L.A. GUNS
Rips the Covers Off
Shrapnel Records 2004
www.laguns.net

What's the 4-1-1?
When L.A. Guns decided to do a covers record, they wanted to pick songs that were hits all over the world; as well as songs that were only hits in Europe and England. Originally intended as a 70's cover CD, L.A. Guns found themselves including some of their favorite songs from the late 60's and early 80's.

Genre
Hard rock / metal

The Good
L.A. Guns pay homage to a wide range of rock artists. There's 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 Zepplin's "Custard Pie" (every guy's favorite pastry). There’s 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".

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

The Verdict
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).

Did you know?
Guitarist Tracii Guns formed The L.A. Guns with singer Axl Rose in 1983, but Axl later quit to form Hollywood Rose. In 1984, Tracii left to reform with Axl as Guns N’ Roses (after Tracii Guns & Axl Rose), while L.A. Guns broke up. Tracii left GNR because he didn’t like the direction of their music, so he re-formed his old band. Guns N’ Roses replaced him with guitarist Slash and went on to sell millions of records. The shuffle continued for years, and now Tracii is MIA from L.A. Guns once again.

Rating: out of 5

Related Reviews:
Various Artists - Harder & Heavier
Various Artists - Hollywood Rocks!
Various Artists - Spin The Bottle: A Tribute to Kiss

--George Dionne