Life Sex & Death

Of all the preposterous, phony baloney publicity stunts concocted by artists and their record companies in an attempt to stand out from the competition, few can compete with the gimmick devised for Los Angeles' Life, Sex & Death (LSD, get it?), whose lead singer, simply known as Stanley, was said to be a homeless street person. Dressed to look like a nattier Tom Waits in the band's press photos, Chris Stann, as his true name was later revealed to be, made for quite a contrast against his production-line glam metal bandmates, guitarist Alex Kane, bassist Bill E. Gar, and drummer Brian Michael Horak. But Stanley's growling, resonant vocals weren't half bad (in a pre-grunge sort of way), his lyrics were far more intelligent and thought-provoking than those of most L.A. bands, and the even-steven blend of hard rock and metal on the group's 1992 eponymous album was in fact quite competent, despite its overall predictable aesthetics. So in light of Life, Sex & Death's unqualified commercial failure and quick disintegration just a few years after forming, it's actually quite possible (heck, make that a certainty) that the entire homeless person ruse only did more damage to the band's career prospects in the end. Nice try, though, Warner Bros.
© Eduardo Rivadavia /TiVo