Stiv Bators

L.A. Confidential contains a treasure trove of unreleased outtakes from the sessions that were initially recorded in 1979 and 1980 by Bomp mastermind Greg Shaw. After the initial break up of the Dead Boys, nihilistic frontman extraordinaire Stiv Bators recorded material for Disconnected and several singles for Bomp. The music took a decidedly different approach, bypassing punk chutzpuh like "Caught With the Meat in Your Mouth" for '60s-derived garage pop abandon. Upon release, Dead Boys fans were less than enthused. Even so, this material stands on its own and continues to be rediscovered by a new audience much like Iggy's post-Stooges discs The Idiot and Lust for Life. The 18 tracks are all remastered from the original tapes, including alternate mixes of "The Last Year," "It's Cold Outside," "Not That Way Anymore," "Circumstantial Evidence," "I'll Be Alright," a demo version of "I'll Stand Accused," a rehearsal of the Damned's "Neat, Neat, Neat," and "Morrison Rant" (recorded live at the Ritz in 1980), which is pure throwaway fun. The addition of a 24-page booklet with rare photos and informative liner notes makes L.A. Confidential highly recommended. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide