Probably a little strangely, there are two cover songs on this album - Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor", the version here which is just brilliant, and has become one of W.A.S.P's greatest hits. The riff throughout is spectacular, and they have made this their own in the same way as Judas Priest did with "Diamonds and Rust". The other cover is Uriah Heep's "Easy Living" which is also one of the better songs on the album. It is just a little funny that having put together two great albums of original material, the band (sorry - Blackie) felt it necessary to put two cover songs in here to 'pad it out'. Had they/he run out of ideas? No matter - it works, and they are great, and it wouldn't be the last cover tune on a W.A.S.P. album.
There is plenty to like here. The title track “Inside the Electric Circus” is a great opener. “Restless Gypsy” and "I'm Alive" are both great songs that follows the W.A.S.P. doctrine. And while songs like “9.5.-N.A.S.T.Y” and “Shoot From the Hip” and “Sweet Cheetah” and “Mantronic” are good songs, they are all very similar musically and even lyrically. With the exception of “I'm Alive” and "Easy Living", the second half of the album (second side if you owned this on vinyl like I did back in the day) is almost like one long song. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but at times it becomes monotonous.
In the long run, either because the album is good on its own merits, or because I have owned and listened to it for so many years I don’t count the flaws against it, I still love this album. It is the poor cousin as such of the two preceding and two following studio albums, but it still holds a place in my heart.
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