L.A. Guns - Hollywood Forever

As far as it goes with this band they are so inconsistent that you can never be sure what a new album could hold. First thing about Hollywood Forever is the absolute basement level production on the opening cut. Phil sounds just as he did twenty years ago and if there was more to the sound than him and the jackass on the drums maybe there is a decent song here. Oh and yes I don't care for Steve Riley he seems to be a total poser. There was a reason Blackie booted his ass out of W.A.S.P. and I'd not be surprised that he's the reason this band is only two members from the mark-II line-up left.

The production seemed to be improved on the second track but overall it is lame as hell in the sound department. Mick Cripps is sorely missed when it comes to song writing because he was the reason L.A. Guns were successful pop metal rockers.  This album meets some of the criteria needed to make good Guns songs like "Vine St. Shimmy" or "Dirty Black Night" which both have enough of the sleaze, piss & vinegar swagger that make this band enjoyable. There is not enough on the album to keep from being disappointed with the groups effort this time around.

I just find songs like "Crazy Tango", "Queenie", "Sweet Mystery" so pedestrian and boring that I wanted to turn of the album at that point as I'd pretty much lost interest in hearing where it was going to end up at the conclusion. I'm glad I stuck around to find the couple of tunes I mention and "Venus Bomb" which has some of that gutter punk that was ever present in the first album. The song "I Won't Play" has something that reminds me of Suzi Quatro or The Sweet and I'm a huge fan of Chin & Chapman so this song kinda tickles me. The terrible garbage that brings the album to a close is Arana Negra that is complete shite and Phil sounds like a fucking tool singing in Spanish with awful pronunciation. What a waste of studio time ladies! If you aren't a fan of this band then just pass on this album it's not worth the money nor the bandwidth.