Likes It On Top were played on a regular basis by WRNO out of New Orleans but I never saw the videos on MTV (big surprise) and I doubt if the Axe got much radio play outside of New Orleans. This disc is great from beginning to end. Fans of bands like Dokken, Scorpions or Ratt would absolutely love the first two Lillian Axe releases. I have a feeling that they don't know what they are missing. To call Love & War a hidden gem, is a massive understatement.

Originally released in 1989, Lillian Axe's sophomore album Love and War was one of the best (and until now, hardest to find) melodic hard rock albums of the 80's. The New Orleans band was worlds better than the average hair metal band, and had a highly melodic sound similar to bands like Hurricane, Winger and Enuff Z'Nuff.

Lillian Axe is one of those bands that can do no wrong. I think their 1988 self-titled debut album is a nearly perfect melodic rock album, but Love and War may be even better. Stevie Blaze and Ron Taylor were a really dynamic songwriting team, and they really shine here. Show a Little Love and Diana are simple, but very well done, singles, and songs like Ghosts of Winter and Letters in the Rain showcase a depth that was way beyond their so-called peers. Blaze also excels here as a guitarist, coming up with some awesome melodic hooks and solos, and of course Ron Taylor's vocals shine as usual.

If you're any kind of 80's rock/metal fan at all, Love and War is a must-have album. It's probably the best overall Lillian Axe album (although they're all pretty incredible), and holds up remarkably well 20 years later.

Oh, and how awesome is that album cover?

NOTE: Metal Mind reissued Love and War in 2008, giving the album a much needed sonic upgrade. There are no bonus tracks on this one, but the digital remastering is very impressive. The reissue comes in a numbered digipack with expanded liner notes, and is limited to 2000 numbered copies. I didn't think it was possible for this album to get any better, but here's the proof!

My favorite Lillian Axe cd.. Ghost of Winter, World Stopped Turning.. Awesome songs. Love this cd..

"Love & War" is the second studio album by American melodic hard rock/glam metal band "Lillian Axe" originally released in 1989, reissued by "Metal Mind Productions" in 2008. "Love & War" features the established line up of Stevie Blaze (g), Ron Taylor (v), Jon Ster (g) and Danny King (d).

In comparison to their debut album, "Love and War" is a substantially brighter and lyrically more optimistic album than its predecessor, with hints of a sleazier orientation. Quite a few songs on "Love and War" bare the lyrical slyness of such groups as "Ratt" and "Quiet Riot" best examples are provided by "She likes it on top", "My number" and "Down on you". On the other hand "Lillain Axe" treat one to such sing-along arena anthems as "The World Stopped Turning" and the opening track "All's fair in love and war".

Performance wise you get the same thick guitar riffs topped by flamboyant leads and solos, richly sustained rhythm section and complementary keyboards while Ron's vocals provide the most notable point of differentiation being characteristically sleazy-in a Stephen Pearcy manner-contrasting the directly melodic approach of the debut album. Though historically obscured by the artistic quality of its predecessor, "Love & War" is an admirable continuation of the "Lillian Axe" melodic hard rock legacy, reflecting every bit the quality of their debut album.

In short the album is pearl jam's "ten" in many respects. The availability at the time was nonexistent, but it filled a void after guns n roses debut that many did not know existed.

As a funny story, I once played the album to my army buddies, 3 out of ten came back to me and asked where can they get their hands on this music. nevertheless the harsh reality was that the band never broke through and this was "the album". The production after this never came even close to this level.

Love & war remains at my collection, despite giving out Led Zeppelin IV.

This music is great, some of the best 80's hair music to date, but these gold pressed limited edition cd's are difficult to read by computer drives and cannot be copied on to HDD drives at all, so no ipod, or mp3 use.

The Good
To celebrate 20 years in the business, the first two Lillian Axe albums have been remastered and re-released on limited edition gold CD pressings. Only 2000 of each CD will be made available.

Some of you may be asking, just who is Lillian Axe? Well, just ask them and they'll tell you they're the most under rated melodic metal band you've never heard of. That remains to be seen, but Lillian Axe arrived on the metal scene back in 1984, paying their dues on the club circuit, until 1988 when they released their debut self-titled album. The album was produced by Ratt's Robbin Crosby, and has plenty of that 80s melodic metal sound that you would expect.

"Dream of a Lifetime" is heavy on guitars and vocal melody. "Inside Out" keeps the melodic vocals intact, but adds more crunch to the guitar riffage. "Picture Perfect" sparks comparisons to Ratt, Poison, and LA Guns with its catchy chorus, simplistic lyrics, and hard rocking edge. "The More That You Get" has a great sing-along chorus. "Misery Loves Company" is still a Lillian Axe live show standard. It's anthemic in its presentation. The group inserts back-to-back ballads with the acoustic based "Nobody Knows" and the keyboard heavy "Hard Luck."

Lead guitarist Stevie Blaze, vocalist Ron Taylor, rhythm guitarist Jon Ster, bassist Rob Stratton, and drummer Danny King return with bandanas, high hair, and mascara all intact for 1989's Love + War. The opening chords of "All's Fair in Love and War" will have you believing that Lillian Axe is abandoning their guitar based music, but there's a quick shift back to the meaty riffs and enduring vocals the band set forth in their debut. "She Likes it on Top" is pure 80s metal cliché and metaphor, but still quite memorable. If you didn't have a track named after a girl in the 80s, then you weren't a band in the eighties. Lillian Axe's contribution is "Diana."

"The World Stopped Turning" has an epic feel to it that is dominated by acoustic guitars and top-notch vocals. The track is delivered through various emotional changes. If your toe doesn't tap to the opening riff of "My Number," then you must be dead. The song itself recalls some of the great sleaze rock of the 80s. It's more great riffage on "Fools Paradise." This one is sure to get you moving as well.

The Bad
I swear to God that "Vision in the Night" has a slightly altered riff than "Inside Out". "Diana" has to be the worst tribute ballad I've ever heard. I hope no one in the band married her. I would have liked to have seen separate album notes for each release, not the same ones.

The Verdict
Is Lillian Axe the most under-rated melodic metal band? Maybe, but I would steer more in the direction that they were the most over-looked band of that era. Lillian Axe had everything all the "it" bands of the late 80s and early 90s had (killer riffs, smooth rhythms, melodic vocals); they we're certainly better than some of them too. I think what the group might have been missing, was a gimmick, a over-the-top sappy ballad, or that gimmicky anthem track. Of course those things were just that...a ploy to rope you in.

Lillian Axe had real talent, but sadly peaked at a time where talent wasn't really taken into consideration. You had to have the look or the sound. Once you're put in a particular group, you're stuck there, no matter how different you are. Kind of like how Queensryche and Def Leppard are lumped in with hair metal bands.

Lillian Axe's debut is heavy on melody and catchiness, but does show signs of a band still trying to improve; especially with their lyrics. The album also sounds a lot like Ratt thanks to producer Robbin Crosby, but without the awful vocals. Love + War shows signs of improvement. The band chooses to up the guitar quotient, and it works for them. The melodies are still there and stronger than ever. If you long for the good old days of melodic metal, and already have your favorites in tow, check out Lillian Axe for something great and something new that you probably missed the first time around.

I also recommend their 2002 live album. It's a masterpiece. You can also hear the improvements on their early work.

Like any Lillian Axe recording, this album is a must have. However, on this particular reissue, the band had no control over what the label (Massacre/Metal Mind) did. The label on the CD says this is "digitally remastered using 24-bit process" when there is no remastering. On the self-titled reissue, they merely boosted the master level. It is obvious the band had no input as the self-titled even had 5 "bonus" tracks (later removed) that aren't even Lillian Axe tracks. It is appalling that this label would do this and I will make sure not to buy any other reissue Massacre/Metal Mind puts out. I'm giving it 5 stars, because that's what the music on this album is. Lillian Axe is in a class by themselves. Great songwriting, vocals and drums, and incredible, melodic rhythm and lead guitar work. If you don't have it already, buy it. If you have the MCA release, hold onto it and let's hope that the band can get the tapes from MCA and do their own reissue with remastering on their own new label, Love & War Records. Long live the Axe!

I love 50% of this album, the other half could do without. Their are songs that are played very well and then their are songs that sound like they were just put on the album to have songs on it.
All's Fair in Love and War is a great opening song. The next 3 are just crap, in my opinion. World Stopped Turning, Show a Little Love( which has a video), Fools Paradise, and Letters in the Rain are very good songs. But, the song that shines here and is worth the price of the album alone is Ghost of Winter. It is the BEST rock ballad to be played. Ron Taylor's vocals are great!!!!.