Little Angels - Young Gods (CD 1991)

There was a youthful enthusiasm about Little Angels which seperated them from the biker jacketed peers of their day (younger than Thunder, more varied than The Quireboys, cuter than The Almighty, less cheesy than Wolfsbane). This band were basically in awe of Cinderella, Bon Jovi and Guns N' Roses but they didn't impersonate their heroes.

Their Second Album 'Young Gods' was a big rock record which focused more on songcraft than it's predecessor 'Don't Pray For Me' (which was all guitar histrionics and mentalist keyboards) but less on Pop Single Status than it's successor 'Jam'.

There are echoes of epic ambition in the opening bombast of Boneyard (also the lead single which claimed to be taken from the album Spitfire, before it was hurriedly retitled in light of the impending Gulf War sensitivites) and in the massive album closer Feels Like The World has Come Undone.

But these upstarts had done their home work. They understood how album structure was important. They paced the albums 5 big singles over the whole record. They'd studied their heroes heroes to broaden their palate further. There were traces of Dylan, Elton, The Faces and The Beatles alongside that Scarborough flavoured American Rock.

Young Gods still sounds like a Young Rock Band having a blast today but the kudos instilled in it's reference points means it's aged better than any other pre grunge UK Hair Metal Band's platter.