Depending on the day of the week, if you were to ask founder, and lead singer Blackie Lawless what W.A.S.P. was an acronym for, he'd give you any number of answers. These could include, White-Anglo Saxson Protestant, We Are Satan's People, or even, We Ain't Sure, Pal. However, the most commonly accepted one is We Are Sexual Perverts, and this is because the words are etched on the center labels of the band's self-titled debut album from 1984.
Regardless, the band has its roots in the now defunct Los Angeles band, Circus Circus, which both Lawless, and other co-founder of W.A.S.P., Randy Piper were in. Rik Fox and Tony Richards would round out the original 1982 lineup and make a name for itself around the surrounding local areas for their raunchy, and often shocking stage shows.
This lineup didn't last long, as Fox would be dismissed, and be replaced by Don Costa. However, he too wouldn't last long, and Brayden Parker would take on the role as bassist. After he departed, Lawless would opt to take over both lead vocals and bass. By 1983, Chris Holmes also joined the band, completing the roster of Holmes, Lawless, Piper, and Richards, who would sign with Capital Record and record their first album.
I already touched on the controversial nature of their initially intended track, Animal (F**k Like A Beast), as well as that the album as a whole performed well, leading to subsequential tours with many notable acts. For more on that, check out yesterday's post. Point being, the album was successful, and the band returned to the studio to record their sophomore follow-up, The Last Command (1985).
This, however, would be without drummer Tony Richards, who was fired in 1984 by Lawless at the demand of their record label for his substance abuse. Steve Riley would not only come in as the new drummer for the album, but the aforementioned tours.
Today, I actually get a song from W.A.S.P. that I was familiar with. No, not from my childhood, but instead from my past recent years of Google searching 80's music and coming across their music video for the tune. While it's definitely the best the album has to offer, the rest isn't bad by any means. Fistful Of Diamonds, Jack Action, Widowmaker, and Cries In The Night were additional standout tracks.
As I noted yesterday, my ears weren't necessarily ready to return to heavy metal after coming off the likes of Megadeth and Iron Maiden and moving on to the more hair band stylings of Hanoi Rocks. Now that the initial system shock had passed, I was back onboard. This also allowed me to appreciate more the slick guitar work of Chris Holmes and Randy Piper, while also getting more into the raspy voice of Blackie Lawless. I wish I could praise the drumming of Steve Riley, but candidly, it felt basic.
After completing The Last Command tour, Piper opted to leave the band and sign on with Alice Cooper. However, when he found out that he would not be the lead guitarist for Cooper, quit. Chris Holmes would step into the roll as lead guitarist, with Lawless putting down the bass for rhythm guitar. This left the roll of bassist open, which was filled by Johnny Rod.
W.A.S.P. released their third album, Inside The Electric Circus in 1986. While it would ultimately lead to mainstream success, it wouldn't be a smooth ride. I'll pick up there tomorrow.
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