Roadrunner "Downer" - Downer

Abject failure is often as "interesting" as runaway success. You do learn from both and in the case of the Downer record, look for situations that will never repeat themselves. Ever.
The Cali-based foursome's single Roadrunner elpee isn't a bad record -- it just isn't a real good one. There's a couple of great songs: "Last Time", with a shuffling groove and lead singer/shouter John Scott's boisterous yelp made this a rock radio "almost". "Flex" and "BiFurious" are both pretty great: Tool-esque and riff-tastic in scope.
Check out the track "Sweet and Sour" from the band's earlier Ammunition Records album and you get the sense that there was a hell of a lot more fire before life at the double-R. Somewhere along the line they lost it.
Lesson: a band this untogether will more than likely never get its shit together.
What made this a fabulous disaster was really how untogether Downer was as a band. Guitarist Aaron Silberman with Scott were the mainstays with a revolving cast of drummers and bassists -- members of Handsome and 16 -- in a relatively short span of time. Not a good sign.
Once the record got underway, there was also a steady stream of producers -- including one who was rumored to have left an object that conjecture was thought to be a cock-ring on the kitchen table. Yeah. Ultimately, the non-cock-ringing Bob Marlette (Airborne) brought the record in.
Like I said, not bad record, just a bit monotonous. Cool riffs. John Scott's vocals tend to get a bit samey, the victim of so many producer changes no one was ultimately able to work with the guy in the studio.
By the time Downer had to go out and promote the thing, the wind hadn't merely gone out of the band's sails. The ship was near sinking. A disastrous showcase in NYC (headlined by a then-unsigned Ill Nino) spelt the end of things.
Hey, the record has a cool cover by Metallica artsman Pushead....