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

Comments

[Christian]

That box set is amazing. My favourite song is from skull, in fact I found the CD on Amazon as a result. But, plenty of good stuff. Candy is a highlight too, although Jani Lane singing 'Time Warp' didn't do it for me.

[aXe mAn]

I absolutely love Hollywood Rocks! I agree, I love all of the more obscure tracks, when I first got it, I didn't know a lot of the bands, and it was really cool to discover them. I was lucky enough to find it at Best Buy! I couldn't believe I actually found it in the store! haha
There are so many good songs on it, and I like the booklet, too...Also it came with a pin, which I think is very cool because I like to collect that sort of thing...
Very good article Allyson, glad you like it as much as I do!

[aXe mAn]

Oh yeah...
One of the rare ones that stands out to me is on Disc 1; it's, "Break Down The Walls(That Stop The Rock)" by Sin!

[Billykiss]

This sounds like a MUST BUY....I'm on my way to Amazon right now.

[aXe mAn]

^ Oh yeah man, I think so. If you are a fan of 80's rock, metal and glam, this is a must have! Like what Allyson said, the coolest thing about it is all of the more "obscure" bands...A LOT of really good songs on it I think...

Oh and by the way, I have that Backstage Pass thing hangin' up on my wall in my room! ;)

[Bob]

Haven't heard of this one before. It's not the same as Hollywood Hairspray, is it? I have Hollywood Hairspray, and it is also a great collection.

[izzy84]

I have the book AND c.d. set. Both are Amazing!