Sweet Pain - I get My kicks/Subway Terror

When Sweet Pain committed Flash Metal Suicide, they didn't leave much evidence behind. Combat records -- who were quickly getting outta the glam metal game and racing straight towards speedmetal hell by '85 - dumped this record in the stores and left it there to rot, and, as a result, Sweet Pain obviously never got a whole lotta press or label support. And then they broke up a year later, probably for that exact reason. All I really remember about 'em is that they were from NYC, and that they were reportedly a buncha sleazy, drugsucking reptiles. Which, really, is all ya need to know, isn't it? This record got worn down to nothin' but vinyl shreds at Teen Sleaze HQ when it was released, and I tell ya, they didn't sound like the kinda band that was just gonna disappear. They sounded like fighters, not quitters. And when ya think about the timeline they existed in -- Hanoi Rocks had just broken up, Guns N' Roses wouldn't hit for another year- well, who's to say Sweet Pain wouldn't have been the biggest "real" sleaze-glam band on the planet, if they had toughed it out?

But hey, I'm just guessing. Maybe they all hated each other, or maybe their next record woulda been hairspray nonsense anyway. Maybe we'll never know what happened to Sweet Pain, and maybe that's for the best. But the important thing is this- YOU GOTTA HAVE THIS FUCKING RECORD. Given that Sweet Pain copped their name from a Kiss song (it's on Destroyer), and given that they wore zebra skin spandex and scarves and eyeliner and had poodle-perms and liked to pose with bottles of whiskey, chances are you'd take one look at 'em and laugh them off as some kinda East-coast contingency of the Sunset-Strip poser mafia. I mean, they sure did look the part. But once you drop the needle down onto the wax (and you'd have to -- ain't no CD reissue for this 'un, unless I do it myself, at some point), it's a whole different story, man. Sure, their prevailing influence was KISS, but violence and drugs and mayhem were close runners-up. They welded big pop hooks and harmony-laden choruses and Van Halen pyrotechnics onto tough, Dollsy hard rock and filthed everything up with a deep layer of grime and criminal intent and punk attitude, and the results were pure, shameless cock n' roll. True Sleaze, Jack. Ain't nothin' like it.

I mean, honestly, ya gotta hear this thing. Imagine Gary Glitter as a teenage punk backed-up by a buncha druggy KISS fanatics tryin' to out-rock KIX at CBGB's somewhere around 3 AM. And if they CAN'T out-rock 'em, maybe they'll just slit their bellies in the alley afterwards. That's the Sweet Pain sound, man. There was a palpable sense of both arrogance and authentic debauchery to Sweet Pain's music.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Sweet
• Pain
• Glam
• Rock
• Punk
• Metal
• acdc
• aerosmith
• Combat
• Records
• 1985

[speedking1970]

My cassette copy of this album just came in the mail the other day. Now I'm hooked on it!!!! these guys DO NOT suck...

[voltronsky]

whaa? you actually got a cassette copy of this? in the mail? shit! that is rad as fuck!

[devangeli]

fuck off just fuck off this is no good even for the time

[voltronsky]

need hug? :(

[CruezLittleAngel]

FUCKING LOVE THIS RECORD! i found this record while looking thru the metal section of my record store.

[chuckieg1000]

Saw these guys open for Ace Frehley at L'Amour NYC back in like '84. They rocked. Unfortunately a majority of the drunken Ace Frehley crowd threw beer cans at them and gave them tons of shit. But they stuck it out and played their whole set while flipping off the crowd. Was glad I was there,they was cool.

[demarcus68]

I had this cassette back in 1985. Thought it was really cool . I found the vinyl version on Amazon the other day. Can't wait to hear it again.

[speedking1970]

@JarrettGardner80 I got it on Ebay. They still have them on there, I think. You can get a sealed copy for only like 10 bucks. I really want the vinyl version, too. But the cassette has the song "Two Time Love" which the vinyl version didn't :D

[JarrettGardner80]

@redbanger65 Where did you get CD version? How do you reach Corky Gunn? Can we setup a trade? jarrettgardner80@yahoo.com

[JarrettGardner80]

@Caligula442 You got the Sweet Pain Lp on Cd-r? lets set up a trade i have tons of rare 80s hair metal. jarrettgardner80@yahoo.com Thanks!

[JarrettGardner80]

@speedking1970 Where did you get the cassette version?!

[BrunswickDeath]

Blimey. I had this record way, way back in the day. Get My Kicks made me chuckle then, and still makes me chuckle now. Props for having the conkers to take the Starz on but, really, you can't improve on perfection.

[Caligula442]

Ive got this release on my Ipod plus The bassist I believe went to work with L.A. Guns. Shoot for thrills (into the night) is on this and L.A. guns debut.

[grandprixlee]

is shoot for thrills or rock your socks off on this album? could someone possibly post either one? Thx

[redbanger65]

I've had the cassette since the release! And now have it on CD! This Kicks Ass! Bought it because of the Band name, I'm a huge KISS fan, Thought maybe there was a connection. There wasn't, other than being Glam. But I was hooked from the first Liston! Great Album!