Rock Candy Records re-issue Faster Pussycat debut and Vandenberg’s “Heading For A Storm”

Rock Candy Records have gone ballistic this past month with 7 new titles available! They are all available now from www.rockcandyrecords.com for a discounted price including postage to anywhere in the world for the next two weeks ending on September 8. Two of the titles are right up our Metal Sludge audience’s alley!

Faster Pussycat ‘S/T’ CANDY220 / Back in the mid-80s if you were an aspiring sleaze star, LA’s Sunset Strip was the place to be seen and heard. Sure, the legendary Hollywood street may have produced many a rock god since the mid-60s and had continued the grand tradition throughout the next couple of decades, giving rise to the likes of Quiet Riot, Mötley Crüe and Poison amongst many others. But it was the latter bands that sowed the seeds for an even wilder explosion of talent in the late 80s. Taking their influence from the roots of glam rock and fusing it with a pinch of punk, a new strain of Sunset Strip bands started to emerge. It was a scene that included LA Guns, Jet Boy, Guns N’ Roses and Faster Pussycat amongst its main offenders. Revolving around legendary clubs such as the Cathouse and the Roxy, these acts placed an emphasis on looks and hooks rather than musical ability. It was an attitude that quickly made stars out of Guns N’ Roses with bands like Faster Pussycat following hot on their heels. Named after a cult Russ Meyer directed movie and issued on Elektra Records in 1987, just two weeks before ‘Appetite For Destruction’ hit the shelves, the Faster Pussycat debut album was helmed by Poison producer Ric Browde. Fronted by charismatic vocalist Taime Downe and featuring guitarists Brent Muscat and Greg Steele, the tracks leave little room for experimentation or refinement, concentrating instead on fast riffs, low slung guitars and a serious dose of rock ‘n roll attitude.

Special Deluxe Collector’s Edition, fully remastered sound shaped from 24 BIT digital technology, 16 page full colour booklet, 3,500 word essay, enhanced artwork and rare photos.

Track Listing: 1. Don’t Change That Song 2. Bathroom Wall 3. No Room For Emotion 4. Cathouse 5. Babylon 6. Smash Alley 7. Shooting You Down 8. City Has No Heart 9. Ship Rolls In 10. Bottle In Front Of Me.

Vandenberg ‘Heading For A Storm’ CANDY197 / This might seem to be a fairly obvious statement of fact, but it’s easy to forget just how significant Vandenberg became in the early 1980s. A Dutch hard rock band with the style, musicianship, confidence, songs and sound to match anything being done elsewhere. And, for a while it appeared inevitable that they’d be destined to achieve greatness. ‘Heading For A Storm’ was the band’s second album, emerging after the unexpected success of their debut which had secured them a foothold in the top 30 of the US singles charts with the track ‘Burning Heart’. For album #2 they returned to the same producer and studio; that’s Stuart Epps and SOL studio on the banks of the River Thames, a facility owned by Jimmy Page. Less confrontational than their debut album, ‘Heading For A Storm’, originally issued in 1983, showcased a more mature Vandenberg, one with increasingly sophisticated songs (all written by guitarist Adrian Vandenberg) and far broader scope. The album may not have eclipsed sales of the debut in the USA, where record company politics hampered progress, but in Europe the record gained healthy traction. With cover art painted by Adrian, whose guitar solos also continued to impress, the album is now regarded as an essential cornerstone of the band’s legacy.

Special Deluxe Collector’s Edition, fully remastered sound shaped from 24 BIT digital technology, 12 page full colour booklet, 3,500 word essay, enhanced artwork, photos and new interview with Adrian Vandenberg.

Track Listing: 1. Friday Night 2. Welcome To The Club 3. Time Will Tell 4. Different Worlds 5. This Is War 6. I’m On Fire 7. Heading For A Storm 8. Rock On 9. Waiting For The Night Bonus Tracks: 10. Ready For You (Live) 11. Lost In A City (Live) 12. Too Late (Live).

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