Followed a tour that brought about good review for their live show, it came time to come up with the follow up to that album. And, though I’m not sure what the band would have discussed when it came to this new album, it seems likely that not only did they want to build on the platform the songs of their first album had provided, but also find a way to continue to be their own band, and not just go with a formula that other glam metal bands had used over the years. That didn’t mean that they would abandon what had been successful, but it feels as though they have made an effort to keep the energy up throughout the whole album, making it something that is impossible to turn away from when it is playing.
Everything that Poison throw at you on this album has a perfect vibe for what the band is trying to achieve. So yes, the songs are the high partying, love as a metaphor type songs that you generally expect from the hair and glam metal bands of the era. And they are the songs that, for the most part but not exclusively, are centred on attracting the female sex to their music. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t attractive to teenage and 20-something guys too. Because the mix of what the lyrics are saying and the way the music is played are two entirely different things, and therefore are expelling two different types of attractants to the listener.
Most of the album moves along at the rock kind of pace, one that allows for head bobbing and foot tapping, even air guitaring and drumming in places. Songs that you can put on in the car and blasts out at volume as you drive down the strip, or the Australian equivalent of that, the avenue. The opening six tracks on the album all have a certain set of credentials in that they are based on the terrific rhythm of Rikki Rockett’s classy drumming and the sensational bass lines of Bobby Dall, both of which drive the album wonderfully well. They are the undersold gems of Poison and especially on this album. Because usually when you speak of the band, it is the vocals of Bret Michaels and the lead guitar of CC De Ville that gets the plaudits. And, once again, both are great here. Poison does live off of Michaels’ awesome vocal chords and the way he is able to sell the songs, and CC’s lead breaks and squeals are also what draws in many listeners. But that solid spectacular drumming and terrific bass underneath, combined with both of their excellent supporting vocals, are as much as the success story of this album as the two who get the front and centre gig.
And they are great hard rock tracks, like I said. “Love on the Rocks”, “Nothin’ But a Good Time”, “Back to the Rocking Horse” are all uptempo and upvibing songs, perfect party songs once the beer has kicked in. Then you have “Good Love”, “Tearin Down the Walls” and “Look But You Can’t Touch” that continue that energy through the middle of the album.
The one song here of course that doesn’t fit that mould is “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”, which many people viewed as a cynical attempt to get radio airplay when this album was released. I was one of them. But to be honest the true nature of the track is that Bret Michaels wrote it for a reason, and then found the perfect place on the album to put it so that it didn’t mess up the flow of the album, and create any road blocks. Placed between the high voltage of “Fallen Angel” and the terrific rocked-up version of the Loggins & Messina cover version of “Your Mama Don’t Dance”, “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” has its acoustic based power anthem well surrounded, such that it blends in as well as this kind of song can when it is so different from what comes before and after. And of course, the radio DID eat it up. And the album sales soared because of it.
So perhaps you have already gathered from the way this review has gone, that when this album was released, I pretty much turned my nose up at it. And like other albums and artists before and since, it was more from a case that acquaintances of mine who didn’t like the music I was into suddenly saying “Yeah! Poison! How awesome are they?!” and me turning away from them on that basis. And yes that was petty, because I loved the other bands I mentioned at the top of the program that were from the same area and of the same genre, so I really should have been right behind them! But no, I let them and this album pass, with only the singles to go off. And it wasn’t until a full 14 months later, when I actually saw Poison live touring on this album (and yes, we had only gone to see them because it was a few weeks after we saw Metallica on the “Damaged Justice” world tour, and we were so amped and desperate to see more live bands that we decided to go to this tour) that I had any thoughts about catching up on the album. Which, for the most part, I still didn’t do.
FINALLY, about 20 years ago, I saw an MTV live set that the band did, with songs off the first two albums, and I thought “Wow, they sound great! I should go back and check out those albums!” Which I did. And have now spent the last 20 years kicking myself as to why it took me so long to actually indulge myself in this album in particular. Because it’s great! It has touches of Motley Crue and Ratt about it, but mostly it is just energetic, passionate hair metal that doesn’t muck around, doesn’t have ebbs and flows like other albums, it just comes at you and keeps going. The musicianship is brilliant, and the songs are fun and rocking. Is it just me reminiscing about this era of my life that has me enjoying this so much now? I don’t doubt that that is a part of it, but mostly, I just think this is a great album of the genre. And having had it on rotation for the last three weeks once again, I think my enjoyment of this album has only grown as a result.
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