Last night I was up to London dressed in my finest black for Faster Pussycat. Nights out are rare in my calander, but I've got three dates in September to try and not get too fucked up at. T'Pussycats have always been one of my favourite late 80's LA rock scene bands, just something cool and laid back about their style. Today, in a dumb but slick move, you've got a few of the many Faster Pussycat releases to enjoy with me.
Released on 7 July 1987 by Elektra Records, the self-titled debut album Faster Pussycat established the band as essential figures of the late-1980s Los Angeles glam metal scene. Peaking at number 97 on the Billboard 200 chart, the 10-track record captures a raw, high-energy fusion of Aerosmith-style boogie rock, punk attitude, and Sunset Strip sleaze. Produced by Ric Browde, the music favored a grittier, street-level swagger over the polished pop-metal production common among their contemporaries.
The album is driven by signature tracks like "Bathroom Wall" and "Don't Change That Song," both of which became staples on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. It also contains "Cathouse," a tribute to the legendary L.A. rock club co-founded by vocalist Taime Downe. The band's placement in Penelope Spheeris' famous 1988 documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years—where they performed tracks from this debut—further cemented its legacy. Unlike their subsequent albums, which incorporated deeper blues and industrial elements, this self-titled release remains celebrated as a pure, definitive snapshot of classic hair metal history.
Faster Pussycat was one of those 2nd string bands that seemed to embody both the positive and negative aspects of the the hair metal scene that emerged during the late 80s. Their ragged, groove oriented swagger owes a huge debt to Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones (to a lesser degree), but were also a product of the Hollywood scene that also spawned Guns 'N Roses and L. A. Guns. The promo shots of the band members presented them as sleazy, strung out, effeminate and street hardened Hollywood posers, but also not an unpopular look for that time and place.
Their debut album is a notable, but uneven slice of hair metal glory circa 1987. It's vocalist Taime Downe who seems to stand out most here. Taime spouts out his observations on the seedier aspects of the Hollywood club scene. Mind you, he's not the best singer by any measure, but he's full of the cocky attitude required to front a band of gypsies like these. But he almost seems to be channelling Stephen Tyler as he had sounded live during the late 70's while wacked out on downers.
The first half of the record is pretty good for what it is. The first two tracks - "Don't Change That Song" and "Bathroom Wall" - are probably the best examples of what the band is all about, although my favourite tracks are actually "Cathouse" and "Babylon". It's hard not to remember those days when hearing any of these songs now. The wobbly ballad "No Room For Emotion" seems a bit less steady in its execution though and does cause them to momentarily lose momentum. The second half of the record definitely doesn't measure up to side A, but isn't bad.
Aside from their style over substance approach to hard rock, I was always rather unimpressed with the musicianship of this band. The performances always seemed a bit underwhelming and just barely competent enough to make this record. The guys seemed pale in comparison to their contemporaries (namely Guns 'N Roses and Motley Crue) and just didn't offer up all that inspiring in terms of guitar solos or even commitment to these songs. But for me, it's this punky indifference that's part of the appeal. It's all about looking cool, playing your Les Paul down at knee level, dangling that cigarette carelessly from your lips and chugging a beer at every opportune moment.
I won't begrudge this record at least some praise. It hasn't aged particularly well and seems to have become more of a guilty pleasure. The production is somewhat raw in contrast to their slicker, more improved sound for the following records. Still, I tend to prefer these songs to the minor hits they had later. It's just hard rockin' sleazy fun that was never meant to be taken too seriously.
Ripped to MP3
1. Don't Change That Song 3:40
2. Bathroom Wall 3:40
3. No Room For Emotion 3:56
4. Cathouse 3:42
5. Babylon 3:14
6. Smash Alley 3:28
7. Shooting You Down 3:46
8. City Has No Heart 4:19
9. Ship Rolls In 3:26
10. Bottle In Front Of Me 3:02
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