Circus of Power

by Circus of Power

Overview

During the late '80s, Circus of Power led the New York sleaze rock pack. The problem is that all the genre's action was happening on the West Coast. L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat were sopping up whatever grimy leftovers that Guns N' Roses and Moetley Cruee were leaving behind, and L.A. bands also dominated the rest of the country's underground glam scene. If you really wanted to make gutter rock, L.A. was Mecca, and to practice it anywhere else meant your heart (and home) really wasn't in the right place. Considering this, it isn't surprising that Circus of Power's sleazy, but distinctly New York tough-guy attitude didn't generally impress the sizable American glam/sleaze audiences of the times. The band were definitely embarking on an uphill climb (considering their distant proximity to the post-glam epicenter) and their generally unremarkable songwriting did nothing to lighten the load. Singer Alex Mitchell's Ian Astbury-influenced vocal style is a refreshing change of pace when compared to the whimpering tunelessness of many similar band's frontmen, but that's about all these guys had going for them. Joining Mitchell on this 1988 RCA debut were Ryan Maher on drums, guitarist Rickey Beck Maler, and bassist Gary Sunshine. Together, the musicians of Circus of Power offer few memorable riffs or rhythmic energy to support Mitchell's vocal swagger, and the lyrics never reach beyond the standard hard-drinking, goofy sexualized imagery of standard sleaze rock. During bright spots like "In the Wind" and "Machine" the band establishes some live-fast-die-young momentum, but there are too many forgettable songs on Circus of Power to warrant any kind of recommendation. ~ Vincent Jeffries

Product Details

Release Date:	03/29/2011
Label:	Rock Candy
UPC:	0827565052721

Tracks

1. Motor
2. White Trash Queen
3. Call of the Wild
4. Needles
5. In the Wind
6. Heart Attack
7. Crazy
8. Letters Home
9. Backseat Mama
10. Machine
11. Backseat Mama
12. Motor
13. In the Wind
14. Dreams Tonight
15. [Untitled]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Circus of Power   Primary Artist
Alex Mitchell   Vocals
Gary Corbett   Piano
Gary Sunshine   Bass
Ryan Maher   Drums
Ricky Beck Mahler   Guitar

Technical Credits

Malcolm Dome   Liner Notes
Grey Russell   Engineer
George Marino   Mastering
Alex Mitchell   Composer,Lyricist,Photography,Group Member
Daniel Rey   Producer
Ted Nugent   Composer
Jim Ball   Engineer
Andy Pearce   Remastering
Iggy Pop   Composer
Daniel Ray   Mixing,Producer
Gary Sunshine   Composer,Group Member
Ria Lewerke   Design,Art Direction
Derek Oliver   Liner Notes
Wendy Goldstein   A&R
Ryan Maher   Composer,Group Member
Pietro Alfieri   Design,Art Direction
Abdu Malahi   Mixing Assistant
Joe Henehan   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Ricky Beck Mahler   Group Member
Curt Evans   Design
Matt Wortham   Assistant
Mark Dearnely   Mixing
Bob Polomik   Photography
Amy Quip   Cover Art,Photography
Mark Gaydos   Mixing Assistant