Retro Review — Faster Pussycat

Faster Pussycat — S/T

Some weeks there just aren’t any new releases worth reviewing. It happens. So I’ve decided on the weeks when there isn’t anything new to review to instead review an older record that recently hit an anniversary of its release date.

The first Retro Review is Faster Pussycat’s debut record that was released this week 31 years ago (how can that be?). In 1987 we started to see a new wave of hard rock with bands like Guns N Roses, Poison and Faster Pussycat. They took the big hair/pretty boy look and glammed it up.

If I had to describe what this record sounds like to someone that has never heard it, I would say take Guns N Roses and mash it up with Chuck Berry and Beastie Boys. In an era where distorted guitars were the rage, Faster Pussycat had a very clean sounding guitar sound reminiscent of the 50s. They combined that with the screechy vocals of Taime Downe with random rap-like runs to create a new sound on the scene.

The song that got the most airplay was “Bathroom Wall” and I remember seeing the video on Headbanger’s Ball. Speaking of, Taime co-owned the rock club “The Cathouse” with former host of Headbanger’s Ball Riki Rachtman. Another of the more popular songs on the record was “Cathouse”, I’m sure a nod to the club. Other highlights for me include the opener “Don’t Change That Song” and “Shooting You Down”.

The band’s biggest hit “House of Pain” was on their follow up record and the band released one more album before going the way of many 80s rock bands and breaking up only later to reform.

I enjoyed re-listening to this record 31 years later. Faster Pussycat definitely had their own unique sound and unlike many bands that blend together from the time period, they definitely are memorable. This debut record remains my favorite album of theirs and it still sounds interesting and fun.

Overall — 85 out of 100

Track Listing

1. Don’t Change That Song *
2. Bathroom Wall *
3. No Room for Emotion
4. Cathouse *
5. Babylon
6. Smash Alley
7. Shooting You Down *
8. City Has No Heart
9. Ship Comes In
10. Bottle in Front of Me

*Best Songs