03/07/00

Rating : Three out of five stars

  Buckcherry (originally named Sparrow) were poised to become the new Los Angeles' savior of rock music. Coming in with bad boy images and promised by their record label to be the next Guns N' Roses, Buckcherry's expectations were set too high.  I was one of the first to buy this CD when it came out last year but I was in for disappointment.  Their first single Lit Up was crippled by rock radio and MTV by their bleeping of every drug reference.  The song is ABOUT drugs! A little profanity that gets bleeped out can sometimes work in an artist's favor but when the theme of a song is bleeped out it just sucks. Plus with words like cocaine removed, there were just dead spots that sounded more than awkward.
  Now Buckcherry just released their latest single Check Your Head (nothing to do with the Beastie Boys) which I think is one of the CD's strongest tracks.  I haven't heard it on radio yet but the video does some editing on the song, shortening it up for those with short attention spans. 

This is too bad because the song is a warning against temptation and a plea to appreciate what you have. If the video does well, they should release Borderline (not a Madonna cover) as their next single.  Borderline is a cool bluesy number which may remind people of the Black Crowes.
  I like this CD but I just wish some of the guitar playing were more memorable. Most of it is just standard power chord rock. The only thing that elevates this band above the norm is Joshua Todd's voice. It actually sounds like he knows what he's singing about. When other people sing about drugs or hard lives, I don't believe them. If they build up a following, watch out for their next CD. With more money, better production and a little more time in the studio these guys are fully capable of turning out a rock masterpiece. Will their record label screw them on their second CD? Probably.  We'll have to wait and see.

  This is a solid rock CD for those who are fans of the Los Angeles rock sound.  The only down side is that there are no surprises here.  Just plain rock.