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L.a. guns cocked and reloaded4/25/2023 (C) 1989 Universal Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. Guns – The Ballad Of Jayne (Official Video) Reviewed by Metal Mike for Sleaze Roxx, August 2019 Official Website ( Riley / Nickels version) Produced by Duane Baron, John Purdell and Tom WermanĮngineered by Duane Baron and John Purdell Kelly Nickels – bass, harmonica, backing vocals Mick Cripps – electric and acoustic guitars, piano, backing vocals Tracii Guns – electric, acoustic 12-string guitars, electric coral sitar, theremin, backing vocals Leave a comment about what you think of Cocked And Loaded! ![]() That said, sometimes albums have emotional connections that create or destroy perceptions of its value. It has to be in your collection if it isn’t already. Featuring hits like Rip And Tear and The Ballad of Jayne, the album peaked at 38 on Billboard ’s Hot 200 and charted for 56 weeks. Guns unleashed Cocked And Loaded upon the world. I am in no way a fan of ballads on hard rock albums, but every once in awhile, one hooks me, and “The Ballad of Jayne” has always been a fave of mine.Ĭocked And Loaded is an example of a classic pure sleaze album, at a time when pure sleaze albums were a dime a dozen. GUNS COCKED AND LOADED Released on Aug(Island Def Jam) Review: On August 22, 1989, L.A. Finally, betraying the over-the-top sleaziness of every other song, “The Ballad of Jayne” is a truly beautiful ballad, from the production to the performance, to the execution. The song is silly in the sense that back in the day, sometimes bands would take themselves too seriously, even when it was silly. “Give A Little” was always a fun stomp that my band would sometimes cover. The two songs I skipped over above were so that I could highlight them on their own. “17 Crash” is a killer, and I hear its tempo and style re-created many times in more recent releases by newer bands. Not saying they’re bad, but just that I’d passed them by so many times over the years, they were forgotten. Similarly, “Magdalaine” is a tad White Lion. I remember the video for “Never Enough” as being a bit pretentious for the time, kinda comparing themselves to The Beatles… but who cares, the song kicks ass on many levels mostly by being a fun hard rock tune. “Malaria” is a bit Mötley Crüe, but that’s OK. Kelly Nickels’ bass line opening “Sleazy Come, Easy Go” identifies the song as something dirty, but in a fun way. The way the tempo picks up near the end… wow! And doesn’t “Rip And Tear” easily rank up there as a defining song of the LA gutter band era? That interlude works beautifully between the guitars and vocals. Seamlessly mixing into “Slap In The Face”, the sleaze is dripping out of the speakers. I have always contended that Extreme’s Pornograffiti was one of the best productions of the era, but Cocked And Loaded sure comes close. I love how the album kicks off with “Letting Go.” At just over a minute, the track tells you exactly what to expect over the next 55 minutes. Every riff, bass note, hi-hat flourish pops hard. ![]() That may be, but boy does it sound beautiful. Some would say the album is a tad overproduced… too slick for the material. ![]() I’ll add that on my 90 minute Maxell tape, the flip side was Long Cold Winter by Cinderella, so needless to say, the cassette rarely left my deck. Feelgood had minimal impact on me compared to this. I rank this album right up there with Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite For Destruction and Skid Row‘s self-titled debut. In less than a year, Cocked And Loaded was certified gold in the US, with over 500,000 units sold.Ĭocked And Loaded lands directly in the middle of my own personal exploration of sleaze metal, so yeah, I have a soft spot for it. Featuring hits like “Rip And Tear” and “The Ballad of Jayne”, the album peaked at #38 on Billboard’s Hot 200 and charted for 56 weeks. If you don't have the original "Cocked & Loaded," make sure to buy that first.On August 22, 1989, L.A. Still, "Cocked & Reloaded" should please fans of the band and is recommended to those that already have the original. The one real downside is that singer Phil Lewis's voice, while not shot, is not what it once was. While "Cocked & Re-Loaded" can't compare to the original album, if you are a fan of the band and the original album, "Cocked & Re-Loaded" is worth owning, as it offers an interesting take on one of the band's finest recordings. The band has obviously been playing these songs for years, went into the studio, cut their album, and went home, probably in a week. Because Vertigo Records owned the masters to the original "Cocked & Loaded" and wouldn't release them to the LA Guns, the band had no choice but to re-record the entire album if they wanted to do whatever they wanted to do with the songs.Ĭompared to the original "Cocked & Loaded," "Cocked & Re-Loaded" sounds far rawer, more live, more one-take, spur-of-the-moment. Why would a band re-record an album that is already a classic? But the LA Guns had their reasons.
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