''Saigon Kick'' is the eponymous debut album by American rock band

Saigon Kick Saigon Kick is an American hard rock band from Coral Springs, FL, that formed in 1988. When they recorded their debut album and second album the band consisted of lead vocalist Matt Kramer, lead guitarist Jason Bieler, bassist Tom Defile, ...

. It features backing vocals by

Jeff Scott Soto Jeff Scott Soto (born November 4, 1965) is an American Rock music, rock singer of Puerto Rican descent. He is perhaps best known for being the vocalist on Yngwie Malmsteen's first two albums, and the lead vocalist for Journey (band), Journey i ...

Background

Saigon Kick's debut album was the first album to be released on the label Third Stone/Atlantic Records. This joint venture was founded in 1991 by Third Stone Records and

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

in order to distribute releases of Third Stone artists.

Critical reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

in its favorable review noted the stylistic diversity of the album: "Saigon Kick fuses hard rock/heavy metal, '60s-inspired psychedelia and/or punk on the band's aggressive yet melodic debut album."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

's Eduardo Rivadavia saw this diversity as the album's weakness but thought that the songwriting made up for it: "The band tries desperately to please everyone and though they obviously fail, their 1991 eponymous debut still features very inspired songwriting and some amazing chops from guitarist Jason Bieler."

Track listing

Personnel

Saigon Kick

* Matt Kramer – vocals *

Jason Bieler Jason Bieler (also often known simply as "Jason") is a singer, guitarist and songwriter who is most famous for playing with metal band Saigon Kick. He has also played in other bands, including an early touring version of Talisman and Super Tran ...

– guitar * Tom Defile – bass *

Phil Varone Phil Varone (born October 15, 1967) is an American drummer. He is a founding and current member of the rock band Saigon Kick from 1988 to 1996, from 2012 to 2015, and again since 2024. While out of Saigon Kick for several years, some of which ...

– drums

Additional musicians

– backing vocals (10, 13)

Technical personnel

Michael Wagener Michael Wagener (born 25 April 1949) is a German retired record producer, mixer and engineer from Hamburg, best known for his work with many popular American hard rock and heavy metal music, heavy metal bands in the late 1980s. He is particularly ...

– production, mixing * Craig Doubet – engineering *

George Marino George Marino (April 15, 1947June 4, 2012) was an American mastering engineer known for working on albums by rock bands starting in the late 1960s. Biography Marino was born on April 15, 1947, in the New York City borough The Bronx. He attended ...

– mastering * Derek Oliver – 2018 reissue liner notes

References

Saigon Kick albums 1991 debut albums Albums produced by Michael Wagener Atlantic Records albums {{1990s-hard-rock-album-stub