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THE REVIEW
The early nineties were dark and transformative years for American street glam bands. They had to come up with something to stay afloat; parties and, in general, the "good" life of the Los Angeles boulevards seemed to interest no one anymore. The leading figures of the movement were all or nearly all in crisis... while Guns'n'Roses were overreaching with the gigantic "Use Your Illusion" (1991), Motley Crue were about to kick Neil out to also pivot their sound, and Skid Row released that heavy monument "Slave to the Grind," abandoning the street metal of their debut. There is a band in Los Angeles that stands out for the uncompromising nature of their shows and the rawness of their sounds, which hardly catered to the catchy choruses fashion in the eighties.
Love/Hate made their debut with a small street masterpiece, "Blackout in the Red Room," back in 1989. They were bolstered by at least two prominent personalities, such as bassist Skid, the true leader of the band, author of all the lyrics and music, cover art designer, and a genuine madman when it came to jumping on stage, and singer Jizzy Pearl, charismatic and provocative, with a vitriolic voice that in this second work tones down the shouting to focus more on the voice. The band is completed by talented guitarist Jon E. Love and drummer Joey Gold.
"Wasted In America" saw the light after complicated disputes with the record label Columbia in 1992 and immediately stood out for not a radical but significant change. The hard and sleazy sounds of the debut were made modern and heavier. In short, when it's time to get heavy, Love/Hate fears no one. Thus, real salvos that border on metal and nearly punk in nihilism such as Spit, Happy Hour (with vocals reminiscent of Axl Rose), and Tranquilizer are paired with more cunning and commercially appealing songs like the title track, Miss America (with a vaguely oriental riff), Time's Up, and Evil Twin. The more streetwise and rocking Love/Hate can be found on tracks like Yucca Man, Cream, the semi-ballad Social Sidewinder, and the ironic anti-racist ballad Don't Fuck with Me.
The album, buoyed by good sales, led the band to open for Ozzy Osbourne's "No More Tears" tour, of which I recall a stop in Milan. Subsequent works never saw Love/Hate reach the heights of their debut and this second album, which, though of lesser quality, showcased a band with good individuality, capable of continuing their career at a good level. But that wasn't the case. After three other forgettable works, they disbanded. Only recently has there been talk of a reunion that will remain limited to a few live dates. A few years ago, their entire discography was available for free download in MP3 format from their website, a way to spread their music further given the near impossibility of finding their works on CD.
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Summary by Bot
Love/Hate's 1992 album Wasted In America showcases a matured sound with heavier and modernized hard rock elements. Following their influential debut, this album balances raw punk-inflected tracks with more commercial and melodic songs. Despite struggles with their label, the band maintained a strong identity and toured with Ozzy Osbourne. Although subsequent releases failed to match this album's impact, Wasted In America remains a significant work in early 90s street glam rock.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
01 Wasted in America (03:44)
Mama's in the kitchen
Papa's on the porch
Junior's downstairs in the basement
Passin' on freedom's torch
They're busy fighting
Fillin' all the jails
But sure as the sun do shine in the mornin'--
There's drugs on sale
They're getting wasted
Wasted
They're getting wasted
Wasted in America
Something's gone wrong with the TV generation
I am the product of that situation
So you say you're feelin'
Pinhead frustration
C'mon join the nation
They're getting wasted
Wasted
They're getting wasted
Wasted in America
Don't ask me why things are the way they are
They just are
I don't know why
People are so curious
They wanna chase it
They wanna taste it
They wanna get wasted
They're getting wasted
Wasted
They're getting wasted
Wasted in America
They're getting wasted in New Jersey
Wasted in Illinois
Wasted in California
And the Texans say "You 'all"
Wasted in America
They're getting wasted in America
They're getting wasted in America
09 Don't Fuck With Me (03:25)
I'm proud to be an outlaw
I'm proud to be a rock n' roller
Just don't want to get judged by the color of my skin
Or the beer that I'm drinkin'
Don't fuck with me 'cause I don't look like you
We can be brothers and wear our different colors too
Don't fuck with me and I won't fuck with you
Some people got a problem with a man in long hair
I don't care
Some people don't like a poor boy 'cause they think you can't win
For the thoughts that he's thinkin'
Don't fuck with me 'cause I don't look like you
We can be brothers and wear our different colors too
Don't fuck with me and I won't fuck with you
We can be brothers and wear our different colors too
Do unto others as you'd have others do unto you
Don't fuck with me and I won't fuck with you
--Repeat bridge--
Don't fuck with me 'cause I don't look like you
We can be brothers and wear our different colors too
Don't fuck with me and I won't fuck with you
We can be brothers and wear our different colors too
Don't fuck with me 'cause I don't look like you
We can be brothers and wear our different colors too
Don't fuck with me and I won't fuck with you
We can be brothers and wear our different colors too
And wear our different colors too
And wear our different colors too
And wear our different colors too
And wear our different colors too
Love/Hate
Love/Hate are a Los Angeles glam/hard rock band from the Sunset Strip scene, best known for the feral debut Blackout in the Red Room (1990) and the heavier Wasted in America (1992). The classic lineup features Jizzy Pearl (vocals), Skid (bass), Jon E. Love (guitar), and Joey Gold (drums). They opened for Ozzy Osbourne’s No More Tears tour.05 Reviews
Other reviews
By jeff3buckley
The album never takes off and instead contorts within its own characteristics.
Legend has it that there are demos that, according to the musicians themselves, are significantly better than the final result.
