Hollywood Rocks

I love the Hollywood Rocks (Cleopatra Records) box set! It usually takes quite awhile to get through box sets, and this one is no different. Many of the bands are obscure Sunset Strips acts, so that meant discovering new bands. So far, disc one remains my favorite but I've found gems on the other three discs as well.

I won't put the entire track listing here because it is massive, but I want you to know I *love* "Time Warp" by Plain Jane, "Whatever Happened to Fun" by Candy,  "Hold On" by Rough Cutt, "Doghouse" by Sea Hags and many more.

All told, there are something like 78 songs in the box set. Sure there are some tracks you probably already own from artists like LA Guns, Poison and Pretty Boy Floyd - but the rarities are what make this collection so much fun.

The intro to Candy's song "Whatever Happened to Fun" is straight from radio! Two girls calling in to request their favorite song of the moment. The DJ asks the girls if Candy has a hit and they answer "yes" without wavering. 

Some bands I've dug for a long time are featured on Hollywood Rocks, such as Angora and Spiders and Snakes. Having so many great Glam bands together in one compilation is very exciting - and an easy way to sample tracks.

The box set also comes with a decent book. The best parts are the "then" and "now" photos. I love that sort of thing! There's also a pin and backstage laminate. As you can imagine, both are basically worthless. 

A note about sound: I typically *love remastered albums, but some of the tracks on Hollywood Rocks are...grainy. I actually prefer the diminished sound in this instance, as it adds some charm to the tracks. The first time I listened to the entire box set, I felt like I was on an archaeological dig. You don't get that very often when it comes to a favorite type of music. 

You can purchase Hollywood Rocks through Amazon.com