Search - Kik Tracee :: Field Trip

Eclectic EP by underrated hair band

Jeremy Lynch | St. Paul, MN | 11/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This EP gives a hint of what Kik Tracee's sophomore effort would have been, had they not broken up. On this, they show they were so much more than merely another hair band. I would imagine some of the credit must go to producer Chris Goss(of Masters Of Reality). After working with Slaughter bassist Dana Strum on their debut, they brought in some one that could take them in a different direction. Goss, who has since produced Kyuss and Queens Of The Stone Age, clearly helped the band shine admist the hordes of hair bands that litered the countryside in the early 90s.

There is not a bad song in the bunch. On the title track and Drop in the Ocean, they show that acoustic guitars are made for more than just love ballads. The songs In Trance and Blood Brothers are driven by thunderous, almost tribal, rhythms. There isn't a cliched lyric in the bunch. Not a single line about Sex, drugs or Rock n' Roll.

I enjoyed their debut album, No Rules, but would point to this EP as their finest hour."

So much better than you might think

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 08/24/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This 1992 EP was the final release by L.A. hard rockers Kik Tracee, which is a real shame considering this is probably their finest work. By the time Field Trip was released, Kik Tracee had managed to leave behind some of the hair metal clichés that marked their debut album (1990's No Rules).



Field Trip is a surprisingly mature album that is very reminiscent of G N' R Lies-era Guns n' Roses and perhaps Tesla. It's quirky and experimental, with lots of acoustic elements, longer songs, and is absolutely not what you'd expect from a hair metal band at that time. In fact, if the guys had donned some flannel, moved to Seattle, and and changed their name to Kick Tracy (hey, it worked for Alice n' Chainz), this might have been a minor hit during the alternative revolution of the early 90's. Instead, that revolution and the anti-metal backlash that accompanied it managed to sweep bands like Kik Tracee completely off the map.



Well, the band could have done a lot worse as a swan song. The Field Trip EP is a great way to remember a band that was unfairly overlooked just as they hit their creative peak.

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