When Guns’n’Roses got signed in ’86, all eyes were on Hollywood. L.A. Guns were also at the top of the street-glam scene that was built upon equal parts punk, vintage glam style, Hanoi Rocks and Aerosmith. After a frenzy of major-label signings, L.A. Guns’ debut on Polygram Records was unveiled in 1988. But was it from the real L.A. Guns?

Paul Black was the band’s original singer and was responsible for many of its best numbers, for which he was never given due credit. Depending on the source, he was either fired for his reckless lifestyle, or quit over musical differences. Ironically, two other original members—Robert Stoddard and Nicky Alexander—were also strangely absent when the debut album hit the shelves. To further distance the new band from the old, rumor has it that Polygram actually purged local mags of any info on the original band, claiming the new lineup was the real deal.

Black List sets the record straight with songs culled from demos the original band recorded while showcasing various major labels. The raunchy “Stranded In L.A.,” and the down-and-dirty “Winter’s Fool” are in stark contrast with the polished metal of the “replacement band’s” major-label material. Black’s gin-infused vocals are wrought with rasp and attitude, falling somewhere between Motorhead’s Lemmy and Steven Tyler.