Love/Hate - Blackout In The Red Room

Next up on the 'journey' a very under-rated classic from 1990 : The Stoopidest Band In The World!

8. Love/Hate - Blackout In The Redroom
One of the ultimate party albums of the glam/sleeze era of the early 90's.... this band should have been huge!
Love/Hate slogged it out on the Sunset Strip in LA for over 5 years trying to find a sound that suited them. They had tried everything from Goth to New Wave, but found their sound whilst playing a cover of Motley Crue's 'Livewire'.
However, they did find it hard getting gigs in the area due to lead singer Jizzy Pearl being banned from most of the clubs because of his drunkness.
Their break came when Columbia Records signed them after a successful show at the Whiskey A Go Go club, and a now sober Jizzy!
Famous producer Tom Werman was given production duties for the debut.
The opening two tracks 'Blackout' and 'Rock Queen' set the stall out for the rest of the disc with stories of booze, drugs and women. A sort of musicial version of Hunter S Thompson and Bukowski - debauched!
The opening riff on 'Tumbleweed' sounds like prime time Aerosmith, the toxic twins at their best.
'Why Do You Think They Call It Dope?' starts all Frankie Goes To Hollywood and dissolves into a funk metal workout. This song wasn't represental of the album and didn't fit in really. However, it was chosen as one of the two singles spawned from the album (The other was the title track).
It really should have been a hit!!
Throughout the disc the musicianship was of high quality especially the bass player of Skid, he particularly added something to the mood on the track 'Fuel To Run'
My favourite track opened the 2nd side (back in the day we turned discs over - remember?!) with 'She's An Angel'. A tasty piece of story telling as opposed to the everyday tales of drunken corruption. After this track normal service is resumed with 'Mary Jane', 'Straightjacket', 'Slutsy Tipsy' and
'Slave Girl' (this one did indeed have some really dodgy lyrics). Don't get me wrong though, these songs still sounded great and were complete singalongs.
The album finished with possibly the sleezy 'Hell Ca Pop 4'. A self depreciation song about the bad.
A great debut that the band struggled to match with their later releases. As Skid has commented in the past, money made them make silly decisions!
However'Blackout' stands head and shoulders above many of their contemporary's releases at the time. A great legacy from a band that didn't take itself too seriously.
They were never going to change the world, but they knew how to PARTY!
Video Of Blackout In The Red Room - You Tube

Why I ♥ This Album

Time New Years Eve 1990
Venue The Marquee Club in Tottenham Court Road and later, Acton West London

The Marquee In Tottenham Court Road

A large group of us were meeting up at the Marquee for NYE to witness the phenomenum that is Love/Hate. However I had to travel seperately from the rest of the group as I had to work that day (it was a tuesday). I'm not sure how I got there before the others,  but I did, and was fortunate to see
Little Big Horn (AC/DC fans will know about them, I'm sure). The rest of the gang began to appear whilst the Red Dogs were on.
Please forgive me if I miss anyone out of the list of people who there (my memory is a little fuzzy) Here goes; Karen Ruse, Nikki B, Chris Holt, Mark Bradley, Smudge, Alan, Lousie M (possibly) Dave Curtis and of course our hero who had managed to move away from our back water of a town to lead a hedonistic rock n roll lifestyle in London, Bob Page Roberts!
The Marquee that night was just full of people just out to listen to great music and to party!!
Atom Seed were awesome but we were waiting for the main show... lights go down and Skid, the bassist, appears with his cross made from budweiser cans and the funs begins.
I don't remember a great deal about the show but I know I had a wonderful time.
The next challenge was to all stay together and negotiate our way to Acton for a party back at Bob's house that he shared with glam god, Simon!!
First surprise for me was that London laid on free transport on New Year, so with everyone rounded up we caught the night bus from Oxford Street towards Acton.
Memory is a little hazy but I certainly recall the next part. we were all crossing a green near a tower block and the area was a bit of a building site. With me being me I wasn't looking where I was going and didn't notice the big hole in the ground and of course -  I fell in...ouch!
I remember peering up and just seeing a load of heads above laughing soo hard at me. It was lucky I had a bit to drink that night so I hadn't hurt myself - too much.
We finally got to Bob's and the party began. I remember rocking until about 6am and then passing out in the hallway. I awoke a few hours later, and as I opened my eyes I swore I could make out a shape of a plant pot next to me. Indeed it was a smashed plant pot. Apparently I had slept through an argument that had broken out between Bob and Simon not far from above my head. During the course of their fight they had began to throw things at each other including (yep you guessed) a pot.
Another lesson learned from that party was never use menthol cigarettes with mary - it's sick but not in a good way!

Love/Hate