July 3rd sees the release of one of the most anticipated live albums of the metal year, a full all-format release for Live From The Guild Theatre, recorded almost exactly one year earlier at the onstage launch of L.A. Guns’ most acclaimed album in years, the mighty Leopard Skin.
It nails it here, too, sliding in between Hellraisers Ball and Like A Drug, but Live From The Guild Theatre is explosive from start to finish, the Gunners firing off killer versions of fan favorites tracing as far back as the band’s debut album – Sex Action, for example, probably hasn’t featured in the repertoire since the eighties, but it’s alive and kickin’ here.
Sophomore set Cocked and Loaded, meanwhile, spits out some of the most powerful shotgun blasts in the band’s entire arsenal – I Wanna Be Your Man, The Ballad of Jayne, Rip and Tear, and the set-ender, Never Enough. And Leopard Skin gets both a triumphant airing and a delirious response.
In fact, longtime vocalist Phil Lewis and the man who put the Guns in L.A. Guns, Tracii Guns, have never sounded better – quite an achievement for a band that’s been tearing up the stages of the world since 1983. Ace Von Johnson(guitar), Johnny Martin (bass) and Shawn Duncan (drums) complete the line-up.
The first single from the album, Electric Gypsy (watch the video below) which is now available to stream and download here, is another from the self-titled debut, and it sounds as fresh now as it did way back then…drop it into your streaming playlist and it won’t simply wake up the neighbors, it’ll have them hammering on your door, demanding to know what you’re listening to.
L.A. Guns–Live From The Guild Theatre:
1. Intro – Taste It
2. Cannonball
3. Electric Gypsy
4. Sex Action
5. Hellraisers Ball
6. Hit and Run
7. Like a Drug
8. Speed
9. One More Reason
10. Theremin Jam
11. Over the Edge
12. Guitar Solo
13. I Wanna Be Your Man
14. Lucky Motherfucker
15. Never Enough
16. The Ballad of Jayne
17. Rip and Tear
Connect with L.A. Guns: Website, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
4 Responses
Traci Guns and Phil Lewis are timeless. They sound as good as they have ever been.
I never was a true of fan of LA Guns or Faster Pussycat back in the mid 80’s. I have come to respect LA Guns as I learn more about them.
Tasker,
If you have to get one L.A. Guns album, I strongly recommend Cocked And Loaded, but if you like a really raw, sleazy sound, then get the self titled debut.
As for Faster Pussycat, when I interned at Elektra Records, Wake Me When It’s Over, was their current release. I was fortunate to get a copy for free and it turned out to be a really good record. I highly suggest that one, as well.
Finally, back in the day, when I was dating my first love, he used to make fun of me for liking L.A. Guns, years later, he did a 180 on Tracii Guns. He said he could not believe what a really good guitar player he is and that he did not appreciate him, at the time.
Been a way a few days celebrating my daughter graduating.
Thanks for the advice on both. Pretty neat you interned for Elektra.
When I was a naive, zitty 15 yr old I’d watch Headbanger’s Ball seeing & hear FPC House Of Pain, Bathroom and Poison Ivy and did find them too sleazy and kinda silly so I didn’t care for them. LA Guns grew on me over time and then TMS episodes brought them back to mind.