LANDSLIDE – Landslide Is Hard Rock ’87 + Bad Reputation ’89 + More (FnA remaster)
In the late 80s, LANDSLIDE became Denver Colorado’s top-drawing original act all the while generating quite a buzz due to exposure from radio airplay. Landslide was formed in 1987; this was the same year they released their self-titled, self produced album entitled “Landslide Is Hard Rock” on cassette and vinyl.
FnA Records remastered and released the record on CD for the first time plus LANDSLIDE 1989 EP ‘Bad Reputation’, and lots of unreleased material under the title “Landslide Is Hard Rock + Bad Reputation + More“.
Originally hailing from Denver, Colorado, the band decided to make the move to the heart of hair metal — Los Angeles, California — but in doing so lost their keyboard player Thrills.
Those first songs (tracks 1-7 ) consist of the first album “Landslide Is Hard Rock”. The best of this bunch is “Spiked Heel Love” which really foreshadows the L.A. sound they were looking to adopt at a later point and a great sleazy anthem in its own right.
So with the move to the Sunset Strip, the later songs really begin to ratchet up the heavy rock factor and I found myself more drawn into this grouping of tunes.
These are from the “Bad Reputation”album (only cassette) and it’s like the guys realized they needed to adjust and step up their game. All the songs are more party anthem rockers and heavier but catchy just the same. I like how the bass player, Haze, is a bit more prominent in the songs and more of a standout player. The same can be said for drummer “Filthy Rich.”
Then there’s the “Cassette Demos (1989-1991)” which are fun and include some of the band’s best tracks in “Gang Drinkin Brother”, and party hair metal in “Tommy No One Wants Your Roses”.
This is a good release and an interesting trip to see the band progress through the years and I feel Landslide could be grouped with and sit nicely besides bands like Mariah, Wildside, Brunette (pre Hardline), etc, not quite glam — not full on AOR but part of the hair metal daze.
Sound quality varies, most of these tracks are taken from cassette, but enough to taste the band and to collect more previously unreleased stuff.
Landslide Is Hard Rock album (1987):
01. Landslide
02. I Had A Dream
03. Streets Cry Lonely Again
04. Spiked Heel Love
05. I Need You Baby
06. My Love Is Taken
07. Rad Chicks Dancing
Bad Reputation album (1989):
08. Bad Reputation
09. Love Aint Pretty
10. Hands Up
11. I Dare You To Love Me
12. I Cant Remember
13. Lets Dance
Demos (1989-1991):
14. Tommy No One Wants Your Roses
15. Accidental Suicide
16. Whisper
17. Gang Drinkin Brother
18. Kissin The Lips Of A Stranger
19. Full Blown Alcoholic
20. Whisper Acoustic Version
Streek – vocals
Keith QQik – guitars
Haze – bass
Filthy Ritch Petras – drums
Thrills – keyboards, synths
Try here:
www.amazon.com/Hard-Rock-Bad-Reputation-More/dp/B078C7V62K
