Love and Rockets comprises guitarist/vocalist Daniel Ash, bassist/vocalist David J, and drummer Kevin Haskins, all former members of the pioneering goth band Bauhaus. However, the group did not sound very similar to its first incarnation. Instead, Love and Rockets emphasized the strains of psychedelia and glam rock that appeared underneath Bauhaus' gloomy drone, adding elements of pop songcraft, folk, and rock n' roll, as well as cryptic lyrics.Love and Rockets released their first album, 'Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven', in 1985; Their first single, a cover of The Temptations' pychedelic soul classic 'Ball Of Confusion' became a club hit and went gold in Canada. With these initial releases the band began to build a devoted cult following. 'Express', released the following year, was even more successful, charting in both the U.S. and the U.K. It became a staple of the burgeoning US college radio network.
On 'Earth Sun Moon' (1987) the band retreated to more atmospheric acoustic musical territory, the album included the alternative/college radio hit 'No New Tale to Tell', which helped increase the group's fan base. The eponymous, 'Love and Rockets', released in 1989, broke the band into the mainstream, thanks to the T. Rex-inspired 'So Alive' which reached the number two position in the US national charts. The album was nearly as successful, breaking into the Top 20 and going gold.
During the early '90s, the group changed direction, becoming more experimental and incorporating a strong electronic element. THe critically aclaimed 'Hot Trip To Heaven' is evidence if this. The album was not a commercial success however and the group returned to a more guitar oriented sound with 'Sweet F.A.' ( 1995 ). Their last album was 'Lift' ( 1998 ) which featured a combination of electronic and organic sounds. Love and Rockets played their last shows at The Roxy in LA in 1999.After the success of Love and Rockets, the members of the band concentrated on solo and collaborative projects.
