From Hollywood, California – the stooopidest band in the world … Love/Hate!
Ah well since I was looking at old stuff I got free with Kerrang! in ’89/90 I thought I’d look at this one too and make Mike even more jealous. Around Christmas 1990 Kerrang! gave away a live 7″ single (a proper one, not a flexi disc) from my fave new sleazy hard rockers Love/Hate. The Live E.P is a good object and had its own artwork devised by Skid and came with details of the UK tour* and a hyperbolic write-up by Neil Jeffries,
Outta Hell, California – somewhere not a million miles from Hollywood – came the venomous eight-legged scuttling beastie known as Love/Hate.
Recorded in The Empire Club, Cleveland, Ohio about a month before it was released Live E.P catches the band in all their ragged glory as the band belt through four tracks from Black Out In The Red Room, the title track, ‘Mary Jane’, ‘Fuel To Run’ and ‘She’s An Angel’.
Opener ‘Black Out In The Red Room’ is the most different from the studio version as it includes all the bits live recordings usually miss out, the Hendrix intro tape (‘Are You Experienced’), a bit of a false start, the intro that began this post and three of minutes of ferocious jamming from the whole band before the track starts – whammo!!
The other three tracks are far more like their studio counterparts, okay so a bit faster and more out-of-tune but structurally similar; I’m not a massive one for live EPs, LPs or CDs**. However, when the material is of this quality it’s still well worth hearing. I know I’ve said it before, being the tedious old bastard I am, but Love/Hate were a real quality rock band, much darker, sleazier and harder than most of their contemporaries, except maybe Sea Hags. They wrote deceptively simple sounding rockers, that when you listened to them carefully were a lot more complex and arty than they’d have liked you to have noticed. I think they were a great band who never got their just desserts, mind you their, umm, partying caught up with them good style in the recording of their second LP, the very honestly titled, Wasted In America.
So this little single is a good little time capsule, a souvenir of one sweaty, steamy night of rock from a band that really should have scored higher than they did, if you’re the sort of lame-o oddball anti-social dumbass misfit who doesn’t own a copy of Black Out In the Red Room, then please put that right immediately and you can be my friend again. Easy.
590 Down (in the gutter).
*Nowhere anywhere near 17 year-old me, sadly.
**Sorry Bruce.
One of best albums ever. And I’ve got these live tracks on a CD reissue too. I’d listen to this over Appetite… anyday!
Ooh, get you Mr Controversial Pants! I think it’s a better LP too, doesn’t sound remotely dated at all. Did you bother with anything else by them?
No. Would like to try out Wasted in America though.
I used to own Black Out In The Red Room, back in 1990 but no longer do. Am I still a anti-social dumbass misfit? If so, well I’m okay with that. If I ever see an old LP copy of it I will certainly pick it up.
Well, well, well … would it surprise you if I said I’m not familiar with these dudes at all? Sound like a right mean bunch, too …
Don’t worry, I appreciate that you’re still in your metal apprenticeship at the moment.
Bloody hell, that live track is fantastic… Kind of like a much more deranged version of Mr Big.
Yup. Maybe Mr Big after 3 years of sleeping rough and getting their kicks on cough medicine and asthma inhalers.
For sure, much higher on the sleazometer, and no bad thing either.
Yes, I AM even more jealous. I can’t believe the stuff you have.
How the hell did they package this with a magazine???
From memory, in a bag. Those were the days!
DANG. They just don’t do that anymore.
So I’m coming over and recording this.
I’ll make the bed up in the spare room
I’d like a nightlight.
I hope the room is sound-proofed, 1537! REMEMBER THE SNORING VIDEO!!
Shit, I forgot.
Okay, so I’m a LOASDM. *But* I did find a live performance of Blackout in the Red Room. It looks like their shows were memorable experiences. The audience seems very committed. Did you manage to see them live?
You’re only currently a LOASDM, there’s always hope!
No I never managed it, they imploded not too long after this too.
I shall light a candle.
Are they pursuing other musical projects now?
I think various members have turned up in other 80s/90s bands; nothing substantial to my knowledge.
** And when I retire, I’ll go through the entire 1537 blog and list the live albums you’ve hosanna-ed. That’ll show you!
In the meantime, not owning the featured disc-let, I’ll have to resign myself to not being your friend. At least until Australia beat Wales.
I currently love Australians, a lot. My all-time second favourite race ever, until Saturday.
Wanna watch round at my place?
No, I get a bit too animated and sweary. We have to put the dog outside if Wales are on, I’m too prone to leaping up and roaring in pain/ecstasy/bewilderment/anger without any warnings at all.
I quite understand. Sometimes a chap has to be entirely in the moment. Hope it’s a good game.
Thank you and thank you for the invite. I just hope we don’t lose by too many, in all honesty.
Sounds like us Canucks watchin’ the hockey!
** No apology required. I simply don’t believe you.
Also: I am one of these: “…the sort of lame-o oddball anti-social dumbass misfit who doesn’t own a copy of Black Out In the Red Room…”
I’ll see if I can find one. Don’t hate me til then! 🙂
No problem, I’ll extend you a one month amnesty.
Thanks, I may push that deadline. A used copy is new priced online. We may go to Taranna but maybe not til end of October/early November, so I’ll do my best! 🙂
Okay, extension duly granted. Clock’s ticking, man.
I’m on it. But… but… what if I can’t find it in Taranna? PANIC!
Mmmmm this beastie sounds right tasty. NICE ONE!