Man in the Moon (Anniversary Edition)＜Cobalt Blue Vinyl＞

On Man in the Moon, a reunited and revitalized core L.A. Guns lineup spice up their '80s West Coast sleaze rock with some pop and modern rock elements. With the mostly original lineup (Phil Lewis on vocals, Tracii Guns on guitar, Steve Riley on drums, Mick Cripps on keyboards, and bassist Muddy) getting back together in the studio for the first time in over half a decade, L.A. Guns were probably hoping to relive the glory days of Cocked and Loaded. The results are a little mixed on this 2001 Spitfire Records release. Guns' guitar work is as fierce as ever and Lewis' whiney, but confident vocals are appropriately true to the singer's '80s rock past. But these two critical elements don't always work together on Man in the Moon, due in large part to some less-than-inspired material. While the clean, tight production has a positive, immediate effect on the muscular riffs, it also exposes Lewis' less-than-accurate pitch, as the singer attempts melodies that seem ill-suited for his voice. A bit of a mixed bag, Man in the Moon has a few bright spots, but unfortunately can't compete with L.A. Guns' prime late-'80s material. ~ Vincent Jeffries