Yes, as hard to believe as it is, BUCKCHERRY have now been around for 15 years and having put out 6 albums are now putting out a best of for any fans of sleazy glam metal that haven't already bought the band's albums.
Now having seen them many times over the band's lifetime, I know they can be a bit hit and miss live and that has often been the case with their albums as the only stone cold classic among the 6 (for me at least) is 15 which means that a best of should actually distil the very best moments into one great album.
Mmm. Well it opens with the band's first big hit, Lit Up, that is all about the first time Josh Todd took cocaine and it's been a mainstay of rock and metal clubs ever since with its clarion call chorus of "I Love the cocaine," always guaranteed to fill dance floors and get clubs going. It remains a perfect slice of sleaze rock.
Following it with For The Movies is a hell of a comedown as it's one of their songs that just about always passes me by as album filler. I really don't know why it's on a best of, though at least it's followed by Ridin': a great, cruising for action song that comes on like the perfect getting ready to go and rock song.
That's followed by the Buckchrry's biggest hit Sorry. This one's always great live - well unless Josh decides to introduce the band part way through, but that obviously doesn't happen on the studio version. Instead, we just get his list of regrets for everything he did wrong to this particular woman who he wished had stayed with him. It still sounds great and I'm sure he's still sorry.
Well having apologized to one woman he's lost, it's time to find the next one and Next To You is Josh begging a woman to go home with him and he's trying everything he can to convince her that she should allow him to get next to her. it's certainly another one of the band's most recognizable songs.
Everything is one of the songs that always gets a live audience singing along. It's kind of a song of lust and desire as Josh explains what he wants to do but not quite as explicitly as he does on Crazy Bitch: a song that has been filling rock club dance floors since it came out and always has everyone singing along as he tells us how he wants to spend the night with the crazy bitch who will put scratches all down his back. It's full on sleazy metal gold.
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I'm not quite sure why Rescue Me is on here. Again, it's one of the songs that just passes me by as it lacks the hooks and all out sleaze that's such a big part of Buckcherry's best material. This fact is only re-enforced by Rose and All Night Long, both of which are live classics that will always get the crowd singing along. They sound damn good on here too, two full-on glammed up songs of lust.
Then they make sure we get the band's lifestyle message a bit more on Gluttony. which lays out the band's sex and drugs and rock & roll attitude in no uncertain terms, just in time for this Best Of to finish with Nothing Left But Tears: a song that may well get the odd lighter in the air live but works a good album closer in the cold light of day too.
This Best Of could easily have been a four track EP but on the whole, ten out of the twelve songs are well worth hearing on this if you don't already have the albums or singles. I'm also looking forward to seeing the band's UK tour with Hardcore Superstar that starts at the end of the week. The dates are as follows:
22.11.13 LONDON Koko
23.11.13 COVENTRY Kasbah
25.11.13 MANCHESTER The Ritz
26.11.13 GLASGOW O2 ABC
27.11.13 BELFAST Limelight 2
29.11.13 DUBLIN Academy 2
30.11.13 NOTTINGHAM Rock City
02.12.13 BRISTOL Academy
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