L.A. Guns in Bloomington, MN

Even amidst the already seedy underbelly of the late-'80s L.A.
glam metal
scene,
L.A. Guns
were the undisputed bottom-feeders. A ragged collection of outcasts from various other bands (guitarist
Tracii Guns
was the original "guns" in
Guns n' Roses
, drummer
Steven Riley
had recently vacated the stool with shock-kings
W.A.S.P.
, and British vocalist
Phil Lewis
had done time with London glamsters
Girl
), they elevated the unrepentant sleaziness and undeniable tackiness of their environment to a new VD-encrusted low. The union of such an unsavory cast of characters could only result in a wildly over-the-top
rock & roll
album, and while it may not have been as successful as their latest efforts, this eponymous debut rocked with a bile and fury not seen since
Moetley Cruee
's
Shout at the Devil
. Sh*t-kicking anthems like
"No Mercy,"
"Sex Action,"
"One More Reason,"
and the marvelous
"Bitch Is Back"
slap the listener silly while still making room for slightly more commercial but equally hot offerings such as
"Electric Gypsy"
and
"Down in the City."
And despite clashing terribly with its surroundings,
"One Way Ticket"
is a surprisingly effective
power ballad
. Fun, fun, fun. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia