if truth be told I thought that the last L.A. Guns opus, the truly awful covers set 'Rips The Covers off', would be the swansong for these renegades from the hair metal daze. Shorn of the driving force that was founder Tracii Guns, who opted to ply his trade with Brides of Destruction', L.A Guns looked set for the great metal scrapheap. However all credit must go to Phil Lewis, Steve Riley et al for turning what was potentially a disaster into, if not exactly a triumph, then certainly an album that they can be proud of

'Tales From The Strip', if not a concept album, has a loose thread running though its tracks, this being the sleaze and depravity that typified Los Angeles throughout the heyday of the hair metal bands. The music L.A Guns serve up is unashamedly sleazy in its design and execution and the lyrics, whilst not exactly PC in places, are almost a kind of social commentary on the attitudes that pervaded during the late 1980's  and early 90's. With mid-tempo paced songs-a-plenty and name checks to many of the great and the not so good that wandered from bar to bar and club to club on Hollywood's Sunset Strip, what we have is a true sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll tale told from the perspective of a band that lived, and in the main survived, through it all.

This is no more typified than on opening track 'It Don't Mean Nothing' which starts things off as they mean to go on, a wailing police siren giving way to that big drum sound and razor sharp guitar riff. A male musicians answer to Poison's 'Fallen Angel' the song tells the tale of many who headed to the big city bright lights to become the next big thing and were never heard of again. This could easily have been the theme tune to Penelope Spheeris' 'Decline Of Western Civilization Part II; The Metal Years' such is its impact and is easily one of the highlights of the album.

The other major highlight of the album is the slower paced and slightly dark mood of 'Vampire', a song that appears on the surface to be semi-autobiographical in nature and indeed references many of the milestones from L.A Guns' career. rarely has Lewis' sounded more convincing as a vocalist and to be honest his voice is better suited to these slower numbers. This is again witnessed with the album closing track 'Can't Give You Anything Better Than Love' which rounds things out in fine style.

For all the good points about 'Tales From The Strip' there are still undoubted failings. The inclusion of the acoustic instrumental 'Amanecer' as the penultimate track seems pointless and nothing more than filler as does the 6.9 Earthshaker instrumental mid way through the record. However 'Tales From The Strip' certainly breathes new life into L.A. Guns and with intelligent lyrics throughout, a good production job and  sterling performances from Phil Lewis and most especially Stacey Baldes, proving there is life after Tracii, is an album that deserves attention from anyone who ever had the least interest in the band.

Let us know your views on 'Tales from The Strip'

Track List

It Don't Mean Nothing
Electric Neon Sunset
Gypsy Soul
Original Sin
Vampire
Hollywood's Burning
6.9 Earthshaker
Rox Baby Girl
Crazy Motorcycle
Skin
Shame
Resurrection
Amanecer
(Can't Give You) Anything Better Than Love

Line Up

Phil Lewis  - vocals
Stacey Blades  - guitars
Adam Hamilton  - bass
Steve Riley  - drums