by Vincent Jeffries
Emerging from the late-'80s L.A. hard rock club scene, the San Diego quintet Asphalt Ballet caught the attention of Virgin Records and released this self-titled, major-label debut in 1991. Led by ex-Broken Rule vocalist Gary Jefferies, Asphalt Ballet's Danny Clarke (guitar), Julius J. Ulrich (guitar), Terry Phillips (bass), and Mikki Kiner (drums) concocted 13 bluesy, commercial rock tracks that fans of Guns and Roses and Poisen should find satisfying if not entirely original. The album's second track, &Soul Survive,& enjoyed minor radio and MTV attention, but, for the most part, the disc and the band were largely ignored. While certainly a professional attempt at '80-style sleaze rock, Asphalt Ballet contains none of the hooks or the hard living authenticity that Sunset Strip idols Motley Crue, Guns and Roses, or even the lesser LA Guns used to conquer territories outside Southern California. Proving their questionable commitment to the post-Aerosmith blues formula of this debut, Asphalt Ballet's next (and last) major label release Pigs featured a new singer and a much more metallic approach. It takes more than tight trousers and long hair to generate the swagger necessary to pull off elevated crotch rock. Judging from this debut, Asphalt Ballet couldn't muster enough confidence or conviction to fill the leather boots of their bad-boy idols.