Customer Reviews

Rips the Covers Off

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

 

 

I have to admit I wasn't expecting alot from this album but bought it anyway because I have all their previous stuff.Man, was I suprised.They really did some solid versions of these songs.I am a huge Aerosmith fan, but Nobody's Fault sounds like it was written for the Guns to do.There version of Saxon's Wheels of Steel is also great.I have to agree with the previous reviewer in that the Guns are sounding better now, or at least heavier than when they started.I wouldn't normally be a fan of a band rerecording an album but I'd love to hear Hollywood Vampires done with this heavy sound.Kind of ironic though that there are two bands out with Traci's name and he's not playing with either one.

This CD is outstanding!!! There really ISN'T a song on it that I DON'T like. Phil Lewis' vocals take these vintage 70's songs and brings them ROARING back to the present! My top picks: Search and Destroy (Iggy Pop and the Stooges), Marseilles (Angel City), Wheels of Steel (Saxon), and Moonage Daydream (Bowie).

It seems that LA Guns will never die. And that is awesome news for Rock 'n' Roll fans. In various incarnations, they have continued to create great rock music, even when mainstream radio does not want any thing to do with them.
This is a CD full of covers, some instantly recognizable, some deeper cuts. All of them very good. There are even two live tracks with Keri Kelli and Brent Muscat handling the guitar work. The recording quality of the two live cuts is the only thing keeping this CD from getting 5 stars from me.
The songs are great, Phil's voice is still great. The only thing missing? Tracii Guns. He is busy with the Brides of Destruction. Stacey Blades does an admirable job, but it just does not seem right without Tracii.

LA Guns is a band that is as raw as Guns 'n' Roses and as pop metal as Poison yet never seemed to enjoy the depth of success those two bands enjoyed. Why? Bad promotion? Not shaking the right hands? Who knows? The bottom line is this is a band that should not be ignored. And, I'm not ignoring them!

After their last two new studio albums blowing me away, I was sad to hear Tracii left LA Guns to look for a "better gig" and now finds himself with Nikki from Motley Crue in Brides of Destruction. Well, the Brides shot themselves in the foot and won't be joining the KISS/Poison tour this summer and likely will be playing to the same venues LA Guns are. And, their record is horrible compared to this one! That is what you call rock 'n' roll justice!

The album opens up with Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw originally performed by Rose Tattoo. First, the production sounds great as does the band. This is very "Hollywood Vampires" quality. This also translates well live as they performed this and the next cut live a few weeks ago when I caught the guys in Arizona.

Second is I Just Want To Make Love To You, a Foghat cover. This, for my money, is the best song on the record. Stacey Blades, the new guitarist, sounds fantastic here. I wonder how Tracii feels being replaced with someone who can come close to filling his shoes? Maybe he'll write a poorly produced punk song about it for the next Brides flop.

Tie Your Mother Down by Queen is next. Pretty cool. Warrant did this on their cover record a few years back. Guns have a bit of a different take on it. Either way, it rocks!

Until I Get You by Hanoi Rocks is next. Cool sound. Hanoi Rocks is another band that never got the respect they deserved.

Wheels of Steel by Saxon follows. As Phil would say, "Very nice! Very lovely!"

Nobody's Fault by Aerosmith is next. Basing the review of this song on Aerosmith before selling out, it's cool. But, I would like to live in a world free of rap, boy bands, and annoying pop divas being used to save a fading career.

Custard Pie by Led Zeppelin is next. Anyone who likes Led Zeppelin should check this one out. Those guys inspired so much of the metal scene for years to come. It's cool to see the Guns paying tribute to them.

Moonage Daydream by David Bowie is up next. Bowie was one of the original kings of Glam. I'm not a big fan but I do have respect for the road he paved. That said, I'm not overly crazy of the song. The boys sound good but you can't make chicken salad out of chicken droppings.

Marseilles by Angel City and Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan follow. Marseilles is quite good! Hurdy Gurdy Man, however, is not my style at all! Phil really puts effort into it and it sounds okay but as I said before, it's not my style. And, if I view it as chicken droppings, it cannot become chicken salad.

Search & Destroy by Iggy Pop is the final cover on the record. This is back to what I want to hear. Good stuff! Chicken salad all the way!

The album closes out with two live cuts of songs from Waking the Dead, the studio released Guns record of 2002. That album is incredible, these covers are okay. It is not recorded as professionally as the tracks off Ultimate LA Guns but it still sounds okay. The songs are Revolution and Don't Look at Me That Way. A nice bonus!

Great guitar work by Stacey Blades and the incredibly talented drums of Steve Riley along with the bombastic bass of Adam Hamilton and the big voice of everyone's favorite vampire, Mr. Phil Lewis create something special here. I've read reviews on boards saying the Guns are dead because Tracii left. Trust me, Tracii will regret leaving. Yes, the man can play. But, the Guns march, or shoot, onward. God bless old school metal! I give the album 4 gunshots. Take away Hurdy Gurdy Man and you've got 5!

One of the best cover Cds you MUST have....believe me. LA GUNS made an excellent job pickin'the songs, and Phil did his best in vocals. Songs like WHEELS OF STEEL, RNR OUTLAW and TIE YOUR MOTHER DOWN are the most representative jewels from this album. The guitar job is decent enough to say TRACII WHO??.............ONLY ONE PROBLEM: The sound isnt the best when you compare it with HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, so the production is slightly better than the WAKING THE DEAD CD. Could you imagine the production of DEF LEPPARD'S YEAH! IN THIS ALBUM?? WOW!!! But the songwriting of the songs and their performance deserve the oportunity to get it.

A decent voice, the raw guitar job and the Riley drumms recreate a bunch of great classics for the hard rock lovers: LA GUNS die hards and casual listeners. 4 stars for the vampires

Rock on !

lets get straight to the point, the gunners sound as good as ever. i was a little skeptical when finding out tracii guns would not be on the album, but 'the new guy' stacy blades doesn't drop the ball an inch. phil sounds great as does the rest of the band. the best aspect of the disc is that each song has that incredible LAG sound, which really makes it that much more enjoyable to listen to. highly impressive work, a must have for any fan of LAG, hardcore or casual.

What's good about it?

L.A. Guns pay homage to a wide range of rock artists. There are the legends; Aerosmith's funk, blues laden "Nobody's Fault," Queen's catchy "Tie Your Mother Down," David Bowie's strangely worded "Moonage Daydream" (must have been during his Ziggy Stardust faze), and Led Zeppelin's "Custard Pie" (every guy's favorite pastry). There are the second tier legends; Saxon's hooky, leather spiked arm band and belt emoting "Wheels of Steel," Foghat's "I Just Want to Make Love to You" (might I add that L.A. Guns makes Foghat worth listening to), and Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" (just as trippy as the original, but with added acoustic guitars that give more emotional depth).

There are the glam/punk legends; Iggy Pop and the Stooges' "Search and Destroy," and Hanoi Rocks' "Until I Get You" (whose inclusion doesn't surprise me, because every L.A. glam band from the eighties cites them as an influence). And finally, the obscure cult legends, Angel City's "Marseilles"(it has that whole Hanoi vibe going on), and Rose Tattoo's rock anthem "Rock and Roll Outlaw." As a special treat, L.A. Guns throw in two original live tracks, "Revolution" and "Don't Look at Me That Way."

Anything bad?

Who hasn't covered "Tie Your Mother Down"?!

Bottom Line

L.A. Guns stay true to the original versions, but still manage to put their signature on them. It's bizarre, but in recent years L.A. Guns sound much better than they did back in the day (vocally and musically).

What's good about it?

L.A. Guns pay homage to a wide range of rock artists. There are the legends; Aerosmith's funk, blues laden "Nobody's Fault," Queen's catchy "Tie Your Mother Down," David Bowie's strangely worded "Moonage Daydream" (must have been during his Ziggy Stardust faze), and Led Zeppelin's "Custard Pie" (every guy's favorite pastry). There are the second tier legends; Saxon's hooky, leather spiked arm band and belt emoting "Wheels of Steel," Foghat's "I Just Want to Make Love to You" (might I add that L.A. Guns makes Foghat worth listening to), and Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" (just as trippy as the original, but with added acoustic guitars that give more emotional depth).

There are the glam/punk legends; Iggy Pop and the Stooges' "Search and Destroy," and Hanoi Rocks' "Until I Get You" (whose inclusion doesn't surprise me, because every L.A. glam band from the eighties cites them as an influence). And finally, the obscure cult legends, Angel City's "Marseilles"(it has that whole Hanoi vibe going on), and Rose Tattoo's rock anthem "Rock and Roll Outlaw." As a special treat, L.A. Guns throw in two original live tracks, "Revolution" and "Don't Look at Me That Way."

Anything bad?

Who hasn't covered "Tie Your Mother Down"?!

Bottom Line

L.A. Guns stay true to the original versions, but still manage to put their signature on them. It's bizarre, but in recent years L.A. Guns sound much better than they did back in the day (vocally and musically).

For me this album was a bit of a dissapointment for the simple reason that it wasnt original recordings from L.A.Guns but covers of great songs. When I first heard that L.A.Guns was back in the studio I was excited because I thought I was going to hear some new stuff but then I found out it was only a cover album so that was the ONLY dissapointment, other then that L.A.Guns stayed true to the original songs they covered and actually, their versions could posibley be better then the original? either way this is a great cover album, I recommend it.

These are the finest coers i've ever heard of these classic tracks. A must have for L.A. Guns, Tracii Guns, and Rock N Roll.