REVIEW: Skid Row – B-Sides Ourselves (1992)

SKID ROW – B-Sides Ourselves (1992 Atlantic EP)

This was a great EP, ranking among some of the better examples of such a format in metal.  I love the MAD-Magazine-esque cover artwork.  I also loved the concept of this EP as a bit of a treat to tide the fans over during the excruciatingly long four year wait between albums. The five selections are all fun, performed competently, and sound like Skid Row. They also sound like a band who truly loves these songs and knows them backwards and forwards.  It’s not quite as satisfying as you want it to be, as it’s only about 18 1/2 minutes long.   (I mean hey, there’s a Ramones cover on here so there you go.)  This is meant to be nothing more than a fun snack, and as such pay no more for this than you’d be willing to pay for any 18 minute CD.

Tracklist time!

1. “Psycho Therapy”

Bassist Rachel Bolan sings this Ramones-approved cover (backed by Faster Pussycat’s Taime Downe).  It was chosen as the first single/video. Excellent cover, very authentic. So well received, it was even included on their Forty Seasons: The Best Of CD.

2. “C’Mon And Love Me”

Classic Kiss cover from Dressed To Kill! A great riffy Kiss song. Skid Row do it justice.  It’s one of those solid, meat & potatoes rock songs that requires no frills, just some solid guitars.  I think this is definitely one of my favourite Kiss covers ever.

3. “Delivering the Goods” (Live)

Featuring the Metal God himself, Rob Halford, in a duet with his buddy Baz! One thing that is immediately obvious is that Baz is absolutely pumped. But then again, he does state that he’s been waiting his whole life to share a stage with Halford.  Great cover, very live sounding, mistakes and all.  Still, “Delivering the Goods” is the weakest of these covers…yet it still blows away most bands.

4. “What You’re Doing”

Perhaps the best cover on the album. This is a first-album Rush cover. Back when Geddy was writing the lyrics, and before Rush were singing about how trees are talking to each other and how different sides of your brain works, or outerspace bullshit. It’s an absolutely ferocious, angry Skid Row cover with Baz paying tribute to his countrymen. Excellent, obscure choice and the only cover on the album that I hadn’t heard somebody else do before (or since).

5. “Little Wing”

A surprisingly great turn on the Hendrix classic. Very different from Jimi’s version (obviously), this sounds nonetheless authentic and classy. Of note, the Skids also did a live-in-the-studio version for the music video.  I wish that version was released on a CD as well.  Unlikely we’ll see that happen.

Covers records can be so very hit-or-miss, but this one is five hits.  Battleship sunk.  Just wish it wasn’t all over in 18 minutes.

5/5 stars

SKID ROW B-SIDES_0003

40 comments

  1. Yep this was a little firecracker of a Ep!
    Thanks for posting the Psycho Therapy video. Have not seen it in yrs.
    Laughed at Bachs comments earlier this week when he said the Skid Row guys are allergic to cash and would rather play bowling alleys than do a reunion!
    Hahaha…

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    1. As far as I’m concerned Bach’s right! Any other band would have loved to get back with a guy like Bach as their frontman. Look how many albums he’s done vs. Skid Row in the same time, look who is still loved by his fans, and has exposure to many more via TV shows like Trailer Park Boys and Gilmore Girls.

      Bolan’s gotta pick up his phone and do what the fans want him to do.

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  2. Bolans a prick plain and simple albeit on a smaller scale they could make this work I mean look at Roth/VH.
    I gotta give Skid Row credit they showed up here in Tbay back in June of 92 with the Killer Dwarfs and played and they even had to reschedule for a week due to Bachs voice they could have totally skipped the city but they played…..
    But as of right now I have no interest in Skid Row 2014 with Solinger singing,just ain’t my thing….
    I did buy the bach live disc from last yr (Abacholypse) and while,the songs are good the live mix or is live? Is just brutal……..
    Too bad he could have knocked it out of the park instead he fouled tipped out!
    How’s that for baseball lingo?!

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    1. Sebastian admitted that the Abachalypse thing is heavily overdubbed. I have heard enough of it to know that I don’t really want to buy it.

      A lot of you guys know I’m well on record over dozens of live album reviews, I like my live albums to sound live. I don’t like when I can detect fixes. If I can’t detect them myself like on Kiss Alive, it doesn’t bother me.

      Good baseball lingo dude, are you geared up for the season? As our Leafs screw it all up again?

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      1. Baseball I love I’m in 2 fantasy leagues,with one draft down and one tomorrow night.
        Love the Tampa Bay Rays …..plus it was cool to watch the Jays/Mets last night first time I ever watched a preseason game in its entirety !
        Cool that 45,000 went and they expect 50,000 today……

        As far as live albums I totally agree with ya…..Kiss Alive although famously overdubbed doesn’t sound overdubbed!

        Aeros Live Bootleg is my all time fav……just good ol live slop on those grooves…….that one can’t be beat…….

        Iron Maiden Live After Death..we have discussed many a time number 2 all time …..

        Got give Cheap Trick Live at the Budokan props as well but I read in there 30th Anniversary box set that they had to re record the bass as it did not record properly…but there are two live CDs included that are a lot better than the actual domesticated release of Budokan in the box set….

        Man I could keep going…hahahah

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        4. No argument there. The first live Queen that I heard was the Live Magic one…but I don’t have that on CD either. I recorded the concert from TV. It was great.

          My favourite part: Freddie — “There’s a lot of rumours going around, about a certain band called Queen. And they say we’re gonna split up, what do you think?” (Crowd boos) “They’re talking from HERE!” (Freddie points to his ass.

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        5. Oh yeah 1537 there are so many to mention I mean I forgot UFOs Strangers In The Night….Exit Stage Left……it goes maybe Mike will throw up a live album feature…
          Hint hint!!

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        6. Well looks like I have two votes for a live album week eh? Not a bad idea at all. Wish I thought of it myself!

          Just finished listening to Metal On Ice, nice shout-out to T-Bay in there!

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        8. Sky’s the limit man! I’m actually spending today finishing up another series, but I also have a pile of singles sitting here that might make a fantastic Week of Singles 3!

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        9. I don’t have a problem with re-recording the bass. That’s the kind of fix that I probably would never ever notice. It’s mostly vocal fixes that are the most noticeable.

          Thin Lizzy’s Live and Dangerous is another one they say was heavily fixed in the studio. Sammy says most of Van Halen’s live album was fixed too.

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  3. I don’t have this but I’ve heard it a few times. They were a pretty covers band. I liked the KISS and Priest ones especially. I think their enthusiasm for the tunes definitely comes across and is pretty infectious!

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        1. Was that around the time of Fight? When Boaby was wearing the cut-off shorts and boots?

          I much prefer the “metal god” version of Boaby, covered in an 85 pound coat of metal, leather and studs.

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      1. I like cartoons, but I hate caricatures. I hate the Motely Crue greatest hits covers for the same reason. Just one of those odd preferences you develop and can’t ever explain or justify… but boy, I really dislike caricatures.

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  6. You excellent write-up reminds me: I still need to buy this. You told me to buy it, long ago. I bought the three albums, and you said ‘Dude, you need the EP too.” I remember it clearly. Have I done it yet? Of course not. But it’s on the list for Taranna (if I don’t find a cheap copy before then)…

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    1. You do need to buy this. But hopefully we’ll take care of it.

      FACT: People in used CD stores like my own often input this album as Skid Row – Self Titled. The actual title is so faint that it’s hard to read.

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  7. I think this album is kinda cool. This was way before everybody and their mother ran out of ideas and decided to do a cover album “to show the fans where we’re coming from…”. Like all of them hasn’t already mentioned their influences a million times in interviews before.
    Skid Row does a really good job here and I believe it’s because they WANTED to do this, not because they had to or had ran out of ideas / inspiaration.
    Oh, and the cover was drawn by a Swedish guy. Can’t remember his name but he used draw band pics like that for our only music magazine OKEJ back in the day. That’s how Skid Row hired hiom for this job.

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    1. Very cool man! As stated I love the cover. It’s a bit jokey for Skid Row, but this EP was meant to be fun. I think Sebastian had a lot of that fun in him, and I don’t know that the band has it anymore.

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