Expanded Reissue of the classic album.
The re-issue of this classic L.A. Guns album is perfectly logical not only because singer Jizzy Pearl is now back in the band, as he was when it was originally recorded in 1999, but also because sadly at the time the album suffered from an almost non-existent distribution. ‘Shrinking Violet’ is indeed the only album that the Love/Hate and ex-Ratt singer Jizzy recorded with the gunners and the fact that it is signed to Steve Vai’s label speaks for itself, especially taking into consideration it was its very own General Manager, who approached the band.
Aside from the signature sleaze rock with a hint of blues songs that made it to the album (produced, by the way, by Gilby Clarke) back in the day enhanced by Tracii Guns’ guitar work and Jizzy’s characteristic vocal, what is most interesting about this CD and what makes it a ‘deluxe edition’ is the inclusion of five live tracks recorded last year in Texas, the all-time favourites ‘Rip And Tear’, ‘Never Enough’, ‘The Ballad Of Jayne’ and ‘One More Reason’ (all of them released in different albums) as well as ‘Decide’, on this album replacing the original studio version. On these never before released live tracks, drummer Chad Stewart and bassist Jeremy Guns replace Steve Riley and Johnny Crypt, respectively, who originally performed on the record.
This re-issue is certified as a statement that the group lead and founded by guitarist Tracii Guns are ready to keep rocking and bringing new material to the table, hopefully in the summer of 2011 as Tracii mentioned in an interview somewhere else in these pages. Any L.A. Guns fan that could not get their hands on this album the first time around should get a copy now. The team that is Tracii and Jizzy, not to be confused with Phil Lewis’ and Steve Riley’s co-existing version of L.A. Guns, prove sleaze rock is not dead. Expect at least a couple of tracks off this album when they come to play at Hard Rock Hell and elsewhere in December.
Mónica Castedo-López
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