Love and Rockets by Kevin Westenberg
What happens when your gloomy goth rock band calls it quits, but three-fourths of the lineup is still super chummy and into lots of different kinds of music and maybe even underground comix by Chicano siblings? Love and Rockets, that’s what happens.
Formed in 1985 after gothic powerhouse Bauhaus disbanded, leading members Daniel Ash, David J and Kevin Haskins to explore new musical directions branching from their gothic leanings into numerous blends of post-punk and psychedelia. Love and Rockets were among the top acts of the alternative music scene, bridging the poppy ’80s with the grungier ‘90s.
Named after the underground comic book series by the renowned Hernandez Brothers, the band’s distinct sound set them apart from contemporary acts vying for visibility in the century’s last decade – a feat cemented by the commercial breakthrough of their 1989 self-titled album featuring the hit single, “So Alive,” which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S.
They continued to explore diverse musical styles in subsequent albums, including 1996’s Sweet F.A., incorporating elements of glam rock, electronica and folk. Despite disbanding in 1999, they’ve kept fans satiated with occasional live reunions. Sweet F.A. is also the latest in their reissue series and comes paired with a double-CD set, My Dark Twin, on Beggars Arkive compiling the band’s recording trajectory during that era.
While Sweet F.A. marked a return to guitars for the trio after 1994’s heavily electronic Hot Trip to Heaven, the challenging sessions included a fire at producer Rick Rubin’s L.A. mansion, where gear and recordings were incinerated. The final product was a literal phoenix rising from the ashes.
The expanded edition, remastered at Abbey Road Studios, includes four previously limited-edition tracks from Love and Rockets’ vinyl box set, and companion discs featuring unreleased versions and unheard tracks from the fiery F.A. sessions. Highlights include collaborations like “U. O. ME” with Throbbing Gristle’s Genesis P. Orridge, who suffered minor injuries escaping the fire, and “California (Have A Nice Apocalypse!)” featuring Chuck Prophet and Bruce Kaphan.
Love and Rockets play with Jane’s Addiction 8pm Saturday, August 31 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood. loveandrockets.bandcamp.com ~ Abel Folgar
