Personnel: Lizzie Grey (vocals, guitar, background vocals); Andrew Vermuellen, Taz Rudd, Gilby Clarke, Michael Lockwood , Michael Sweet, Jeff Drake (vocals, guitar); Janis Massey (vocals, saxophone); Patrick Michael Muzingo, Michael Martin Murphey (vocals, drums); Nadir d'Priest, Farrel Holtz, Gregory Darling, Don Dokken, Kit Ashley, Scarlet Rowe, Bobby Durango, Bret Taylor Aldstadt, Brian Vincent Durkin, Ron Yocom, Paul Black , Christopher Kearney, Jim Gillette, Jimmi Bleacher, Mandy Lion, Bernie K., Tomi Rae Brown, Roxy "Chris" Dahl, Todd Muscat, Todd Hoffman, Danny Simon, Desi Rexx, Joel Ellis, Betsy Weiss, Art Deresh, Ann Boleyn, Jani Lane , John Bush , Jizzy Pearl, Joe Lest, John Corabi, Kenny Price, Kevin DuBrow, Kyle Vincent, Lizzy Borden, Mark Dutton, Mark Free, Mickey Finn , Paul Shortino, Ron Keel, Stephen Pearcy, Steve Summers , Stevie Rachelle, Taime Downe, Axl Rose, Walter Adams, Blackie Lawless, Bret Michaels, Terry Ilous (vocals); Amir Derakh (guitar, slide guitar); Joseph Bishara (guitar, programming); Randy Piper, Mark Knight , Keri Kelli, Bryan Jay, David Michael Phillips , Lisa Black, Billy Rowe, Sean Lewis , Mikke Blaze, Doug Banx, Alan Barlam, Mike Barnette, Bobby Bones , Dave Pritchard, Gene Allen , Jeff Duncan, Spacey T., Frankie Wilsley, Chris Weber, S.S. Priest, Joe Holmes, Pete Reveen, George Lynch, Fernie Rod, Chris Gates, Jon E. Love, Greg Steele, Joe Normal, Howard Drossin, Jorge Desaint, Mick O'Brien, Brian Waters, Kyle Stevens, Izzy Stradlin, Phil Sandoval, Chris Hager, Mick Sweda, Danni Bardot, Jake E. Lee, Dave Carruth, Marc Richard Diglio, Jason Nesmith, Kristy Krash Majors, Lanny Cordola, Luke Tierney, Mark Kendall, Michael Angelo, Robbin Crosby, Ryan Roxie, Tommy Thayer, Tracii Guns, Warren DeMartini, Erik Turner, Oz Fox, Dave Walsh, Bob Kulick, Marc Ferrari, Joey Allen , Robert Stoddard , Brent Muscat, Brian Baker, C.C. DeVille , Carlos Cavazo, Tracy G (guitar); Michael Raphael (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Vincent Gilbert, Michael Lardie (keyboards); David Alford (drums, background vocals); Dennis Conway, Bobby Blotzer, Paul Monroe, Ron Tostenson, David Scott, Todd Allen, Dino Guerrero, Sean Kelly , Michael Lean, Jackie D. Jukes, Frankie Banali, Karl Kane, Erik Gloege, Carl James, Adam Maples, Pete Holmes, Kevin Agosta, Doni Gray, "Wild" Mick Brown , Dave "Skavido" Brown , Robbie Settles, John Schubert , Billy Dior, Eric Skodis, "Uncle" John Turner , Dwain Miller, Steven Sweet, Tigg Ketler, Joey Gold, Nick Alexander , Rikki Rockett, Audie Desbrow, Tony Richards, Vinny Appice, Johnny Kreis, Robert Sweet, Tony Black, Anthony Focx, Bobby Rock, Carmine Appice (drums).
Audio Mixer: Randy Pekich.
Photographers: William Hames; Alex Solca; Ross Halfin; Robert John.
2003 saw the release of the book Hollywood Rocks -- a 208-pager that documents the wild and crazy days of the west coast glam metal movement circa the 1980s. Two years later, the folks at Cleopatra/Deadline Records have compiled a four-disc follow-up to the book, Hollywood Rocks: Audio Companion. If you're looking to relive the days or yore or are simply a newcomer to the genre, this 78-track set is quite a mammoth find. But be forewarned -- if you're expecting tracks from such leaders of the pack as Guns N' Roses and Mtley Cre, you're out of luck (although there is a track from the pre-G N' R, Axl Rose-led Hollywood Rose). Also, for the most part, Hollywood Rocks focuses on demos and uncommon versions -- hence, the sound quality isn't always the best. Regardless, the box remains highly recommended for those who were part of the Aqua Net set. Kicking things off with a track from the aforementioned Hollywood Rose ("Killing Time"), the first disc, which covers the early '80s, proves to be the best of the bunch. After all, it includes tracks by such recognizable names as Ratt ("In Your Direction"), Dokken ("It's Not Love"), W.A.S.P. ("Animal"), and Quiet Riot ("Let's Get Crazy"). But if you were a reader of such esteemed metal publications as Hit Parader back in the '80s, there was a multitude of bands you read about, but in the pre-Internet/download days, probably never actually heard. The problem is now corrected once and for all, as evidenced by the inclusion of tracks by Steeler (which included singer Ron Keel), Odin, Sound Barrier (an all-black metal band that predated Living Colour by several years), and London. Expectedly, the last disc -- which documents the early '90s -- is the weakest of the bunch (the era was littered with copycat bands). And if the music on this comp isn't enough, also included is an extensive booklet that gives the history on each and every band included. ~ Greg Prato
