Park Avenue leads to…SKID ROW! But Skid Row leads to Grant’s Rock Warehaus!
This week on Grant’s Rock Warehaus, we talk about a band that Grant has been digging seriously for the last several weeks, ever since seeing former singer Sebastian Bach on an 80’s cruise. We don’t talk just Bach. We tackle the Johnny Solinger years, the unfortunate tale of Erik Grönwall’s short stint, and of course, current lead singer Lzzy Hale. Take a look at my Skid Row collection, including The Atlantic Years box set (unboxing!), my original 1991 vinyl of Slave to the Grind, my Japanese Best of Skid Row, and a rare promo single from 1995.
Grant and I tried to cover as much ground as possible. Album artwork is discussed, and a few underdog records are praised. I tried to highlight what I think are some incredible and underrated ballads that might be forgotten in the shadow of “I Remember You”. We shone a light on the talent of all the members, and questioned what they could have done differently through their career. Leading to the present day, we have some suggestions for Skid Row about their future and reissues we want to see happen.
It’s all here, on Grant’s Rock Warehaus with your host, Grant Arthur!
The reviewer formerly known as LeBrain comes out of retirement for this one-time-only event in collaboration with2loud2oldmusic.com. For John’s excellent review,click here.
SAIGON KICK – The Lizard (1992, Rock Candy Remaster)
Saigon Kick was ahead of the curve compared to most of the spread of 1992 competition. They were heavy, diverse, unafraid, daring, and extremely skilled. Boston’s Extreme had similar talents but were treading different waters to Miama’s Saigon Kick. Going for broke on their second album The Lizard, produced by guitarist Jason Bieler, Saigon Kick really demonstrated they were not messing around.
An opening anthemic bit called “Cruelty” cannot be called an instrumental due to the psychedelic, otherworldly shouts and yelps by singer Matt Kramer. (Similar to the later work of Canada’s Paul Jago from the Ganharvas.) This leads into a pounder: “Hostile Youth”. Skid Row may have been about the youth who were going wild in 1989, but in 1992, Bieler and Kramer were appealing to the anger of the next generation, complete with lethal, deliberate groove topped by silky smooth Beatles-esque “ooh-oohs” and a buttery guitar solo. “We don’t like our homes! It’s nothing but a joke!”
From there into a bass groove. “Feel the Same Way” mixes singalong hard rock with a slightly psychedelic edge. Sing along, you might like it. Upbeat and different from the mainstream. The aforementioned Extreme do come to mind on “Freedom”, with its funky bass backing and groovy tempo. The trademark Kramer/Bieler vocal mix sets it apart. A semi-acoustic number “God of 42nd Street” recalls the Beatles plain and simple, but it also captures them in a way that most bands fail.
A bonkers bit called “My Dog” verges on Faith No More territory, which is not a bad thing, it just proves something about diversity. It’s over quickly though and supplanted quickly by a stompingly heavy groove called “Peppermint Tribe”. The lyrics and vocals seem right out of the Dee Snider playbook, but Dee never grooved like this. There’s even a bit of Smashing Pumpkins in some of the guitars.
At this point, the world stops spinning, for it is the stunning ballad “Love Is On the Way”, and it just feels like 1992 all over in some inexplicable way. Hard to explain, hard to pinpoint, but the heart knows. It’s lonely yet triumphant. Its power is in its restraint. Where it could wail away like the Scorpions on maximum hairspray, it sticks to an acoustic bass. The vocals are the power. Bieler’s solo has a rare touch that only certain guitar players can claim to have mastered.
From there, to one of the heaviest grooves: “The Lizard”! Drummer Phil Varone goes for something more tribal while Bieler and Kramer harmonize over the grinding riff. This is truly Saigon Kick doing their own thing. This band defies expectation, especially when “The Lizard” goes into Neal Schon territory on the guitar solo. Things get grimier on “All Alright” which has a biting menace of its own. Lethal as it may sound, the chorus harmonies really defy it. Speaking of lethal, the guitar solo might be one of Bieler’s best.
A beautiful guitar instrumental called “Sleep” recalls Joe Satriani’s tender moments. This serves as an introduction to the fine “All I Want”, which burns bright with an acoustic guitar and loads of cloudy, floaty music. Naturally this must be followed by something heavy, so it is the choppy blast “Body Bags”. This one was co-written by Varone, which might explain the tempo. It cools off a little bit on “Miss Jones”, an excellent deeper cut.
Track 15, second to last on the original running order, is a co-write by bassist Tom DeFile and has an exotic, Eastern flavour. Plenty of stringed instruments layered differently on “World Goes Around”, a late album highlight. It has the feeling of a perfect penultimate track. It takes things down to a simmer. The surprise is the closer “Chanel”, like something from a barbershop band in the 1930s! Unexpected yet delightful. What a strange twist. Check out the jazzy guitar solo!
Rock Candy CD buyers get the Beatles cover “Dear Prudence” as the final closer. Very few bands get away with covered the Beatles, but it’s little surprise that Saigon Kick do it so well. It’s actually a perfect song for them to cover. I have a feeling they all owned the White Album.
Of course, Rock Candy aficionados know to expect excellent packaging, sound, and liner notes besides the bonus track. It’s all there for you to dig in.
5/5 stars
You can also dig in to the interview that John T. Snow and I did with Jason Bieler in the summer of 2022! We discuss The Lizard and much more.
Thickskin came out in 2003, a full 8 years since their last record. They’d been through a lot, including firing their charismatic lead singer. Sebastian Bach was one hell of a frontman with a voice to be envied. In was Johnny Solinger, the little-known frontman of Texas band Solinger. Could they gel as a band, and put out a decent record?
Yes, they could and did.
Solinger only has one writing credit on Thickskin, leaving the majority of the writing to Rachel Bolan and Snake Sabo That pair wrote much of Skid Row’s older material anyway, and the sound does not stray far from classic Skid Row. Thickskin sounds like a natural followup to the excellent Subhuman Race, though less twisted and exploratory. Where Solinger succeeds is in continuing to sing in the Skid Row style. He doesn’t stray too far from the blueprint, although his voice does not have the power of Bach’s. He still throws in the shrieks in the right places, the roughness, the toughness, and the expressiveness. If only he’d avoided those Nickelcrap-sounding moments on “Swallow Me”, but hey, he didn’t write the song.
Song-wise, we have an album here that comes pretty close to Subhuman Race in quality. There are those who prefer early Skid Row, when they were more hard rock and less dark heavy alterna-rock. That’s fair — but be forewarned, this album won’t turn you around. I find that very few weak songs blemish the album, and even the weak songs have pretty strong choruses.
My favourites include “Ghost” (killer chorus!), “Born A Beggar” (even better chrorus!), “Thick Is The Skin” (the sort of speedy metal that Skid Row did on Slave to the Grind), and “See You Around” (a sort-of ballad that reminds me of “I Remember You”). Most controversial of all was “I Remember You Two”. This remake is more a re-imagining of the hit ballad as a fast punk rocker. And it works! Try to listen to it as if you don’t even know the original song exists. It’s fun if you can accept it.
Impressive also-rans include “One Light” (another ballad) and “Hittin’ A Wall” which is pure speed and aggression. Solinger succeeds at pulling off both extremes. He also pulls of the more grungy styled lead vocal on the opening verse of the title track, a Weiland-esque moment. He’s versatile enough to do the job.
One complaint: the lame-o cover art. When Baz was in the band, his father David Bierk provided some pretty wild paintings. This cover is lifeless, not even barely hinting at the rock and roll thunder within.
I have to give this album a solid:
4.25/5 stars
It’s the best of the Solinger era, and the song “Born A Beggar” still makes my road tapes 10 years later.
mikeladano.com 