Lesser of two evils

Hey, it's the first Lesser of two evils of 2009. So for an event of such magnitude I chose these two fluffballs.



Roxx Gang-Things you never did before (1988)

Vs.



Roxy Blue-Want Some? (1992)

Roxx Gang formed in Florida and Roxy Blue were from Memphis. This the debut from Roxx Gang, unsurprisingly they didn't get far and broke up a few years later. By the mid-90's they did come back with Kevin Steele recruiting all new members. They released a few more albums that went nowhere as well. They came out at a time when there were a lot bands who were better and had more support. Roxy Blue released this their one and only album in 1992. Surprisingly they had some support. I say surprisingly because by 1992 this kind of power ballad, posing type of hard rock was being shoved off the face of the music world. However Roxy Blue were signed by Geffen, had Mike Clink as a producer and got some radio airplay. Yet it still lead to a one and done career for them. So let's break these albums down and expose their rotten insides.

Vocals

It is Kevin Steele for Roxx Gang against Todd Poole for Roxy Blue. Kevin Steele sounds like a cross between Bon Scott and Stephen Pearcy. Only without as much spirit as Scott. He is possibly the best thing about his band and that's not saying much. Todd Poole reminds me of Janie Lane only not quite as sickening. I have never had a match-up on this segment before where both singers were in tune yet it's hard to pick because they were so boring. Neither guy hit a clunker yet neither one could convey emotion if their lives depended on it. Oh, I'll just flip a coin or say Kevin Steele because he didn't sound like someone in Warrant.

Point to Roxx Gang

Guitars

For this one it is Jeff Taylor and Wade Hayes for Roxx Gang against Sid Fletcher for Roxy Blue in a two on one situation. Goodness, were these guys playing out of a book called "Generic hard rock riffs for the truly uninspired guitarist"? If not then they are certainly qualified to write such a book. It's just all by the numbers tripe with the mandatory squeals and runs stuck in. However Sid Fletcher did a better job on the slower songs as he actually kept the pace going well enough. So...

Point to Roxy Blue

Rhythm section

We have Roby "Strychnine" Strine on bass and David James Blackshire on drums for Roxx Gang. Roxy Blue has Scotty T on drums Josh Weil on bass. Scotty T? Strychnine? Did they really think those were cool ideas? Well, anyways it's hard to tell that either band has a bass player because you rarely hear them. On the drums Scotty T. manages to keep time and benefits from decent production. Blackshire is audible I guess, but does nothing to make any impression one way or another. So...

Point to Roxy Blue

Originality/Production

Roxx Gang sound like a very low rent version of Ratt when they are on. However more often than not they just sound they are standing there trying to figure things out as they go along. There are at times one of the most hookless bands I can think of. Roxy Blue borrow from Van Halen, Warrant, Firehouse and lots of others. They had virtually no ideas of their own and sound like a second rate version of the bands they attempt to copy. Roxx Gang are not a very good band to be honest, but the cheapo production hurts them for sure. A number of riffs are buried below layers of fuzz. Roxy Blue received a decent job from Mike Clink. It doesn't make their sound any better, but it doesn't hurt them either.

Point to Roxy Blue

Who rocks more?

This category gets very difficult when rotten bands come into play. Roxx Gang could not spell rocks and they didn't know much about making their music rock either. Roxy Blue tried at following a hard rock blueprint laid out by other bands in the hopes of making it. They came too late and they brought far too little of themselves to the game. However they knew a little about when to cut and move plus they had the benefit of above average production work.

Point to Roxy Blue

Roxy Blue win this war of the weenies by a tune of 4-1.

I had not heard either of these discs in a while and went into it thinking Roxx Gang would win in a close one. However much of that was based on my memory that the opener on the Roxx Gang disc is solid. They never get back to that level again on the album. Roxy Blue annoyed the crap out of me years ago by being so run of the mill. However they were not nearly as dull as Roxx Gang. Roxx Gang should have set the hairspray down and spent more time practicing. It's painfully obvious that they were not ready to do an album. These two albums actually began to make my poor brain feel very numb so I hope you appreciate the great sacrifice I made in writing this segment. I will listen to some real music, regain my senses and be back with another match-up in a few weeks.