L.A. Guns’ “Rip and Tear” is an early knockout on Cocked & Loaded (track 3, 4:11), credited to the classic lineup—Phil Lewis, Tracii Guns, Mick Cripps, Kelly Nickels, and Steve Riley. Recorded in spring ’89 in Hollywood and produced by Duane Baron, John Purdell, and Tom Werman, it pushes late-’80s glam metal with extra bite. Coming right after the opener and “Slap in the Face,” it’s the moment the album snaps into gritty, street-level swagger and proves the band’s edge goes beyond party-rock.
Musically, it’s pure momentum: short, punchy, built around a huge chorus, with room for Tracii Guns’ signature bite—flashy phrasing and controlled sleaze that keeps it dangerous but tight. The production stays loud and immediate, with the rhythm section driving hard. Lyrically, it’s straight bravado and confrontation—less glam fantasy, more weaponized confidence. Even critics clocked that “bullet-belt” attitude on the album’s tougher cuts, and Phil Lewis has said he still has his original handwritten lyric notes for songs like “Rip and Tear,” showing how deliberate that edge was.
As a single, “Rip and Tear” set the tone for Cocked & Loaded: released in 1989, it hit No. 47 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart—solid rock-radio traction that helped lock in credibility before “The Ballad of Jayne” broke bigger. It still feels essential because it captures L.A. Guns leveling up without losing the grime.
The “Rip and Tear” video is a straight 1989 promo—more style and performance than storyline—built to sell the band’s attitude and look. It’s credited to Jeff Zimmerman and later appeared on the 1990 video release Love, Peace & Geese; it still circulates online as an “official” upload. The whole thing is a time-capsule of late-’80s hard rock “danger”: leather-glam grit, guitarist spotlight, and the band framed like a crew—impact over nuance.
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