First released in 1990 on CBS "Black out in the Red Room" earned
Love/Hate some great reviews and they established a loyal fan base that still follows
Jizzy Pearl's solo career.
"Blackout in the Red Room" was the sparkling debut from
Love/Hate and it encompasses everything a debut album should have. The lyrics are mostly about drinking and partying and all songs have a special vibe saying "
Love/Hate is ready to party and take on the fucking world".
The opening line of the title track "
So you're going drinking tonight - it's party time" sums up everything about this record. By the last track
Hell CA pop. 4 the listener has been exposed to 12 highly energetic and hard rocking songs without any ballads.
Bassist Skid is the man behind all songs and his writing style is pretty simple. It's just full blast Rock 'n' Roll with groovy riffs and vocals that indicate "scream your lungs out".
Jizzy Pearl is the perfect match for
Love/Hate, since his characteristic hoarse voice perfectly fits the boozy songs. Jizzy's vocals are non-compromising and leave a mark like a blowtorch.
"Blackout in the Red Room" is a very solid and consistent album with plenty of classic hard rocking tunes like
Fuel to Run, Rock Queen, Slutsy Tipsy and
Tumbleweed. The highlight of the album is
She's an Angel where
Love/Hate deviate a bit from the "full blast formula". Skid takes out a 12-string acoustic guitar and slows it down during the verse. Everything comes together on the melodic chorus.
It's no wonder that this pure Hard rocking release earned
Love/Hate a support slot for AC/DC.
Love/Hate had one purpose with this record, namely to entertain people.
Love/Hate was very trustworthy since the lyrics seemed like a transparent off their daily lives. The band's energetic and cocky approach to their music made the youth identify themselves with the songs.
The album is produced by Tom Werman, who definitely is one of my favorite producers since he's been in control of many of my all time favorite albums. Once again Werman delivers a solid production while maintaining its original rawness and just as important; attitude.
This re-release adds extra value to the original release. There is an extensive booklet where Jizzy talks about the
Love/Hate legacy. The studio bonus track
Tinseltown is a typical
Love/Hate song and originally included on the 4 track "Blackout in the Red Room" EP.
All 6 live tracks are recorded in 1990 and taken from two different shows. The recordings display an honest and very raw Rock 'N' Roll band performing their songs about partying and drinking. No doubt that
Love/Hate also was living the lifestyle. Jizzy's hoarse really holds up great on the live tracks.
The extra value justifies this album being graded as a solid 8 and rated as a classic.
Written by
Michael Thursday, June 2, 2005
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