W.A.S.P. The Best of the Best (2 Lp's)

W.A.S.P.: Blackie Lawless (vocals, guitar, bass); Randy Piper (guitar, background vocals); Chris Holmes, Bob Kulick (guitar); Mike Duda, Johnny Rod (bass, background vocals); Stet Howland, Tony Richards (drums, background vocals); Steve Riley (drums); Frankie Banali (percussion). Recorded in March 1984-December 1999. Morally suspect L.A. hair metal never got as sinister as it did in the hands of W.A.S.P. As theatrical and attention-craving as elder gods Kiss, they grabbed listeners by the denim lapels with loud, sexually explicit come-ons and vaguely Satanic imagery. THE BEST OF THE BEST: 1984-2000 makes one hell of a case that while singer Blackie Lawless's meat flinging antics and spark-firing crotch mechanism may have gotten fans into the seats, the band's colorful, raunchy Sunset Strip rock & roll kept them coming back for more. This comprehensive 2-disc, 32-track collection features songs from throughout W.A.S.P.'s lengthy career, including classics "Animal (F___ Like a Beast)," "Show No Mercy," "Sex Drive," and "The Headless Children." Even though Tipper Gore and the other concerned citizens have moved on, it's good to know that W.A.S.P.'s crude, carnal racket is still available to raise eyebrows.

• Released: 03/03/2015
• Format: Vinyl
• Genre: Pop