REVIEW: Faster Pussycat – Faster Pussycat (1987)

FASTER PUSSYCAT – Faster Pussycat (1987 Warner)

Here is a band that I ignored for decades.  When the music video for “Don’t Change That Song” came on ye olde Pepsi Power Hour on MuchMusic, it was just a step beyond how far I wanted to go.  I had made allowances and let Poison into my life, but Faster Pussycat seemed less goofy and more sleazy.  The gender-bending was there with Taime Downe’s makeup and nail polish, and the truth is I could not tell if Brent Muscat was a man or a woman.  I figured if the Bangles had a member named Michael that was a girl, then who’s to say this Brent person couldn’t also be a girl?  Greg Steele looked cool with the 5 o’clock shadow and headband wrapped with care, but very early on, I decided that Faster Pussycat were not for me.  It was a confusing time to be a young teenager discovering rock music.

Produced by Ric Browde, who also recorded Poison’s debut, Faster Pussycat’s debut is a rock-em sock-em ride through the gutters of California, with smiles all around.  It’s as if Aerosmith got a one-way ticket to Hollywood, bought some punk records, and went all-in on the debauchery.

Indeed, Aerosmith are the easiest comparison, especially vocally.  Taime Downe sounds like he’s fronting an outtake from Done With Mirrors on “Don’t Change That Song”, nailing every squeal and shriek just as Steven Tyler might.  Second track “Bathroom Wall” takes this further.  Faster Pussycat lack the manual dexterity of Perry and Whitford, and so we get a punked up version of the ‘Smith without the schooled knowledge of boogie and blues or clever wordplay.  This is Aerosmith: The Next Generation, after the punk wave had its impact and imparted a sense of who-gives-a-fuck.  And every note is tastier for it, like hard rock candy sharp enough to cut your teeth.

Third track in, and we hit our first serious deep cut:  “No Room For Emotion”.   It’s a slower groove that drawls seductively across the chords of classic rock and roll.  The Stones are the prime influence here, with just a hint of early Bon Scott-era AC/DC.

We all know Taime Downe ran the Cathouse club with Riki Rachtman, and so it seems natural that “Cathouse” is one of the better tracks.  High speed piano hammers away behind a breakneck rock and roll riff.  Taime takes the Tyler-esque screaming to its natural extremes on this track, which reads like an advertisement for the club.

Perhaps the first misstep is “Babylon”, seemingly a re-write of “You Gotta Fight For Your Right to Party” by the Beastie Boys.  It’s definitely in the same pocket.  There’s an annoying “pussy-pussycat” sample and an undeniably similarity of vibe.  Though it’s a bit of a classic for the band, it sounds a bit like they’re trying too hard.

In a classic case of packing all the hits on side one, side two must stand on the strength of deeper cuts.  “Smash Alley” is a tough little number, with cliche lyrics about gutters and back streets.  As for deep cuts, “Shooting You Down” might be the biggest one to be found.  An indelible chorus is matched with a simple riff and plenty of sneer from Taime Down.  It’s a brilliantly catchy deep cut and probably should have been considered for a single.

“City Has No Heart” continues with a series of somewhat soundalike music, though this one has soulful backing vocals atop a punky tune.  A good tune with a solid chorus, though at this point the Faster Pussycat sound starts to wear on the ears a bit.  You start to crave something a little different on side two, just as side one had “No Room For Emotion”.  There is no such change of pace on side two, and so we close out with “Ship Rolls In” and “Bottle In Front of Me” which rock us to the end.  “Ship Rolls In” has a Sex Pistols vibe on the chorus.  Then they go back to the Aero-vibe on closer “Bottle In Front Of Me”.  It leans into the funky sound of Aerosmith, circa Rock In A Hard Place, quite successfully.  It’s definitely a memorable closer, going full-on by the guitar solo.  Taime Downe shreds every last vocal chord, pushing it to the limit.  You’ll either love it or hate it, but if you love that screamin’ Steven Tyler on songs such as “Draw the Line”, then you’ll appreciate the lengths to which Downe pushes it.

The production of the album is of its time.  The snare drum sounds plastic and there’s a flat, two-dimensional vibe.  You can’t expect too much from an album released in 1987, folks.  People were listening to music on different devices and had different preferences back then.  Still, there are worse sounding records from this era and Faster Pussycat is worth of repeat listens.  Just take an Advil if a headache sets in by the end of side two.

3.75/5 stars


26 comments

  1. I give these guys all the credit in the world for being the only big hair band to have the word “pussy” in their band name. Are you gonna do Wake Me When It’s Over and Whipped! next?

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  2. That’s a pretty fair score. I have the 2nd album on vinyl and want to get this one some day. It is a good album. I just picked up CDs for Babylon AD and Heaven’s Edge from that era of music. Can’t wait to check them out.

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    1. I ignored both of those bands all these years. You’ll have to let me know if they are worth catching up with.

      I am finding that many of the records I skipped back then, were very skippable.

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      1. Me too! The Heaven’s Edge was way better than i expected but need to listen to it more before a final verdict can be delivered. Haven’t heard the Babylon AD one yet. I figured for $2.50 a piece, worth a try. I picked up 18 CDs from these guys to Eminem to Rob Zombie and everything in between.

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        1. I don’t do that because then I need to find people to donate the Eminem and Zombie to. I get the benefit of buying in bulk but it’s not for me. I’m still looking for someone to take my Lenny Kravitz extras that nobody wanted 10 years ago.

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        5. NOT IT! LOL!
          But in all seriousness, great score on the Heavens Edge, John! I don’t have a physical copy, but discovered it at the radio station I used to volunteer at. Brought the CD home to give it a listen (preparation for the show), and was pleasantly surprised. “Can’t Catch Me” is still a favorite of mine from that album.

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  4. Classic 80s album on in the top 5 of it’s genre. Still gets played today as it has aged lot better than many of the other big albums from that era, sounds like it could just as easily have been recorded in the 70’s. I bought it the same day at Appetite and was convinced this would be the bigger seller, which shows just how much I know lol.

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    1. Thanks for the insight Mark! I think if I heard both this and Appetite on the same day, I too would have put my money on Faster Pussycat.

      This has aged better than the Poison album that is for sure.

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  5. We differ on this one Mike – I loved this LP, every second of it. A real top 5 glam rock album for me and yeah, it tails off a bit but Babylon is one of my fave rock tracks ever ever ever. I lived for Pussycat for years, tees, badges, jacket patches … seeing them on the Wake Me When Its Over tour was one of my fave gigs ever too.

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        5. It’s why I rarely buy vinyl. There was a time when vinyl was the cheaper alternative to CD. Now it’s more expensive as is the shipping. They got you going in, they got you going out. (Sammy Hagar said that.)

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