L.A. Guns - Leopard Skin

by Kevin Wierzbicki

Lineup changes are something to be expected from bands that have been around for a long time. When it comes to L.A. Guns, who've been around in one form or another since 1983, there have been so many lineup changes that you need the proverbial scorecard to keep it all straight. There have been versions without guitarist and namesake Tracii Guns and at one point there were two different iterations of L.A. Guns in operation at the same time. And there was of course the time that Guns folded L.A. Guns into the nascent Guns N' Roses only to shortly depart after a falling out with Axl Rose. All of that is best left to rock historians; suffice it to say that for new album Leopard Skin the band members are Guns on guitar, organ, Theremin and Mellotron, Phil Lewis on vocals, Johnny Martin on bass, Shawn Duncan on live drums (and Adam Hamilton on studio drums) and Ace Von Johnson on guitar. With longtime on again, off again singer Lewis behind the mic and of strong voice here, fans can rest assured that the vocals will be to their liking.

Leopard Skin begins with "Taste It," an homage to the ladies who've dropped their leopard skin and are ready to give it up; Lewis sings with only a bit of hesitancy as he revels in tasting her, well you know. Fans will hear nods to G N'R on the song, as well as on "Lucky Motherf@*ker," quite natural considering the L.A. Guns family tree. With its irresistible hook fans will find themselves joyfully singing along to "Lucky..." without any cares about the (possibly) offensive lyric. "Hit and Run" is a jangly number that listeners could, at least until the vocals begin, confuse for an R.E.M. song; "Don't Gimme Away" on the other hand roars like a Stooges cut. "I'm Your Candy Man" will be another fan favorite and yes it is loaded with innuendo. "Runaway Train" might initially have fans scratching their heads; the cut is a roots rocking hoedown complete with simulated train whistle. The more you listen to the cut though the easier it is to hear how the song fits nicely into the L.A. Guns oeuvre. The guys are quickly back to their Hollywood glam metal style with the potent rocker "Following the Money" and the power ballad "The Masque" which brings to mind the sound of early hit "The Ballad of Jayne." The effort wraps up with "If You Wanna" with Guns reeling off plenty of hot riffs as Lewis sings "Yeah you want it bad/Ah yeah you want it!" That sentiment can be applied to Leopard Skin as a whole; fans will find it far more than just satisfying and many will consider it a throwback to the band's heyday.

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