(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. 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. 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. Heavy Harmonies Discography Search ALL of Heavy Harmonies: Search specific categories: THE Hard Rock and AOR Reference on the Internet Bands: 9789 CDS: 23299 Songs: 276335 January 30, 2023: Best of 2022 lists posted Come see which CDs of 2022 made the top 5 for Mike, Jez, Terry, and myself. 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. Guns unleashed Cocked And Loaded upon the world. Not recommended for Southern Baptists or Korn fans.On August 22, 1989, L.A. Like a midnight walk down the Sunset Strip, Cocked & Re-Loaded is a gritty good time in the old-style rock & roll tradition. Everybody's in fine form and clearly don't give a flying Ferrari that they're putting out a hair metal album more than a decade after the wave broke. Highlights include the alley-cat sass of "Sleazy Come Easy Go" - the kind of music strippers play when they're getting ready for work the hooky rocker "Wheels of Fire" and the 1990 hit "The Ballad of Jayne" - a moving torch song for the late actress Jayne Mansfield. The material is tried and trusted, and the re-formed lineup from the original album brings plenty of exuberance to these new renditions. Maybe you could accuse them of flogging a horse at death's door, but on its own merits, this is a good disc. 1 Letting Go 1:03 2 Slap in the Face 3:49 3 Rip and Tear 4:13 4 Sleazy Come Easy Go 4:05 5 Never Enough 4:15 6 Malaria 5:26 7 The Ballad of Jayne 4:34 8. Guns' finest album, their 1989 sophomore effort, Cocked & Loaded (natch), with an extra track thrown in (a completely disposable dance mix of the rocker "Rip and Tear"). Cocked & Re-Loaded is a re-recording of what was arguably L.A.
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