Style: hard rock, hair metal
Label: Frontiers Music
Year: 2021
Home: n/a
Members: Tracii Guns ~ guitar
Phil Lewis ~ vocals
Johnny Martin ~ bass/b. vocals
Ace Von Johnson ~ rhythm guitar/b. vocals
Scot Coogan ~ drums
I'll say it upfront: I'm not a fan of L.A. Guns. I enjoyed their 2020 album Renegades, with the latest Steve Riley led line-up with bassist Kelly Nickels, guitarist Scott Griffin & vocalist Kurt Frohlich. It was just great straight ahead sleazy rock'n'roll. I also enjoy their work with Jizzy Pearl, but because I enjoy his vocals whatever the outing. Other albums & line-ups have just not grabbed me. I've heard other albums, but I don't hear what others hear in them. The current Phil Lewis & Tracii Guns led version of the band have released a live album of their second & breakthrough album Cocked & Loaded. The single night performance was done in honor of its 31st anniversary. This group was planning a new studio album, but things were interrupted by the coronavirus. The desire to play was so strong they decided to gig & this is the outcome of that night. Out of curiosity I decided to give L.A. Guns yet another chance by taking a listen. I don't want anyone to say I don't do my due diligence investigating a band. The original album features the classic line-up of frontman Phil Lewis, guitarists Tracii Guns & Mick Cripps, bassist, Kelly Nichels & drummer Steve Riley. It was re-recorded in 2000 as Cocked & Re-Loaded. I may have heard that release in my attempt to dig into the band, but I don't remember it. To write this review I listened to the original album first & then this live album a couple times, though not the 2000 version. I've also not heard any other live albums from them. This new album features only Guns & Lewis from the original, with a new bassist, rhythm guitarist & drummer. The bassist has been around since 2016, the other guys since 2018 & 2019. Only the bassist has appeared on an album,
so this formalizes the new line-up on wax & previews them before their
studio debut. Sadly, I can't say much about the guys, as the recording quality essentially makes this sound like vocals, lead guitar & drums with some noise. I don't know if releasing it as an album was an afterthought, or it wasn't recorded well in the first place, or they don't know how to mix an album well. This sloppy recording was better than an audience bootleg, but isn't doing any justice to the music or band. They did leave in the applause & Lewis' banter, so that's good, & likely there was no overdubs. The only thing I can really say is to comment on the drummer. Every song was driven by the same boring beat that provided a beat but not much else. I even went back to the studio album to see if I had misheard the drumming there. Nope, that's more interesting. I like a drummer that pushes & pulls & accentuates more than keeps the beat. Maybe the drumming is better than I think here, & its the fault of the bad recording that I missed it. After numerous listens I feel these live versions are: sloppy, wild, Tracii goes bonkers, Phil's banter is obnoxiously cocky & strangely clueless, the drums are predictably steady ... & I found this live album so much more entertaining than the original studio versions. The songs are stripped down away from tons of overdubs. I felt on the originals Tracii often went crazy, but to the detriment of the songs. I see why he's a respected guitarist, but all I hear is a guy playing over
everything trying to throw out as many notes as possible, but lacking
groove, melody, focus. His playing is show-offy & messy, with runs
that are completely oblivious to the mood of the music. Self-control
anyone? Yngwie syndrome anyone? Melody anyone? Now the songs are bare bones & its the perfect setting for him to blast away. I never felt he ruined any song here, but I can't say that about the originals. "Never Enough", "Speed" & "Give A Little" are highlights. They
sounds great live & are made for the stage with so much pent up energy
that I didn't feel on the album. "Malaria", one of the tracks that stood out to me on the original, comes off
dripping like a liquid here that makes it even more moody. So, I still
don't care for the Phil Lewis version of L.A. Guns, but live is where
they shine. Many bands are far better live, not just groups like the
Grateful Dead & the Doors, but Talas & Mr. Big with Billy
Sheehan, Rammstein, Y&T & countless others who never have quite got the feeling down on their albums. Thus, I rate this as a down & dirty sleaze rock festival of merit for fans that should have been recorded better. Yes, I'll take any criticism you want to hurl in the comments. I read everything.
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