Editing Rich Kids on LSD (section)

===''Rock 'n Roll Nightmare''===
Due to the increasingly acrimonious situation between the band and Mystic Records and a luckless 1986 tour (dubbed the ''Disastour'' by the band<ref name=losangelestimes/>), RKL was looking for a new home and found one with the independent Alchemy Records. They were also gearing up to take their sound to the next level. Bomer was the driving force and creative head of the band.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jazz|first=Jimmy|title=La música es como la comida, ojalá la gente estuviera más abierta a probar nuevos platos": entrevista con Joey Cape (Lagwagon, Bad Astronaut)|url=http://tanakamusic.com/2012/03/22/la-musica-es-como-la-comida-ojala-la-gente-estuviera-mas-abierta-a-probar-nuevos-platos-entrevista-con-joey-cape-lagwagon-bad-astronaut/|work=Tanaka Music|access-date=22 March 2013|language=es|date=March 22, 2013}}</ref> Rest said: "He played so fast and tight that we were all forced to do the same. He was a perfectionist and expected the same from us."<ref name="bomermemorial" /> Vince Peppars would depart around this time. According to Bomer, he didn't like the direction of the new material and preferred the earlier rawer sound.<ref name="zap">{{cite journal |author1=James |author2=Hollis, Lee |title=RKL interview with James & Lee |language=de |journal=ZAP Fanzine |issue=3 |pages=24–33 |date=August 1988 }}</ref> Their next album, ''[[Rock 'n Roll Nightmare]]'' (also known as ''Lifestyles of the Rich Kids on LSD - A Rock N Roll Nightmare'') stayed true to the fast tempo and hardcore sound the band was known for, but introduced elements of progressive rock and thrash metal to their sound as well as a technical musicianship that was very uncommon for the punk genre at the time.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dahlia|first=Blag|title=Rich Kids on LSD "Greatest Hits – Live in Berlin" review|url=http://punkworldviews.com/rich-kids-on-lsd-greatest-hits-review/|work=Punk World Views|access-date=6 May 2013}}</ref> ''[[Maximumrocknroll]]'' called it "Very strong" in their review of the album.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Reviews |journal=Maximumrocknroll |date=Dec 1987 |issue=55 |url=https://archive.org/details/mrr_055/page/n61 |access-date=7 April 2019}}</ref> About their sound, Bomer said: "People say that we have a metal influence, but really, all our licks are pretty much rhythm and blues based, but it's super fast! So instead of saying it's metal, I'd say it's just super fast rock and roll."<ref name="flipside1989" /> They still did not have a bass player for the sessions. Previously, Ricky Bowersock had succeeded Peppars, but the band had soured on him and the spot was vacated. Bowersock appeared as 'Rikkity Borrow A Sock' under a "Special No Thanks" part of the [[liner notes]] of the next album, along with Doug Moody. Subsequently, Bomer ended up playing both drums and bass on the recording.<ref name="trustzine" /> [[Mark Deutrom]], producer of the album, says "Bomer tracking all the drum parts in a row without a [[Studio recording#The process|scratch track]] is one of the more impressive things I’ve seen in a studio."<ref name="trustzine" /> Regarding the album [[Fat Mike]] of [[NOFX]] and owner/founder of [[Fat Wreck Chords]], is quoted as saying this in 2007:

{{cquote|[After Keep Laughing, RKL] was the band that we wanted to be, but couldn’t pull it off. A year goes by. Rock 'n Roll Nightmare comes out. Now we're totally fucked. Suddenly, the best hardcore band of our time just got one hundred times better. This record is a landmark. No band has ever written anything like it...we listened to it at least twice a day, everyday... Twenty years later, I pull out Rock 'n Roll Nightmare and put it on. I realize that after all these years of touring and recording my band still can’t pull off any of this. I can’t play these bass riffs, [[Eric Melvin|Melvin]] can’t touch the guitar, and [[Erik Sandin|Smelly]]—who is a great drummer—can’t even come close to what Bomer can do.<ref name="trustzine" />}}

Andrew Kiraly, writing for the ''[[Las Vegas Mercury]]'', comedically gave this album the award "Best Album of 1987 I Found While Digging in My Desk Which I'm Surprised Hasn't Been 'Rediscovered' By Critics and Hailed Anew As a Masterpiece, or Maybe I'm Just Feeling Stupid and Nostalgic".<ref>{{cite news|last=Kiraly|first=Andrew|title=Best CDs of 2003|newspaper=Las Vegas Mercury|date=December 25, 2003}}</ref>

====New bass player====
After auditioning at least a dozen potential bass players, they finally found [[Joe Raposo (bassist)|Joe Raposo]] through an advertisement in ''Maximumrocknroll''.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[Maximumrocknroll]] |title=Scene Reports: Northern California |date=May 1987 |issue=48 |url=https://archive.org/details/mrr_48/page/n21 |access-date=6 April 2019}}</ref> An audition was set up for Raposo by a friend.<ref name="ox">{{cite journal|last1=Lampert|first1=Christoph|title=Interviews & Artikel Joe Raposo|journal=Ox Fanzine|date=October–November 2008|issue=80|url=http://www.ox-fanzine.de/web/print/pdf/s/212/itv/3211/interviews.212.html|access-date=26 September 2015}}</ref> Raposo became the bass player for RKL in time for touring support of RocK 'n Roll Nightmare.<ref name="flipside1989" /> In 1988, RKL toured Europe in support of the new album where it was particularly well received. A live album was recorded in West Berlin at Quartier Latin (now [[:de:Wintergarten (Varieté)|Wintergarten Varieté]]) on July 9, 1988. It was entitled ''Greatest Hits [[double album|Double]] Live''  and released on Destiny Records. It was the first RKL album on [[CD]] in addition to the common [[Vinyl records|vinyl]] and [[Compact Cassette|cassette]] formats. The artwork of the album is a collection of blotter acid paper of varying size, image, and age contributed by Mark McCloud,<ref name="flipside1989" /> famous for his extensive collection which he calls the ''Institute of Illegal Images''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://missionlocal.org/2010/11/lsd-museum-or-institute-of-illegal-images/|title=LSD Museum or Institute of Illegal Images?|website=Missionlocal.org|date=12 November 2010|access-date=8 September 2020}}</ref> Due to Raposo's status as a minor (he was only seventeen), his parents, though less than enthusiastic, gave permission for him to leave the country. Ward was named temporary guardian for the European tour.<ref name="ox" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EZJcHjb02M&t=1m17s  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/_EZJcHjb02M |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=4 October 2018|title=L'Anecdote #014 : Joe Raposo of Lagwagon|date=23 August 2017 |publisher=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The signed guardianship papers are included in the ''Greatest Hits Double Live'' artwork.<ref name="kreiszeitung.de">{{Cite web|url=https://www.kreiszeitung.de/kultur/jeder-generation-ihre-klassiker-10149067.html|title=Jeder Generation ihre Klassiker|date=23 August 2018|website=Kreiszeitung.de|access-date=8 September 2020}}</ref>

RKL also sold their Mystic-era material to Destiny without Mystic Records' permission. Destiny proceeded to release a compilation album of Mystic recordings and called it ''Revenge is a Beautiful Feeling'' in reference to their perceived mistreatment by Mystic Records. The cover also featured a caricature of Doug Moody with his neck being twisted up by the same monster character that appeared on the cover of RKL's previous release, ''It's a Beautiful Feeling''.

Through it all, RKL mainly played in Europe and California. There was no official US tour to back the ''Rock 'n Roll Nightmare'' album.<ref name="flipside1989" /> [[The Mascara Snake|Victor Hayden]] was in charge of the business side of Alchemy records. About Alchemy's promotion of ''Rock 'n Roll Nightmare'', Sears said: "[Advertisements in] ''Maximumrocknroll'' and [[Flipside (fanzine)|''Flipside'']] was about as far as it got. And we didn't have our own ad, it was sort of a Mystic deal where you had every band on the label listed as new albums... And in our payment they took out some for promotion, saying that [Victor Hayden] sent posters to all the stores, and put ads in all kinds of magazines. There was those two ads, and no one's ever seen a poster."<ref name="flipside1989" />