When the album cover art to a record named ‘The Missing Peace’ shows a beaten band logo with the missing ‘piece’ bearing the name ‘Guns’ you kind of get the idea, it’s not subtle but it gets to the point – the fights are over and Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns are now back together under the banner of the band Guns formed in 1983 and Lewis joined in 1987. The cover is also a take on that classic first album with the band emblem of a police style badge bearing a skull and two guns looking rather battered almost 30 years on. For those that had hoped for a reunion of the classic line-up though it’s not there – there’s no Mick Cripps, Kelly Nickels or Steve Riley (Nickey Alexander of course playing on the debut but leaving before release) but at least it’s Guns and Lewis right?
When I used to go to Rock clubs in my teens L.A. Guns and that first album were the soundtrack to many a great night and seeing the band a dozen times over those first few years was always a sight to behold at places like my beloved Rock City and further afield over in L.A.. So despite the relative disappointment of the 1999 ‘classic line-up’ reunion which produced only re-recordings of old material before the first departures, I’ll admit to being excited by the prospect of this release. Everyone’s older and wiser after all.
Opening with ‘It’s All The Same To Me’ and its chunky riff and trademark vocals I must admit first listen I was feeling a little flat, it’s not that it wasn’t a perfectly serviceable song its just that to kick off what fans have been waiting close to two decades for I’d sort of expected something a little fierier and a little more recognizably “1988 all over again”. Listening to the album a dozen times now I’ve completely revised my opinion I love it to death and even hear a little vintage Aerosmith circa ‘…Hard Place’ in its blood. To me though it’s still not the opener.
It’s the next track ‘Speed’ that is more the sort of song I expected to open – its rocking hard right out of the gates and has an almost Judas Priest-like riff driving it on. Many of course will also have seen the video its a great song and one that really underlines what this album could be! ‘A Drop Of Bleach’ that follows again manages to capture that vintage L.A.Guns feeling nice and dirty with Phil singing his heart and perhaps more of a hard hypnotic groove than back in the day but still one to raise that smile. L.A.Guns is back baby! On an album that’s already managed to impress ‘Sticky Fingers’ is another cool cut, moodier, more mid-tempo, a little darker even, but still very recognizably vintage sounding L.A. Guns and just the sort of song that makes you think Phil and Tracii have not just sat down in the same room but really reconnected.
‘Christine’ the ballad that you may also have seen and heard prior to release sits a doesn’t really reference the 80’s heyday of the band, but rather looks back further to the 70’s. As ballads go its OK but in truth after repeated plays despite the great construction, excellent vocal from Phil and some cool guitar from Tracii and it’s addictive country lilt, I’m not really feeling it. ‘Baby Gotta Fever’ is back on message – Sunset Strip Sleaze with a great verse and all the right moves sadly it just doesn’t quite do the trick with the refrain which sort of flows out of the verse without a real change up. At first it sounded like two great ideas that had been mashed together to produce a song that still sounds unfinished to me.
One of the songs that really stands out for me is ‘Kill It Or Die’ which builds from a great groove and has a funky edge with Phil phrasing like a certain Mr Tyler. It’s a hell of a song but rather a step into the unknown sonically coming across a little like vintage Electric Boys that L.A. Guns. ‘Don’t Bring A Knife To A Gunfight’ is more of the trademark thrust, hook and gang vocals that we love, a little slicker though than most here it sees the band back taking that raw and dirty sound that always set them apart (and I’d argue in any ways defined the very sound of that era) and refining it to produce a song that fans will both love and which wouldn’t be out of place on the radio.
Next up ‘The Flood’s The Fault Of The Rain’ is another slower number and again like ‘Christine’ looks further back that the Strip in its pomp. Here though in my opinion there’s more substance. It’s actually a similar song stylistically but here the flat-lands are replaced by a real landscape that grows and changes before our eyes as the song rises to the Guns-supplied cascading solo before taking you back down again. Man that’s a great song right there!
‘The Devil Made Me Do It’ ramps up the heat again, a real rocker with some real fire man this might even be my missing opener! And while you’re on that high ‘The Missing Peace’ kicks in with lush orchestration and in all honesty probably just rips the ‘best song’ award out of the hands of the rest of the contenders. It’s such a forceful song – an epic in the style of those overblown Gunners ballads from the ‘Illusion’ albums except that it eschews the keys for more dynamic guitars. A truly great song and one that suits Phil down to a tee.
We close all too soon with ‘Gave It All Away’ and it’s gentle acoustic opening which before the minute mark sees Tracii’s guitar kick it up a few notches. It’s another track with an epic feel but too close (in placement) to that wonderful title track to really make you appreciate it those first few plays. It’s also the longest song here so if you love back catalogue tracks that showcase that aspect of the bands sound this is another to add to that mix-tape.
I love this album but I’ll be first to admit that it took a few listens for it all to all drop into place. Right now it’s looking back on ‘Man In The Moon’ and ‘Waking The Dead’ in the rear-view mirror and can see those first two albums just ahead on the horizon with ‘Hollywood Vampires’ in its sights. Great album,but pray they keep this together because the net time anything could happen!
TRACKLISTING: It’s All The Same To Me | Speed | A Drop Of Bleach | Sticky Fingers |Christine | Baby Gotta Fever | Kill It Or Die | Don’t Bring A Knife To A Gunfight | The Flood’s The Fault Of The Rain | The Devil Made Me Do It | The Missing Peace | Gave It All Away
Philip Lewis – Vocals | Tracii Guns – Guitars | Johnny Martin – Bass | Michael Grant – Guitar | Shane Fitzgibbon – Drums
L.A. Guns LINKS: www.lagunsmusic.com
