Search - Rock City Angels :: Young Mans Blues

Guns N Who ?

Jason M. Blenner | Cleveland' Oh | 08/15/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Rock City Angels were the east coast answer to Guns N Roses. The band scratched and clawed their way out of Ft Lauderdale Florida to a multi-million dollar deal on Geffen Records. That would be a dream for most young rockers. This dream slowly became a nightmare of what could of been. A dark cloud hangs over this band like Hurricane Andrew hanging over Ne 2 Nd Ave. Origanlly called The Abusers Bobby Bondage and the correctly named Andy Panik were as punk as they come. Another local band The Kids were the Abusers running buddies.Their young talented guitar player would drift between the bands. There was something different about this kid he had much bigger plans for his future so when the Kids and the newly Renamed Rock City Angels moved to LA LA land in 1985 this kid would play with both bands by night and hit endless auditions during the day. The Angels would tweek the line up until Geffen Records heard some local lp with the RCA on there doing Teenage Lipstick Girls. All was well a new album deal and the future looked bright ... WRONG >>> First comes the news that the Angels would soon need a new guitar player. Johnny Depp just got Nightmare on Elm Street.More bad news followed Geffen also signed an LA band with the same sound look and pension for destruction . So the word came down the Angels were to become Rebels, Delta Rebels to record their debut cd. To make a very long story short In Memphis with Tom Zuzat the recorded a double album, derailed a freight train and consumed all the beverages and anything else they could get their hands on! One of the songs was Mary co -wrote by Johnny Depp. But Liza Jo co-penned by future country star David Lee Murphy is more of a blues fest than rock...but it worked. All the songs on this album are Rock N Roll classics. South of the Border by far is the most moving and powerful track on the album. The Memphis Horns were used on this track and clearly it made a great song better! Deep Inside My Heart the opening track smacks you right in the face and takes you right down Alligator Alley to The Dark End of The Street. And Boys from Hells Kitchen is not about New York City with all due respect but a rundown section in Ft Lauderdale near the airport which became a haven for misguided youth and druggies, hookers.These Arms are Made By Otis Redding at first seems out of place but after listening a few times it becomes part of this masterpiece. Hush Child was the most talked about song on the album. For those of us who rememeber the shows at Godmothers a lesbian dive bar recall the song being played slowly masterfully by Davy Gregg. The sped up version grows on you as Andy and Bobby sing the chorus.Beyond Babylon is one the most musically challnging on the album and pleasant surprises.After coming back to LA the rumor that has followed this band is that David Geffen after signing band after band had a budget crisis and had to flip a coin on who was gonna get the big push from A&R. The coin toss whether you believe in ledgends sealed the fate for the Rock City Angels. The winner of that toss in late 1986 was Guns N Roses. The two most important things to remember about The Rock City Angels is play it loud and never let Andy Panik crash at your place!!

"

I ran across this::

Dean | Newport Beach CA | 07/16/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"probably back in 1990 or 1991 and I have to tell you I fell in love with it instantly and it's a shame that they never released anything else because that song called Boy From Hell's Kitchen is absolutely excellent. and the rest of the CD isn't at all bad. I would have loved to have seen them live.



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laughingpig1@yahoo.com"