Founding members of
L.A. Guns,
Tracii Guns and vocalist
Phil Lewis have concocted a solid outing with producer
Andy Johns on
Waking the Dead, the follow-up to the band's 2001 debut for Spitfire Records,
Man in the Moon. More than just a commendable effort by
L.A. Guns, the work of
Andy Johns is not to be overlooked. In the '70s it was producer/engineer brother
Glyn Johns who had the higher profile, and when
Andy did produce, as with '80s metal band
Cinderella, it came off -- much like the work of another engineer/producer,
Ron Nevison -- as homogenized black-and-white musical photographs for the ear.
Waking the Dead is a triumph for
Andy Johns as much as it is for
L.A. Guns, and the fabulous and hooky "City of Angels" has all the elements a driving pop song needs -- throbbing bass, precision drums, singing guitars, and great vocals with catchy phrasings. It's one of those songs you absolutely have to turn up when it comes on. The CD opens in no-nonsense fashion with "Don't Look at Me That Way," the same theme as the tune by Nervus Rex from the '70s, but much more firm in approach. "O.K., Let's Roll" is the subject matter
Neil Young explored on "Let's Roll" from his
Are You Passionate? CD, and the problem with these songs about 9/11 --
Mark Farner's "Red, White and Blue" included -- is that, while they are certainly heartfelt and respectful, the feel is awkward and a bit unnerving. When compared to the title track here or the driving "Revolution" (with elements of
Cheap Trick and
Mott the Hoople in the lyrics), "OK, Let's Roll" feels forced. "Revolution" plays like a great
Alice Cooper single from the '70s, tight as a drum and appropriate for radio in the new millennium. It's a brilliant slice of rock & roll, up there with
Ian Hunter's mini masterpiece, the song "Ripoff." "The Ballad" is just that, a ballad to give the listener a break. Throughout this effort, the sounds of
Andy Johns continue to impress, light years away from his work with Hungary's 1970s export
Locomotiv GT, the producer/engineer surrounding "The Ballad" with an eerie atmosphere allowing the guitars to come up in the mix splendidly. "Frequency" is a great change of pace as well, jungle rhythms and
Black Sabbath riffs cut to half time. "Psychopathic Eyes" takes things even further, delving into punk. It's
the Ramones gone metal, and different from the identifiable groove on much of the disc, but it fits in perfectly. "Hellraisers Ball" gets back to the basics, but it is "City of Angels" and "Don't You Cry" that give
Guns N' Roses at their best a good run for the money. ~ Joe Viglione