All sorts of ways exist to exorcise a bad run-in with the opposite sex. Or the same sex, for that matter. Drinking helps, throwing yourself off a bridge as well, eating unhealthy amounts of chocolate or excessive shopping. The boys of Bombay Black thought of a different way: they just wrote an album about it. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes just plain funny or ironic but it works. Most of the times. Songs like ‘Knock You Down’, ‘Psycho Magnet’, ‘If Only’ and ‘What You’re Doing To Me’ are prime examples of how a rockband should sound. Production wise they got a helping hand from the mighty Beau Hill (Kix, Winger, …)
and that never hurts now, does it? The only problem I have with Bombay Black is that not the whole record is up to par. A couple of songs just pass by without making my heart want to skip a beat. The punky ‘Break Up Anthem’ I could have done without, for example. Also ‘Inflicted’ is a mid-tempo song that goes nowhere fast and should be omitted, for all I’m concerned.
But all in all Bombay Black’s fourth album is an enjoyable affair and a good example of how 80’s party-hard hairy hard rock could be transferred to the 21st century.
Hopefully their bullshit meter will be up a couple of notches next time around so the album will consist of less songs but more quality overall.
01-The Ride
02-Best Laid Plans
03-Psycho Magnet
04-Inflicted
05-Knock You Down
06-If Only
07-S.F.C.R
08-Head Full Of Hate
09-Misery
10-Break Up Anthem
11-What You’re Doing To Me
12-The Last Time
Erik Johnson – vocals, guitar, keyboards
Jim Perry – guitar, vocals
Ty Sims – bass, vocals
Rob McCauley – drums, vocals
Password: Plotn08