More from the wayback machine
There’s a great moment in VH1’s History of Heavy Metal series where Dave Mustaine quips, “I always thought glam stood for ‘Gay L.A. Metal.’” If that’s true, Sleeze Beez never really got the message, but maybe the worst aspects of the genre never crossed the Atlantic — what you’ve got with the Dutch quintet is sort of a lost-in-translation approximation of hair metal’s pomp and bombast. None of the group’s records has had the sort of lasting impact of, say, Skid Row, but I’m still surprised they haven’t received an invite to reform for Rocklahoma or at least a little lip service from Andrew Aversion or Bring Black Glam. I get the sense that these guys actually had really good taste – former vocalist Andrew Elt now plays in an AC/DC tribute band and the group’s early 90s output hewed a little closer to the Def Leppard/ Mötley Crüe side of things. Check out “Heroes Die Young” below; sure, it’s as dumb as the band’s name, but it’s suitably big and anthemic and — if you don’t already have a foul taste in your mouth — you can go buy the group’s 1990 record Screwed Blued & Tattooed, one of the lost second-tier classics of hair metal.
December 5th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Ha, ha, not bad, not bad, but if it were a little faster or something… I dunno. A couple of the riffs start getting there, but then the song never blows up or anything.
If you want to explore another true “second-tier classic” of this realm, check this shit out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKrx4SPYsvE
I remember many years ago a couple of friends of mine BLASTING the fuck out of this CD in the car, singing along full volume, windows down, and I just DID NOT get it. But then I heard this particular song and I was like, “Ahhh, yes, I see…” So now I, too, am I believer in the mighty Vain. Ha…
December 5th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
The Sleeze Beez song “Stranger Than Paradise” is so fucking great! Look for it…
December 6th, 2007 at 2:29 am
I’m gonna side with Andrew here… I’m not sure I see the magic here. It ain’t bad, but I understand why this remained below the radar. Now if you want some real second-tier classics check out Saigon Kick who came out around the same time and were also swallowed up by grunge (they hit one hit, which was a ballad, of course not at all representative of their overall sound). The Lizard is a fine album.
See also: Kix, another band of fine musicians who never got their due.
December 6th, 2007 at 7:28 am
Love Saigon Kick. But since my name is not Chuck Eddy, I will not try to put together a reasonable defense for Kix. Kid tested, but I do not approve.