Spiders & Snakes – Hollywood Ghosts
SPIDERS & SNAKES
HOLLYWOOD GHOSTS
Released in 2005 (Sensei)
Track List:
Disc One: New Studio Tracks:
01. Ascension
02. American Baby
03. Angelyne
04. Spiders & Snakes
05. Freeway
06. The Siamese Twins
07. Bill’s Cigar
08. The Girl Can’t Help It
09. Someday
10. Just Me
11. Waiting For Me In L.A.
12. Get Outta Here
Disc Two: Bonus DVD/Music Videos:
01. Rollercoaster Ride
02. L.A. Jets
03. Take What You Can Get
04. Lost For Words
05. Nuke The Sun
06. Lost For Words
07. Snakes In Love
08. These Are The Good Times (live)
09. Little Willy (live)
10. Glamour Girls
11. Public Enemy #1
12. Non-Stop Rock
13. Elvis’s TV
14. Rollercoaster Ride
15. Chasing A Rainbow
Band Members:
Lizzie Grey – lead/backing vocals, guitar and bass
Timothy Jay – drums, keyboards, and backing/lead vocals
Additional Musicians:
Angelo Moore – saxophone (7 & 8)
Matt Cross – bass (4, 5 & 9)
Production:
Produced by Gavin Ross.
Tracks 4, 5 & 9 produced by Dino Maddalone.
Review:
Has anyone in hard rock history seen as much and been so close to stardom on as many occasions as Lizzie Grey? You can pretty much name any 80s metal icon and somehow they would have ties to Lizzy, but he has always remained in the shadows. But the struggling artists always seem to make the most enduring music as they are able to record at will without any outside interference.
The first full-length track “American Baby” is a high-energy rocker that updates the Spiders & Snakes sound without alienating existing fans. “Spiders & Snakes” has a slight swamp boogie vibe and a Gomer Pyle vocal approach; it makes for an interesting tune. After that things take on a somber Beatles sound such as “The Girl Can’t Help It” which sounds a lot like Alice Cooper‘s mid-60s song “Hitch Hike”. I love the lyrics on this release, lyrics that depict a struggling artist holding onto their dreams – like the chorus to “Someday”, “Someday, when will it ever be, to many yesterdays makes it hard to believe.” Or the lyrics on the beautifully mellow “Waiting For Me In L.A.”, “If I can’t find a rocket gonna build me a ladder to fame, oh no this dream won’t fade away.” Great stuff!
The real gem on Hollywood Ghosts is the bonus DVD. Filled with videos and live footage of the band transforming from Sunset Strip rockers to space-glitter glamsters to an acoustic twosome, the DVD showcases the group’s history perfectly. The videos may be low budget and corny, but I’d kill to see something like “Snakes In Love” end up on MTV! This really is a quality package and an excellent insight to one of rocks unnoticed bands. You can purchase the album at www.spidersandsnakes.com, if not for the music then at least for the history.
Reviewed by Skid for Sleaze Roxx, March 2005.
Buy The CD:
Purchase at eBay.com