Year : 1999 (Swollen Records Edition)
Style : Glam Hard Rock
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 101 mb
Bio:
They are often seen as part of the glam metal genre, as were similar early '90s bands who played on the Sunset Strip, such as Heart Throb Mob, Queeny Blast Pop, Swingin Thing and No Sympathy. Though technically neither band played any form of metal, their sound incorporated rock, bubblegum pop and glam, with a punky attitude and songs were usually delivered tongue in cheek.The band was originally made up of singer Kit Ashley, guitarist Keri Kelli, bassist Tweety Boyd, and drummer Freddie Ferrin. Freddie Ferrin was replaced by drummer Keith Morgan (aka Keith Alan), who is currently with Handsome Devil.All five members later went on to play in other bands, most notably Keri Kelli, who has played with Alice Cooper, Night Ranger, Ratt, Skid Row, and Slash's Snakepit, among others. Kit Ashley played in 98 Ugly Girls, Furr Burger, and Custom Made Scare. Ashley recorded a solo album titled "Songs of Love and Drinking" and currently is now playing in his band Charlie And The Valentine Killers and playing drums in the band "DEADBOLT". Ashley is also working on a new solo album due out in Feb of 2011 under his real name, Charlie Overbey.
Album:
Here’s “3 Chords And The Truth / The Ultimate Collection“, the best-of collection including unreleased tracks from BIG BANG BABIES. Featuring guitarist Keri Kelli (Alice Cooper, Skid Row, Warrant, Saints of the Underground), BIG BANG BABIES were the hottest thing rocking the Strip in the early 90s, and they’re still rocking in the hearts of fans worldwide via this CD including material taken from their 2 indie albums plus 3 unreleased songs.This compilation released by Perris Records has been re-mixed by genius Mike Slamer (Steelhouse Lane, Streets, City Boy) and you can find 12 lovely Power Pop/Glam Rock anthems with influences from bands such as Cheap Trick, Poison, Enuff Z´Nuff, etc. Fans of Pretty Boy Floyd might also recognize the song ‘Everybody Needs A Hero’ as they later re-recorded the smash hit, here you can find the original version and it’s a great Glam rocker with a catchy chorus.For many people Big Bang Babies were way better than Poison. Even better than Warrant. Why did those two bands find fame and fortune while Big Bang Babies did not? Timing, I think. Big Bang Babies just arrived too late. A few years earlier and perhaps they would have been just as successful, they certainly deserved to be.Poison only dreamed of writing songs as great as the Big Bang Babies’ songs, but by the time the band’s self-released record came out in 1992, Nevermind had obliterated opportunities that the band most certainly would have cashed in on just a few years prior.By 1992 any chance of getting signed by a major label or even noticed beyond the Sunset Strip was history for a band that looked and sounded like Big Bang Babies. That’s a tragedy because their songs are insanely good. Just listen to “Come On.” Big Bang Babies sound incorporated Hard Rock, bubblegum Pop and Glam, with a Punky attitude.Their song that probably would have garnered them the most attention if it had come out a few years earlier is the aforementioned ‘Everybody Needs A Hero’. It’s catchy as hell. I think MTV would have given its flashy video (because there would have been one) a few spins in 1988/1989.Something was happening on the Sunset Strip in the Nineties, something decidedly different from the alternative revolution that MTV was propagating. The bands that remained on the strip took the glam image to its furthest extreme and shamelessly indulged their pop sensibilities, I’ve often seen what they were doing referred to as “bubblegum.”Call it what you want, they definitely explored extremes. Bands like Heart Throb Mob, Queeny Blast Pop and Tryx cultivated a style and image that was beyond over the top and a sugary pop rockin’ sound that made no apologies.Big Bang Babies fit with those bands but they also maintained a connection to the earlier Sunset Strip vibe that Poison had co-opted and transplanted from clubs to stadiums.Big Bang Babies had broken up by the time their second album was released in 1994 and apparently guitarist Keri Kelli put it together himself without the consent of the rest of the band. The CD is called Black Market and regardless of how the project came together the songs are goddamn brilliant. Check out ‘8 Arms’.How could anyone resist that song? But the big rock albums of 1994 were Green Day, Live, NIN, etc. ‘8 Arms’ in the context of the musical climate of 1994 was “alternative” because “alternative” had become mainstream.In 1992/1993 a band like Big Bang Babies were the rebels. Big Bang Babies were the real thing.The cynical view of the “hair metal” years is that those bands were just in it for the money. I disagree, I think most of the “hair metal” bands just loved rock and roll. They wanted to be rock stars for a variety of reasons. Most of the members of those “hair band” had shunned societal expectations and risked it all to pursue a dream. Many had a romance with rock and roll that their pretentious and elitist detractors could not relate to.Those who deemed “hair metal” low class and beneath them did not begrudge the similar flamboyant extremes of David Bowie or the New York Dolls because they were allowed to like David Bowie and the New York Dolls. This idea that all “hair metal” was disingenuous and all “alternative” music was honest and heartfelt is just plain bullshit.Back to the topic at hand, the ballad taken from Big Bang Babies second album, ‘Hear You Say’, is an awesomely well-written song and almost certainly would have been a massive hit five years earlier.With the original albums pretty hard to find, “3 Chords And The Truth / The Ultimate Collection” is a great, welcomed release – although also hard to find now, go to Eonian Records seems they have some copies – and Mike Slamer’s remix / remaster makes wonders.Big Bang Babies singer Kit Ashley now goes by Charlie Overbey, he still makes music and has a radio show. Guitarist Keri Kelli went on to play with Alice Cooper, Slash, and numerous others.This is what rock music are all about… great fun and a lotta catchy hooks. A must have for fans of sugar sweet late 80s-style Glam Rock.
Line-Up:
Kit Ashley – Lead Vocals
Keri Kelli – Guitar, Backing Vocals, Keyboards
Tweety Boyd – Bass
Freddie Ferrin – Drums
Keith Alan – Drums
Brent Jeffers – Keyboards
Tracklist:
01. 8 Arms
02. Hear You Say
03. Stop the World
04. Everybody Loves My Baby
05. Bliss (maguro tataki)
06. Everybody Needs a Hero
07. Saturday Night
08. C’mon
09. Love Drug
10. Youth of Today
11. Winter Wonderland
12. Bubble Gum Town
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
