'Acoustic Gypsy Live' - LA Guns CD Review
Friday, September 16, 2011 at 12:01AM 
LA Guns (Tracii Guns version) will release an acoustic album of greatest hits called Acoustic Gypsy Live on September 27. The album was recorded in Los Angeles and the band will tour in support of the new record.
I was blessed with an advanced copy of the disc and I spun it while working on other projects. All the songs you would expect are included like 'Never Enough' and 'The Ballad of Jayne.' Jizzy Pearl is on vocals and sometimes it is weird hearing Tracii play acoustic instead of wailing on his guitar like he does at concerts. Some songs, like 'Electric Gypsy' I think were just not meant to go acoustic. Of course, 'The Ballad of Jayne' sounds just fine that way.
I quite enjoy 'Rip and Tear' and 'Over the Edge' and overall I think it was smart of LA Guns to come to market with a "new" record of "old" material. This gives the band something to tour, helps put money in their pockets and gives us diehards a new way to approach some songs we already love.
Isn't it amazing to think that in 29 years this is the first time LA Guns has done an acoustic record? If you are an LA Guns fan, pick up the CD.
Tracklisting:
1. Crystal Eyes
2. One Way Ticket
3. Decide
4. Dreamtime
5. Electric Gypsy
6. It's Over Now
7. Never Enough
8. Over The Edge
9. Little Soldier (Brand New Song!)
10. Sex Action
11. These Arms Of Mine (Otis Redding Cover)
12. Love Hurts (Nazereth Cover)
13. The Ballad Of Jayne
14. Rip and Tear
Reader Comments (11)
And how can you possibly do "Rip and Tear" acoustically?
That said, I did see the original line-up 5 times beginning in '87 in L.A. And I can tell you, no matter how signature Phil Lewis' vocals can be considered, it's still all about the absolutely stunning and grossly underestimated guitar pyrotechnics of one Mr. Tracii Guns.
When I first saw 'em before the first album even hit the streets, my initial reaction was literally jaw dropping and that wasn't for
Lewis' voice, which can only be described as consistently wobbly, at best.
It was Guns, Guns and more Guns and that's all there is to it. Look Blades is a solid player. Caught 'im at M3 two Summers ago. He's certainly got the pedigree and can deliver competently, but
he's missin' that little extra sumpin' sumpin' to his playin'.
Guns RULES!!!
p.s. Pearl was a KILLER in the immortal Love/Hate and there's no denying, he has an unmatched, helluva set of pipes on him, so I will grant KixRules this -- Pearl ain't right for L.A. Guns as his voice is too distinct to take Lewis' place. Too bad these two characters, Guns and Lewis can't iron it out. I got a feeling this is more cuz of Guns, who I've heard is no prince, than Lewis, who seems like a nice enuff bloke. He was even genuinely complementary of my amateur back-up singing from the audience and also still tried to sustain a conversation with me in the middle of a cat fight he was in the center of on the VIP deck at M3.
p.s.s.t. Kenny Kweens was a great addition to that line-up of L.A. Guns that played M3. Shame that guy hasn't faired better. He's is one of THE best damn showmen out there today, for real!
That being said, Tracii is the heart and soul of the band, and by far the more talented guitar player. His band has more credibility in my eyes (not wearing 'cocked and Loaded' - era halloween costumes / covering Buckcherry songs helps).
This is a great setlist and I will probably check this out.
I saw them when they opened fro Poison on their "Exiled From the Mainstream" tour and Guns were terrific.
I will agree that having two L.A. Guns is beyond silly but ego and commerce can do stuff like that
Metal Mike -- Yer right: Blades is the Thayer of Phil Lewis' L.A.G.s. But not as good at doin' Tracii's stuff as Thayer is at doin' Frehley's And neither hold a candle to the originals.
Jeff -- Reality is, as much as I kinda enjoyed Phil's Division, it was on account of Kweens who is with them no longer.
Scott -- Jizzy's a helluva singer. Wish these two would start from scratch with a new album of full on originals and dazzle us with the new material live on tour plus throw in some biggies from each of their previous bands' work. Standard ops for any band of former super heroes who want to rekindle even just a shred of cred. "Blackout In A Red Room" with Guns on guitar playin' live, anyone? They probably do it anyway, but that's what
I'm talkin' 'bout.
Glam Rocker Arch! -- With ya there. Even hated Plant/Page unplugged and all the rest. The only one that kinda worked was Rod Stewart and that's mainly cuz a lotta his classic stuff had acoustic arrangements to begin with. And he had Ron Wood playin' on it.
In the end, I wish Tracii had gone further somehow. He's the most talented of the buch and really duzn't need to rely on rehash, though I guess, it's like Scott alludes to = easier sell to both the characters who will put up the money to put it out and the suckers who will buy it.
Tracii!!! Give us some more o' that crazy thang!
first,...style,production,and drastic vocals...but I like a lot of it now...despite the addition of 'THE' to the band name(thankfully abandoned...as did DEATH ANGEL with 'D.A.'...)
Cris Van Dahl is singing for the now,2nd version of BANG TANGO,featuring theoriginal other 4 guys...while Joe LeSte fronts the other,and just issued the kickass 'PISTOLWHIPPED IN THE BIBLE BELT'...What???
Two L.A. Guns,two Bang Tangos...aren't there two Pretty Boy Floyds?...
...p.s.-Ralph Saenz,anyone?...'WASTED' e.p. is highly acclaimed!