Having slogged their way through the clubs in New York and Baltimore, drummer L. A. Roberts and bass-player Ray St. Michael met up with singer Ricky Thomas and guitarist Don DeOliveira in to form the melodic hard rock combo MONA LISA in 1987.
Their first homemade demos of ’87 had a raw, naïve charm that displayed the kind of potential that should have seen the major label record companies lining up, but it’s with their very first professional demo called “Grounded For Life” that the band showed their commercial appeal, taking on a new, overtly polished direction.
Local radio and media support led the band to appear on the 1987 compilation called ’97 Underground Beast From The East Vol. 1′, with the song “Nightmares”. Compared to bands like White Lion, Danger Danger and Trixter, MONA LISA delivers some cool ’80s American melodic hard rock on these recordings.
Presented for the first time on CD as part of ‘The Lost US Jewels‘ series in a carefully remastered version from the original tapes, Vol. 17 ”MONA LISA – The Collection Part 1” covers the first era of this fun band. A Limited to 500 copies collectible.
In 1988 the foursome entered the ‘Flite Three’ recording-studio in Baltimore, MD, and recorded their 5-track EP “Grounded for Life”, a great collection of Melodic/Hard Rock songs in the vein of early Bon Jovi, White Lion and Icon.
After a bunch of live-shows, both as opening-act and as headliner, MONA LISA recorded in 1990 the marvelous 8-tracks debut-album, “The Art Of Seduction”, self-released.
Officially available on CD for the first time ever, this release contain all the material recorded by MONA LISA during the ’80s.
If you like bands like Trixter, Hurricane Alice, Icon and White Lion, this is something you need to check out.
Highly Recommended
1 Touch Me
2 Lisa
3 Had Enough
4 Beats Working
5 Nightmares
6 White Nights
7 Hide You Away
8 Had Enough
9 I’m No Fool
10 Touch Me
11 I’d Be Lost (Without You)
12 Lisa
13 Run To You
Track 1 to 5 from “Grounded For Life” Cassette EP – 1988
Track 6 to 13 from “Homemade Demos – 1987
Limited edition of 500 copies.
MP3 FLAC for subscr