Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tracii who?, December 11, 2005
Upon hearing that the LA Guns would continue on without lead guitarist and founding member Tracii Guns, my initial reaction was "are you kidding me?" While the band has replaced every other single member since its inception, from the days of when Axl Rose and later Paul Black fronted the band, the loss of Tracii Guns seemed a bit much. While the band continued without singer Phil Lewis for a few years in the 90s, as long as they had Tracii, to me it was still the LA Guns. It seemed like the LA Guns without Tracii would be like Van Halen without Eddie Van Halen.
With the release of the Brides of Destruction sophomore album "Here Come the Brides" (2005) and the LA Guns first official studio album without Tracii (excluding last years covers album) the verdict is in. Tracii Guns was not LA Guns and the new lineup is managing just fine. The new Brides CD shows that Tracii, while a good guitar player, is not that great of a songwriter and needs to collaborate with other musicians in order to make memorable music. As far as the new LA Guns is concerned, unless someone told me Tracii wasn't in the band, I would have no way of knowing otherwise. Even without Tracii Guns, "Tales from the Strip" (2005) has the same LA Guns signature sound that fans are sure to love. It's as thought the band were in a vacuum, completely unaware that it is 2005. It's a totally retro, sleazy, pop-metal album which sounds as though it came straight from 1988. The band; Phil Lewis, (vocals) Stacey Blades, (guitar) Adam Hamilton (bass) and Steve Riley (drums) have cooked up a stellar collection of pop-metal songs that fans of the genre are sure to love. It's a semi-concept album, its theme being tales from LA's infamous sunset strip. It's a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining listen.
While the band has gone though numerous lineup changes over the years, with varying results, "Tales from the Strip" is one of the band's best offerings. If you are a fan of the band or 80s pop-metal in general, "Tales from the Strip" is probably going to be your favorite album of 2005.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Tales From The Strip" - another milestone for a GREAT band!, August 20, 2005
L.A. Guns has resurfaced and has a hell of a lot to say.
Their latest release, "Tales From The Strip" (Shrapnel, 2005) is somewhat of a concept album,
a series of stories told firsthand by a Hollywood rock band that has seen it all, done it all, and is hungry for more.
The first track, "It Don't Mean Nothing," displays the tight musicianship of the current lineup. Heartfelt, strong songwriting and expertly mixed vocals, drums, and guitars are heard throughout this CD. "Electric Neon Sunset" hints towards introspection, "Gypsy Soul" seems a declaration of the band's free spirit. "Original Sin" is a surprise, staring out as a sort of a wild carnival ride of heavy bass-ridden riffs, then suddenly slowing down to launch one of Stacey Blade's jaw-dropping guitar solos. The ballad "Vampire" is a stunning display of vocalist Phil Lewis' range and power, woven with lyrics that are impossible to ignore.
This CD has quite a collection of classic-sounding rockers, including "Hollywood's Burning," "Rox Baby Girl," and "Resurrection." "Shame" and "Crazy Motorcycle" seem to be custom-made for fans of classic metal bands like Judas Priest, Deep Purple and Motorhead. The sexy, funky "Skin" proves that song can both be heavy and hip-shaking - Phil's screaming vocal mixed with Stacey Blades' guitar lead is haunting.
The power of L.A. Guns' live show comes through on the heavy instrumental, "6.9 Earthshaker." Laced with several solos by drummer Steve Riley, this song is a good snapshot of his unique style, heavy and energetic, yet intricate. The second instrumental, "Amenecer," is a beautiful, emotional composition, leading into the final track, (Can't Give You) Anything Better Than Love," which features Adam Hamilton's ear-popping bass lines.
This collection of songs is a must-have for both L.A. Guns fans and anyone that appreciates a full album of some of the best hard rock ever written and performed.
Whether it be the Sunset Strip or some far location in the middle of nowhere, I hope L.A. Guns has reason to tell us many more tales!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Band that Remembers What They Are: Sleaze Rock, Gotta Love It, September 19, 2005
I looked forward to picking this CD up with such anticipation, I actually bought one on Amazon on August 12. But, I just couldn't wait those few extra days and ended up buying it at the store as well to hear it a second early. Do I regret it? Not at all!
What can I possibly say about this record other than the standard, "It rocks, dude?" Quite frankly, that sums it up. But, let me get into more detail about what is so great about this record.
First, every song is at least good. Some are better than others but there isn't a stinker on here that will require you to get up and change tracks because your ears are bleeding.
The best songs off the record are the opening track of "It Don't Mean Nothing," "Electric Neon Sunset," "Gypsy Soul," Skin," "Skin," "Shame," "Hollywood's Burning," and "(Can't Give You) Anything But Love." But, no song is "bad." As a matter of fact, I chose those songs because they are the ones that I most clearly remember. Any song could really be my favorite off the record.
Some are concerned about the lack of Tracii Guns on this record. I say, "Tracii who?" Tracii's off trying to be modern and performing piss poor punk music in South America somewhere. Tracii's a great guitarist, don't get me wrong. But, as much as I pick on Steven Tyler for being vocally shot, Tracii Guns is creatively shot and it's a real shame. But Stacey Blades fits the bill nicely and damn does he play a mean guitar.
Yes, all you ska and punk fans, this record has guitar solos! Guitar solos are instrumental solos performed by good musicians that add to the songs. I think the lack of guitar solos in the modern rock scene is directly related to the lack of talented guitarists. Stacey's got all the talent in the world!
Is it better than Waking The Dead? I can't say yes and I can't say no. It's simply different. Waking The Dead was a slightly more modern record and, at times, a slightly heavier one. Tales From The Strip is still heavy but sounds more like what most of us remember L.A. Guns as being. I love Waking The Dead and also love Tales From The Strip. How neither of these records were blockbuster hits is beyond me. Or, maybe they're just too good and piss poor bands like Jimmy Eat World would be exposed as piss poor in comparison.
The last song on the disc is "(Can't Give You) Anything But Love." It's clear to me that a lot of love went into this album. And, they did give me something better than love. They gave me a fantastic album that you all should buy. They gave me and all of us, Tales From The Strip!
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