Saigon Kick on DeBaser: reviews, highlights, and essential spins

The Profile

Saigon Kick is an American rock band formed in Miami, Florida, in 1988. Blending hard rock with alternative and psychedelic touches, they broke into the mainstream with the 1992 ballad Love Is on the Way. Core early members included vocalist Matt Kramer, guitarist/songwriter Jason Bieler, bassist Tom DeFile, and drummer Phil Varone. The classic run spanned 1991–1999, with reunions for live shows beginning in 2012.

Origin: Miami, Florida, USA; formed in 1988. Breakthrough single: Love Is on the Way (1992), a Billboard Hot 100 hit. Key albums: Saigon Kick (1991), The Lizard (1992), Water (1993), Devil In The Details (1995), Bastards (1999). Early releases on Third Stone/Atlantic. Noted members: Matt Kramer (vocals), Jason Bieler (guitar/vocals), Tom DeFile (bass), Phil Varone (drums).

DeBaser’s reviews paint Saigon Kick as a hard rock outfit with alternative edges and fearless genre-mixing. The Lizard (1992) is hailed as their masterpiece, dense and rewarding after multiple listens. The self‑titled debut (1991) is praised but docked for raw production. Water (1993) splits opinions with eclectic shifts and a Bowie cover. Devil In The Details (1995) is a strong, underrated comeback marrying experimentation with punch.

Notable Quotes

❝ "The Lizard" is not easy to assimilate: it takes several listens to fully appreciate it, as it embraces various genres, but in the rock field, I think it was really difficult to produce something so unique that wasn't purely hard or heavy.

❝ “Devil In The Details” offers this: everything and more, but this time done well and with many interesting cues that make it a little, albeit underrated, masterpiece.

❝ it's not a masterpiece, but not a mess either—a middle ground, a decent album and (perhaps) necessary after the masterpiece “the Lizard.”

❝ their offering has always been a mix of psychedelia, hard rock, the alternative of the time (Jane's Addiction first and foremost), and a touch of madness.