#14 L.A. Guns - L.A. Guns Boy, She's Gone Sleaze

ROCKTOBERFEST: A Most Excellent Countdown of the 31 Most Bitchin Glam Metal Albums

#14 L.A. Guns– L.A. Guns (Released 1988) Gold #50 Billboard Albums

Phil Lewis (Hollywood Tease)– Vocals 

Tracii Guns (Sex Action)– Lead Guitar

Mick Cripps (No Mercy) – Rhythm Guitar 

Kelly Nickels (Electric Gypsy) - Bass

Nickey “Beat” Alexander (Doesn’t have the posture of Steve Riley) – Drums

 Boy, She’s gone SLEAZE!

The last five albums I have reviewed have at least hit #2 on the albums, but here is the debut album from LA Guns to remind us that the underground was still supplying choice cuts of glam metal to compete with the heavy-hitters. The debut album finds L.A. Guns at their rawest with a chip on their shoulder. Tracii Guns had just been snubbed by the band he helped formed, Guns N Roses, which went to massive success with Appetite for Destruction and Tracii wanted to make sure everyone knew that Slash couldn’t hold a candle to his blistering guitar style. Slash is a great guitar player, but I do prefer Tracii’s style at it more influenced by the metallic forefathers and his lead fills are tough and always exciting. Tracii was not the only member of these rag-tag misfits with something to prove, there was Phil Lewis, the ex-leader singer of the British glam rock band, Girl. The lead guitarist was actually Phil Collen of Def Leppard fame. After, Phil’s departure broke the band up and left Lewis a metal vagabond bouncing between bands. Until, he had one last chance at rock n roll fame in the form of the vacancy for a lead singer of LA Guns. Phil sing with such urgency and fury that is like an athlete in his contract year. It is now or never for him and he brings the heat on these tracks with his distinctive sneer.  As the Second Wave moved more mainstream, LA Guns attacked glam metal with a metallic edge that hadn’t been seen since the glory days of the early 80’s. They pushed the envelope with sordid tales of sleaze and debauchery on the seedy, hedonistic Sunset Strip in Hollywood, California. This outrageous, over the top album with huge guitar hooks, big gang-shouts and a banging record sections belongs as one of the most bitchin glam metal albums of all time.

The first song is one of my favorite songs of all time and my favorite song to use to introduce people to the sleaze metal sub-genre. What else could it be titled but then, Sex Action. One of my favorite lyrics of all time is of course, “Boy she’s gone sleaze” and the whole song and video epitomizes the sleaze rock genre.  The video opens with a sultry jezebel in a seductive voice whispering “Sex Action” and that big, pounding riff comes in afterwards. It doesn’t get sleazier than that. The video is shot primarily in black & white and highlights the notorious actions of L.A. Guns and features all the insatiable vixens of the Sunset Strip. The playing portion features the high-energy rock n roll that the sleaze scene is all about.  The riff is a hard-hitting affair while Tracii plays a side-winding livewire-like lead over the top. The vocal hook is the sneered “Talk about love”, which will be into your head.  The solo is definitely directed at every member of Guns N Roses as Tracii plays with an undeniable fury. Definitely check this number out.

The lead track off the album is the fast, furious, venomous, and aggressive, No Mercy. The repeated shouts of “Show No Mercy” make this an instant classic in the sleaze genre. The song is about a rockstar who breaks a woman’s heart and know he wants her to show him no mercy. Kinky. The riff is a mile a minute attack of sonic fury that complements the sneer and lyrical content of the song so well. Tracii’s lead fills are great highlights on this track and his solo is a total livewire which reinforces how much of a sleaze guitar hero this man was. “I’ll be standing in the shadows of love” was an oddly popular lyric of the time as both Whitesnake and Britny Fox incorporated that one. I love the ending of this speedster is just Phil letting out a grunt. These guys just oozed sleaze from every pore.

The most metallic song of the album is the burner, One More Reason, with a  crunchy, chugging riff. Phil brings the emotion on this tough song as he sneers “You give me one more reason, one more reason to die.” The song details the seedy underbelly of the glam metal scene on the Strip and is a great sleazy song. Tracii plays a short, but energetic song. The riff is definitely the big hook on this number.

Next up is the ode to biker culture on Electric Gypsy as LA Guns definitely were rocking the glam biker look, which is always in fashion. Trust me. Ever since rock n roll has existed, rockstars have compared themselves to travelling gypsies and this song is no different. This song sees L.A. Guns at their pop-y best with a great hook throughout the song. The hook on this one is definitely the quick-draw pre-chorus, which follows into screams of “Electric Gypsy”. The solo is extended showcase for the talents of Tracii Guns and he does not disappoint. 

The final song of the review is the bottom-heavy, Bitch Is Back, which has nothing to do with the Elton John song (which is also a killer song). I still get a kick out of the spot where at the end of the solo, Phil just says, “Bitch”.  Tracii is a wildman throughout the song with lead fills everywhere while Phil sneers over the top as he wants his bitch back, goddmanit and he is going to let the world know.

L.A. Guns brought the sleaze and aggression back to glam metal in time where everything was getting a little too slick. This was definitely a raw, street record that is a change of pace from mainstream glam metal at the time. LA Guns has since had internal struggles since the fall of glam metal. The band has divided itself in half. There is a Phil Lewis version of the L.A. Guns which has Stacey Blades on guitar and Steve Riley on drums. The Tracii Guns’ version has featured Ralph Saenz on lead vocals, better known as Michael Starr of Steel Panther, also Joe Leste of Bang Tango and the greatest name in glam metal, Jizzy Pearl of Love/Hate. Love/Hate did not make the list, but they have a great sleaze album and one of the greatest party songs of all time. So here’s Jizzy and the boys with Blackout In The Red Room..