Vicious Circle (album) explained

Vicious Circle is the fourth album by the American hard rock band L.A. Guns.^{[2] [3]} The first single was "Long Time Dead".^[4] The band supported the album with a North American tour.^[5]

Production

Michael "Bones" Gersema drums on several songs.^[1] "I'd Love to Change the World" is a cover of the Ten Years After song.

Critical reception

The Chicago Tribune stated that the band "hasn't wandered a bit from the glam metal they helped popularize in the late '80s—a raunchy sound that makes the true headbanger cringe," but conceded that the album "also features some danceable tunes." The Calgary Herald determined that "bow-taut guitar solos are slung against arrows of melody fired at the bulls-eye of '70s rock." The Tampa Tribune opined that "guitarist Tracii Guns' trigger-finger riffs still fire faster than a speeding bullet."

Personnel

• Phil Lewis – lead vocals except on "Nothing Better to Do", acoustic guitar
• Tracii Guns – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
• Mick Cripps – lead and rhythm guitar, piano, keyboards, bass on track 4, backing vocals
• Kelly Nickels – bass guitar, lead vocals on "Nothing Better to Do", backing vocals

Additional musicians

• Guy Griffin – acoustic guitar on track 15
• Michael “Bones” Gersema – drums on tracks 1, 5, 9, 13–17, backing vocals on tracks 1, 13 and 14
• Myron Grombacher – drums on tracks 2, 10–12
• Nickey Alexander – drums on track 4
• Steve Riley – drums on track 7
• Doni Gray – drums on track 8
• Steve Councel – harmonica on track 8, 14 and 15, backing vocals on track 8
• Cliff Brodsky – piano on track 8
• Steve Dior – backing vocals on track 2
• Jim Wirt – backing vocals

Production

• Jim Wirt – producer, engineer, mixing of tracks 6, 11 to 13
• Michael James Jackson – producer and engineer on "Crystal Eyes"
• Dan Daniel, Dennis Degher, Jeff Graham, Mark Shoffner, Marnie Riley, Tim Allison – assistant engineers
• Mick Guzauski – mixing of tracks 1 to 5, 7 to 10, 14, 15
• Stephen Marcussen – mastering
• Robert Bisbo – album cover art

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Colin. Larkin. May 27, 2011. Omnibus Press. Google Books.
2. Web site: L.A. Guns Biography, Songs, & Albums. AllMusic.
3. News: Maples . Tina . Fans of late '80s big-hair rock... . The Milwaukee Journal . 9 Feb 1995 . D4.
4. News: Weatherford . Mike . On Tuesday, it's L.A. Guns... . Las Vegas Review-Journal . 10 Feb 1995 . 2D.
5. News: Harrison . Tom . L.A. Guns aiming to be respected old guys . The Province . 17 Mar 1995 . B16.
6. Book: Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Oricon Entertainment. Roppongi, Tokyo. 2006. 4-87131-077-9. ja.