L.A. GUNS

Tales from the Strip

Shrapnel

5.5 / 10

Track listing:

01. It Don't Mean Nothing
02. Electric Neon Sunset
03. Gypsy Sun
04. Original Sin
05. Vampire
06. Hollywood's Burning
07. 6.9 Earthshaker
08. Rox Baby Girl
09. Crazy Motorcycle
10. Skin
11. Shame
12. Resurrection
13. Amanecer
14. (Can't Give You) Anything Better than Love

A band straight outta the '80s that never really went away, L.A. GUNS released some good 'n' sleazy hard rock with strong melodies over the years, belying the categorization of the act by some folks (I'm not one of them) as "just another hair metal band." As late as 2002, the group released a quality product in "Waking the Dead" that raised eyebrows for a throwback style that still sounded fresh, thanks in large part to choice rock 'n' roll songwriting. In 2004, the band released "Rips the Covers Off", a collection of covers of '70s rock songs, which I've not heard. Tracii Guns has now left the fold (replaced by Stacey Blades) and still the band continues, releasing "Tales from the Strip", a mediocre album and a disappointing follow-up to "Wake the Dead".

Let's take the tour. "It Don't Mean Nothing" is a hard-driving sleaze rocker with a pop-inflected chorus that's just adequate, while "Gypsy Soul" mixes pop sensibility with a classic L.A. GUNS delivery. That same pop element also works effectively on "Electric Neon Sunset", an album highlight that features a hooky chorus. By contrast, album-closer "(Can't Give You) Anything Better than Love" falls flat on its face. "Skin" is a sexy blues creeper that comes with a swagger and recalls the music of the first album. "Original Sin" is a solid, though predictable, rocker, while the nostalgia-tripping, ballad-esque "Vampire" eventually worked its way into my head and stuck, even with a goofy chorus. "6.9 Earthshaker" is an awful instrumental wrapped around Steve Riley's unexciting drum solo. It's as pointless as an acoustic instrumental called "Amanecer". "Crazy Motorcycle" attempts to be a sleazy up-tempo rocker, but ends up sounding tired and forced. "Shame" works a bit better. "Rox Baby Girl", "Resurrection", and "Hollywood's Burning" fall somewhere between weak and tolerable.

Cutting 14 tracks down to 10 would have been a big improvement. A smattering of good tunes, several middle-of-the-road rockers, and a few stinkers make "Tales from the Strip" an album that is probably best left to L.A. GUNS fans and hardcore '80s groupies.

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