by Skid Row released their B-Side Ourselves EP on September 22, 1992, and it went on to chart at #58 on The Billboard 200, #48 in the Swedish Albums Chart, and #15 in the Japanese Albums Chart. The EP consists of five cover versions of songs that were written by bands that had a certain influence on Skid Row. Apparently, each band member chose one song to cover.
The EP includes the following tracks:
- Psycho Therapy by Ramones
- C’mon and Love Me by Kiss
- Delivering the Goods by Judas Priest
- What You’re Doing by Rush
- Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix
The songs are quite diverse in regard to their production and feel, given the fact that the EP sees 3 different singers. Cover 1, Psycho Therapy, is sung by bass player Rachel Bolan – with backing vocals of Taime Downe from Faster Pussycat –, which has a certain Ramones feel to it, thanks to Bolan’s more punkesque singing style. Cover 2, C’mon and Love Me, sees original Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach bringing the expected rock-roaring to the record – great track with loads of rock-balls, just how it’s supposed to be.
Cover 3, Delivering the Goods, is a live recording with a very special guest, Rob Halford from Judas Priest. Man, maybe the best live recording of the song I’ve ever heard from any band. Furthermore, the combination of Bach’s with Halford’s vocals is phenomenal. My favourite track on the record, for sure! Anthrax feat. Public Enemy – Bring The Noise (1991)
Rush’s What You’re Doing is the 4th cover on the EP. It sounds closely similar to C’mon And Love Me, production-wise, and it is a good bridge to another highlight on the EP: cover 5, Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix. Skid Row made a video for Little Wing and used it as promotional vehicle for the EP. To my knowledge, the video didn’t receive much TV airplay. Nonetheless, the song stands out because of the great guitar performance of Scotti Hill.
In my humble opinion, Skid Row did every cover song on the record justice and in a way refreshed the compositions with their unique rock style and smart arrangements. Even though I think that Skid Row’s Slaves To The Grind album belongs into the Top 10 Best Metal Albums In History, this EP belongs to the band’s best work ever. If you enjoy good cover versions of legendary rock songs, this is the record for you.
