Man In The Moon New Brunswick NJ

Man In The Moon

L.A. Guns

Spitfire Records, 2001

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 05/01/2001

L.A. Guns were an example of how hype could make a band in thelate '80s - and how it could just as easily break a band. Riding onthe ties to Guns 'N Roses (guitarist Tracii Guns was once amember), and the strength of songs like "Never Enough" from Cocked And Loaded, the group earned their place in the mindsof hard rock fans.

Then, almost as suddenly as their rise, the bottom fell out forL.A. Guns. Changes in people's musical tastes and changes withinthe band all helped to push the group to the border of "where arethey now" status, even while they continued to slug it out with newreleases.

I fell away from L.A. Guns quickly, and have never spent a lotof time catching up with their discography. That all might change,though, thanks to their latest release Man In The Moon. Featuring 80 percent of the original lineup(singer Phil Lewis and keyboardist Mick Cripps return for thisalbum) and a new approach to the music that made them famous, thisdisc reflects a band who have lived through some major musicalchanges and have not only survived, but thrived.

If you like your guitar chords crunchy, Guns does not disappointthroughout Man In The Moon - but what is notable is that the groupdoesn't always go for the hard rock/heavy metal jugular. It's notthe riffs that power these songs - it's the songwriting. (Imagine!A metal band that features songs! Who woulda thunk it?) Man In The Moonis a surprisingly mature album from this band- even though there still are occasional flashes to their past.