LITTLE CAESAR – S/T [Bad Reputation remaster + bonus tracks] (2024) HQ *0dayrox Exclusive*

LITTLE CAESAR kick ass 1990’s self-titled album ”Little Caesar” is one of the best American hard rock albums appeared that great year for the genre. Now it’s being reissued on by Bad Reputation with a punchy remastered sound plus additional, bonus tracks.
Signed by a major record label with guru John Kalodner doing A&R work, and produced by expert Bob Rock you know what to expect; a big, huge sound with melting clean guitars and reverb all over the place, capturing the band in its hard rocking full force.

Soulful bluesy hard rock was all the rage in 1990, with the likes of the Black Crowes, The London Quireboys, Badlands, etc, hitting the charts. Was Little Caesar just one too many bands? They didn’t have the impact of these, though they certainly stacked up in the quality department.
Lead howler Ron Young’s lungs are enviable, with a gritty drawl and authenticity to go.

“Down-N-Dirty” opens with a clean-punchy mainstream rocking sound unmistakably 1990’s, and the groove continues through “Hard Times” which puts out a killer street rock vibe, able to tangle with any Hollywood competition. Next, the cover of “Chain of Fools” serves to show off Young’s limitless talents, done into a hard rock adaptation.
Diversity points are earned for a stellar ballad called “In Your Arms”, delivering on a solid soul vibe. Young’s voice is the focus, revealing depth track after track. There’s a darker turn on “From the Start”, foreboding but with anthemic chorus. The fun “Rock and Roll State of Mind” is a cool, harmonica-inflected blues burner.

“Drive it Home” takes the car/sex metaphors to a dirtier level. Another dusky ballad called “Midtown” changes the mood and the groove. A ballad with balls and a banjo? Then, “Cajun Panther” is its own descriptive, but the slippery guitar will hook you right in. The next song, “Wrong Side of the Tracks” is actually closer to the mainstream and rocks with single potential.
There’s a unique feel on “I Wish It Would Rain”. It may be another ballad but its southern flavoring make it clearly different from anything on the radio in 1990. “Little Queenie” nails the soulful hard rock vibe one last time, going out in style, but also with a song that doesn’t really sound like a closer. Perhaps a little song shuffling would have put “Little Queenie” in a better spot to showcase its strengths.

Before being signed by Geffen Records for this debut album, Little Caesar got a deal with Metal Blade and the band first appeared on ‘Metal Blade Street Survivors’ compilation before releasing a four song EP. These songs are the bonus tracks added by Bad Reputation.
With a less polished production, rawer, the Little Caesar gang stride in confidently with inspired boozin’ ‘n’ crushing cuts “Tastes Good to Me”, “God’s Creation”, “Tears Don’t Lie” and “Name Your Poison”. The barroom swagger is on offer from the get go, as the L.A. gutter dogs push it down with a raunchy, take-no-shit attitude.

”Little Caesar” is a killer, bluesy hard rock album with that early ’90s American sound we all love. The band mix commercial tunes with soulful rockers plenty of meat, a record which deserves much more praise than it earned.
HIGHLY Recommended (contributors get lossless today)

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01 – Down-N-Dirty
02 – Hard Times
03 – Chain Of Fools
04 – In Your Arms
05 – From The Start
06 – Rock-N-Roll State Of Mind
07 – Drive It Home
08 – Midtown
09 – Cajun Panther
10 – Wrong Side Of The Tracks
11 – I Wish It Would Rain
12 – Little Queenie
BONUS TRACKS:
13 – Name Your Poison
14 – Tastes Good to Me
15 – God’s Creation
16 – Tears Don’t Lie

Ron Young – lead vocals
Jimmy Hayne (Apache) – guitars, vocals
Louren Molinare – guitar, vocals
Tom Morris – drums
Fidel Paniagua – bass, vocals
John Webster – keyboards
Jimmie wood – harp
Mark LaFrance, Dave Steele – vocals

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