Shameless
Queen 4 A Day

SHAMELESS - QUEEN 4 A DAY (2000, MTM)

TRACK LIST:

01) SHOCK THE WORLD
02) QUEEN 4 A DAY
03) YOU CAN’T STOP ME
04) FAR AWAY
05) AMERICAN MAN
06) NONSTOP CITY
07) LONELY NITE IN PARADISE
08) I DON’T THINK I LUV U
09) WHAT U WANT IS WHAT YOU GET
10) STEAL THE GIRLZ
11) I’M SO GOOD
12) A PLACE WHERE LOVE CAN’T GO

With the advent of the new millennium, numerous ghosts have risen from the clouds of the '80s, trying in vain to revive magnetic and electrifying sounds now lost in the depths of the past. The wave of pessimism coming from gray Seattle seemed to have definitively buried any hope of smiling again, and fun seemed to have become a taboo subject in the world of rock 'n' roll. On the other hand, the late '90s productions released by fundamental bands like Warrant, Poison, or Faster Pussycat had shown a worrying drop in creativity and an evident disorientation in front of a radically changed audience. When everything seemed lost, and glam rock was being recycled into multiple insipid sauces (from the industrial-glam of Marilyn Manson to the lascivious poses of Scandinavian HIM's love metal), an album was released that would astonish many. “Queen 4 A Day,” the second platter by Shameless (after the decent “Backstreet Anthems”), an undefined entity gravitating around the German demiurge Alexx “Skunk” Michael, brings no substantial change to the classic L.A. metal of the eighties, offering the listener a suggestive tour of the Sunset Strip from a few years ago. Gathering around his charismatic figure more or less significant artists from the Californian glam scene, bass-player Alexx Michael manages to release a lively and carefree album, equipped with a good impact and some sparkling singles. Among these, we cannot help but mention the shocking opening track, “Shock The World,” featuring Steve Summers (Pretty Boy Floyd) on vocals, the now-legendary Keri Kelly (formerly with Ratt, Slash's Snakepit, and Pretty Boy Floyd) on lead guitar, the dynamic Keri Kane on drums, and the omnipresent B.C. on the other six-string. The journey continues with the title track, another potential hit-single, featuring an irresistible refrain in its wild pace: this time the lineup changes slightly, with the addition of Keith Alan on drums. Less transcendent is the subsequent “You Can’t Stop Me,” while the romantic ballad “Far Away,” which features the great Jani Lane of Warrant (supporting Steve Summers’ vocals) and Danny Wagner on keyboards, strikes straight to the heart. A sudden change behind the microphones benches Summers, replaced by the sharp and penetrating voice of Stevie Rachelle from Tuff, who delivers two extraordinary performances, first with the Kiss cover “American Man,” literally giving chills, and then with the punk-esque “Nonstop City,” in which Tracii Guns and Steve Riley, respectively axe-man and drummer of L.A. Guns, and the always impeccable Eric Singer also participate. The album continues without major thrills, passing through the carefree “I Don’t Think I Luv U” to get to the concluding “A Place Where Love Can’t Go,” among whose credits also appears Gilby Clarke, former Guns N’ Roses. The carousel of artists doesn't stop here, featuring other illustrious names like Brian Tichy, Bruce Kulick, and Teddy Zig Zag.

If to all this we add the presence of a multimedia track, containing a very spicy video, it becomes evident that purchasing “Queen 4 A Day” is particularly recommended for every nostalgist of the '80s glam scene, but it could also hold pleasant surprises for the new generation in search of strong emotions.

(Enrico Rosticci)