L.A. Guns - Checkered Past

[Stefan]

From Frontiers:

L.A. GUNS, featuring Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns, have released a new single, 'Let You Down'. The song was written and recorded this past month while the band is in the midst of work on their next studio album. The band was so struck by the song that they felt the need to release it immediately rather than sit on it for the next studio album. It may or may not appear on said album. 

Of the song, Phil Lewis says, "This is our new single, 'Let You Down,' a deep haunting work and words from a tormented soul. It was recorded during quarantine, so Tracii laid down his guitar tracks in Denmark, I did my vocals at home in Las Vegas, and Adam Hamilton played drums and mixed it in LA. Under normal circumstances, it would have been recorded in a more traditional way, but somehow the isolation adds to the atmosphere of this very cool song. I’m sure you’re going to love it. Cheers." 

Tracii Guns adds, "This song just appeared at the right time, while we were writing and recording on different continents. Also, we won’t be performing anytime soon and it seems like the type of song that our fans can hold on to for awhile."

L.A. Guns are currently writing and recording songs for a new studio album tentatively due for release via Frontiers Music Srl in late 2020/early 2021. This will be the third studio album since the much welcome reunion of the band's core foundation of vocalist Phil Lewis and guitarist Tracii Guns. It will follow the well received studio albums "The Missing Peace" and "The Devil You Know", plus the live release, "Made In Milan" and a covers EP, "Another Xmas In Hell". 

L.A. Guns is:
Phil Lewis - vocals
Tracii Guns - guitars
Ace Von Johnson - guitars
Johnny Martin - bass
Scot Coogan - drums

 

http://www.lagunsmusic.com 
https://www.facebook.com/L.A.GunsOffi...

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2021 by Stefan

[AlphaMale]

All the reunion stuff is pretty average. This song is more of the same.

[Geoff]

Hmmm, I actually quite like that. It doesn't inspire me that the album will be great and this may just be a once-off, and the production is so/so, but I do find myself digging the song. 

[Stefan]

 

New song 'Knock Me Down'.

Press release:

Long running hard rockers L.A. Guns have announced the release of their new studio album, "Checkered Past" on November 12, 2021.

Written and recorded during late 2020 and early 2021, "Checkered Past" sees Tracii Guns, Phil Lewis, and company continuing with the darker lyrical tone of the preceding studio albums, "The Devil You Know" and "The Missing Peace", while incorporating their classic rock influences into the mix. Heavier songs are mixed with bluesier, boogie inducing tracks and dark, introspective ballads, often harkening back to the first three albums the band made, but also pushing the band forward. When fans absorb the album as a whole, they'll see that the tracklisting is divided up into 'sets' or 'suites', where a sonic style is explored across multiple songs before moving on to the next, making for a remarkable listening experience. 

Feeling inspired and excited like they did when they first started out, but with many years of wisdom and experience under their belts, and most importantly, a renewed and stronger creative and personal relationship, Guns and Lewis are maintaining a creative peak that started with "The Missing Peace". "Checkered Past" shows a band invigorated and ready to bash you over the head, as well as “wow” you with some epic, slower songs, and even make you dance a bit to some rock 'n roll. 

Since their self-titled debut in 1988 to the widely praised comeback albums "The Missing Peace" and "The Devil You Know", L.A. GUNS, led by Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis have always delivered solid rock ‘n roll to their fans. This current incarnation of the band has been touring non-stop, with a notable break coinciding with all other touring bands, and the cohesiveness of the unit, not to mention Phil’s stunning and unique vocals and Guns’ mind-bending guitar playing, are on full display here. A must hear and listen for all fans of the band, both new and old. 

L.A. Guns never looked like the pretty poster boys that so many of their peers did, but more the band that you would be terrified to bump into in an alley as they would likely be carrying switchblades and ready for a fight. But despite having many songs to back up that image, the band could also write powerful ballads (see the smash hit, “The Ballad Of Jayne” for Exhibit A of this argument) that showed there were some serious songwriting chops in the band. Those chops are on full display on the band's two most recent studio albums and the upcoming new album, "Checkered Past," arguably one of the most vital and exciting releases in the band’s catalog. 

 

Tracklist:

1.Cannonball

2.Bad Luck Charm

3.Living Right Now

4.Get Along

5.If It's Over Now

6.Better Than You

7.Knock Me Down

8.Dog

9.Let You Down

10.That Ain’t Why

11.Physical Itch 

 

LINE-UP:

Phil Lewis - vocals

Tracii Guns - guitar

Ace Von Johnson - guitar

Johnny Martin - bass

Scot Coogan -drums 

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2021 by Stefan

[lettard]

Liked "Missing Peace" but " The Devil You Know" was disappointing...the track "Knock You Down" sounds ok to me.

Edited August 16, 2021 by lettard

[AlphaMale]

Knock Me Down sounds pretty good

[Doggy]

[Crazysam]

New track is solid, but the band sounds a little restrained on both of the promo tracks.

[Stefan]

New song 'Cannonball'.

 

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by Stefan

[AlphaMale]

Just like everything else they've done since Tracii and Phil reunited...... A-V-E-R-A-G-E!

[Stefan]

New video for 'Get Along'.

 

 

[AlphaMale]

9 hours ago, Stefan said:

New video for 'Get Along'.

 

 

Not bad I guess.

[lettard]

Hmmm I gave this a listen today,it will need more to fully digest but it sounds to me like the stuff that had people turning away the first time around and not the material that we'd have liked   soundwise very tinny & empty..but I will give it a chance

[AlphaMale]

59 minutes ago, lettard said:

Hmmm I gave this a listen today,it will need more to fully digest but it sounds to me like the stuff that had people turning away the first time around and not the material that we'd have liked   soundwise very tinny & empty..but I will give it a chance

I agree. I think that's been the problem since the reunion. It's can't be Phil's fault really because how good and 100% 80's L.A. Guns was "Tales From The Strip"? Even the guitar playing was very Tracii-like. 

On the other end, Tracii's output while out of L.A. Guns was pretty forgettable. 

[lettard]

1 hour ago, AlphaMale said:

I agree. I think that's been the problem since the reunion. It's can't be Phil's fault really because how good and 100% 80's L.A. Guns was "Tales From The Strip"? Even the guitar playing was very Tracii-like. 

On the other end, Tracii's output while out of L.A. Guns was pretty forgettable. 

Agree on both counts...Tales From The Strip was excellent,I just feel they have just churned out so many new albums so quickly after each other in such a short space of time,The Missing Peace wasn't too bad (although they probably had lots of ideas before they went into the studio for that after so much time away from one another?) but after that...hmmm...everything seems rushed,I know that back in the day they put out the debut & Cocked quickly after each other also...but they were in the groove then(as were most bands of the era)...but atm this release is forgettable

Edited November 4, 2021 by lettard

[nyoilers]

I'll be getting my copy on Friday-Amazon willing

[AlphaMale]

We have a contender for worst album of the year here. 

Cannonball - filler to me        6/10
Bad Luck Charm - garbage         4/10
Living Right Now - average       5/10         
Get Along - Tom Petty?           7/10
If It's Over Now  - nice track   8/10
Better Than You - not bad       7.5/10
Knock Me Down - weak             6/10   
Dog - nope                       5/10
Let You Down - yawn              6/10
That Ain't Why - yuck            4/10
Physical Itch - ewwww            5/10  

 

58%

Edited November 12, 2021 by AlphaMale

[auslander]

7 hours ago, AlphaMale said:

We have a contender for worst album of the year here. 

Cannonball - filler to me        6/10
Bad Luck Charm - garbage         4/10
Living Right Now - average       5/10         
Get Along - Tom Petty?           7/10
If It's Over Now  - nice track   8/10
Better Than You - not bad       7.5/10
Knock Me Down - weak             6/10   
Dog - nope                       5/10
Let You Down - yawn              6/10
That Ain't Why - yuck            4/10
Physical Itch - ewwww            5/10  

 

58%

Thanks for this. Will avoid.

[PeterS]

It's not that bad.

 

It's also not going to knock your socks off.

[Captain Howdy]

Only heard the album once so far and really enjoyed it. Defo more in common with Missing piece than the last one, that was a lot rawer.

 

As for the speed they are releasing these. Some could be due to writing a lot for the first reunion album and then maybe wanting to use some of the unwanted tracks, but age has to come into it now as well. Don't forget Phil has been recording since the 70s so its possibly "make hay while the sun shines" kinda motto. And I think we forget bands like AC/DC & Aerosmith used to release new albums yearly back in the 70s.

[Stefan]

New song 'If It's Over Now'. 

 

 

[nyoilers]

I'm liking this release

[AlphaMale]

On 1/5/2022 at 6:22 PM, nyoilers said:

I'm liking this release