Tigertailz was Britain’s answer to what was going on in Los Angeles in the 1980s. This band created their own feel and executed it with a certain level of perfection. They definitely had the look, the songs, and that priceless sleaze element. If that wasn’t enough, they even came out at the right time. The big question is why didn’t they make it big alongside Poison or Mötley Crüe? The answer is much more difficult than the question, though. In reality, there really is no good answer; the stars didn’t simply align for Tigertailz. Many had missed hearing this band in the first place; the records were out of print for a number of years, but now this archival box corrects the situation. What’s more, there’s a promise of more to come!
This archive box is simply fantastic. Included here are the first two albums, Young and Crazy, from 1987, and the follow-up, Bezerk, from 1990. May claim, those two albums completely define who Tigertailz were and what they did. In addition to that, there are very hard-to-find EPS in this set as well. Namely: Shoot to Kill, Livin’ Without You, Love Bomb Baby, Noise Level Critical, Heaven, and Banzai. Trying to find those now rare releases is next to impossible, yet here they are, all in one place. There are even demo tracks dating back to 1984. HNE recordings certainly went out of their way to compile anything and everything that was significant in Tigetailz’s career between 1984 and 1991. There is also a great booklet with a lot of great photos and an informative essay from Dave Ling. Three CDs in all cover the whole spectrum!
When listening back to these recordings, at times they sound dated, but so does everything else from that time frame. What’s really cool is the feel of the spirit that comes out of those songs, and that is timeless! If you were there, you would feel it right away, and that attitude quickly kicks into overdrive! Those were great party years on a scale that will never be repeated again. Your rock stars looked like rock stars, glam and glitz, taking no prisoners. Also, you quickly realize that Tigertailz had all of the ingredients and potential to be big. While superstardom escaped them, musically they delivered some great and memorable songs.
Mark Kadzielawa
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