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The Lizard

Saigon Kick

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Album Review

Saigon Kick's guitarist and general mastermind Jason Bieler may have bitten off a little more than he could chew when he decided to produce the band's inconsistent second album, 1992's The Lizard. Like its predecessor, the record is a schizophrenic mess, ranging from brilliance to mediocrity in the wink of an eye. In the first category, we find the fabulous metal riffage of "Hostile Youth," Peppermint Tribe," and the title track; the alterna-rock of "God of 42nd Street" and "Feel the Same Way"; and the beautiful acoustic ballad (and minor MTV hit), "Love is on the Way." In the second, we encounter the bulk of the record, including pointless instrumentals ("Cruelty," "Sleep"), faceless metal work-outs ("Freedom," "My Dog"), silly pop ditties ("Chanel"), and so on. For fans only.

Customer Reviews

A great disc from an awesome band!

With “The Lizard,” Saigon Kick managed to bridge the gap between metal and the then new grunge genres. From crushing and heavy guitar riffs to lush vocal harmonies, The Lizard has it all. IMHO, what kept SK from becoming a household name was the one thing that I truly love about them… their diversity. If you like what the radio feeds you… this probably is not the disc for you. If you like adventurous hard rock and metal, then climb aboard!

Too alternative for metal, too metal for alternative

That seems to be the general consensus when discussing SK retrospectively. It's like taking Jane's Addiction and mating them with a metal band, and one gets a bastard offspring that only a mother can love--but in this case, it's because the rest of the industry didn't get them, much in the same way Faith No More is often touted as a one-hit-wonder. Obviously, some people toss such labels around like they're horseshoes, hoping they'll get lucky with one that's a ringer. The Lizard offers up a mostly harder edged SK, with Hostile Youth, Freedom, Peppermint Tribe, and the title track being crunchers that sometimes hit, and other times miss, their mark. While the AMG review calls the instrumental pieces "pointless", I feel they're fairly well done and lead wonderfully into the album's better cuts. Listen to Sleep, followed by All I Want, one of the better tunes on the album, then try listening to only one and it feels incomplete, like the two were meant to go hand and hand. Body Bags, World goes Round, Chanel, and Miss Jones are the weakest tracks here, and it's no surprise they come at the end of the album. That being said, it's not fair to deduct points just because they didn't live up to the rest of the album--with 16 tracks, it's like buying 10 and getting 6 free, so why complain. Standout tunes include the oft-mentioned Love Is On the Way, followed by God of 42nd Street, Peppermint Tribe, and All I want. For those seeking a more eclectic sound, check out the very underrated follow-up, Water, which includes and excellent cover of Bowie's Space Oddity, as well as One Step Closer, Fields of Rape, the title track, and a host of others that bounce around various genres.

Better than most reviewers think!!!

For those of you that want that one power ballad and don't consider the rest of the release should 1) realize that Saigon Kick didn't even write 'Love is On the Way', it's a remake, and 2) quit trying to collect all the power ballads that you can, only to go back in a time machine to your favorite skating rink with you girlfriend and have the best couple's skate of your life, realizing that this is a pitiful, desperate and futile event. This is a great CD. It was pretty heavy when it was released, and of course by today's standards it sounds dated (the production, anyhow). These guys were cursed by releasing something so great at the end of hair metal and the beginning of grunge. The guitarist on this is pretty ripping STILL and there are great harmonies all over this CD. This is more hard rock than anything, and the strong songwriting holds up. If you still need your power ballad fix, 'All I Want' is, to me, a much better song than 'Love Is On The Way'. Let your ears be the judge, ignore the radio and you'll probably like this a lot. Most people that I play this for can't believe that these guys actually wrote some great songs, they only mention 'that one song' (which I never heard on the radio, I lived out of the country). I wanted to give this 4 stars (because I don't like some stuff) but I will instead give this 5 stars to even out the roller disco one-hit-wonder seeker's pitiful comments. Rock on!

Biography

Formed: 1988

Genre: Rock

Years Active: '80s, '90s, '00s

Hard rockers Saigon Kick formed in Miami in 1988 with a lineup including Matt Kramer, Jason Bieler, Tom DeFile and Phil Varone. The band played around the region, and signed with Third Stone/Atlantic in 1990. Saigon Kick's self-titled debut LP did okay, but the following year's album, The Lizard, broke the band with the number-12 single "Love Is on the Way". Just months after the group's success, Tom DeFile left, later to be replaced by Chris McLernon for 1993's Water. The album proved disappointing,...
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