L.A. Guns
Leopard Skin
Cleopatra Records
To map out the exhaustive, full 40-year lineage of L.A. Guns would require a very sophisticated GPS device AND an old-school road atlas to boot. Put your hands together for Joe “Mama” Besser on the drums! But, it can be argued that at the end of the day, band patriarch / guitarist Tracii Guns and glory days frontman Phil Lewis are the two components that bring the most value to the brand. Those are the two guys who have been driving the bandwagon for the last few years and creating a couple of snazzy records along the way, including their just-released 15th studio album, Leopard Skin.
In addition to an ever-changing lineup, L.A. Guns have succeeded in confusing their audience even further by constantly “reinventing” themselves stylistically — “evolving” from rock to metal to hardcore and back to the tippy again. However, with Leopard Skin, L.A. Guns are blasting boldly from both barrels, carving up a rock-solid slab that remains faithful to their chart-busting, down-and-dirty rep, while giving themselves permission to explore, but within their acknowledged comfort zone.
Lead off video singles, the raucous “Taste It” and the funk-fueled “Lucky Motherfucker,” follow the band’s signature, Sunset Strip sleaze-fest blueprint that the “Buckcherrys” of the world would follow in future years. And high-octane, riff-injected tunes such as “Don’t Gimme Away” and “Following the Money” are fully capable of scratching the itch of longtime fans.
But the record stands tallest when leaning on more song-based tracks — from the infectious, Fastball-on-steroids “Hit and Run” to the countrified, blues-charged “Runaway Train” to the soaring strings of the heartbreak ballad, “The Masquerade.”
The production is lean and mean, crunchy and punchy, while offering a lil’ extra lovin’ to the songs that deserve a bit more breathing space.
In a way, the L.A. Guns back story is almost irrelevant here. Leopard Skin is more than worthy of a spin, not because of the famed logo stamped on the cover, but because it’s just a strong, straight-up, no-nonsense rock record.
Leopard Skin Track List
01. Taste It (4:35)
02. Lucky Motherfucker (3:22)
03. The Grinder (4:21)
04. Hit and Run (5:27)
05. Don’t Gimme Away (3:59)
06. I’m Your Candy Man (2:51)
07. Runaway Train (3:29)
08. Following the Money (319)
09. The Masquerade (3:55)
10. If You Wanna (3:50)
