Open Up And Say…Ah!

RE-REVIEW: Poison – Open Up and Say… Ahh! (1988, 2018 180 gram coloured vinyl reissue)

Our review of the deluxe CD edition of this album can be found here.

POISON – Open Up and Say… Ahh! (1988, 2018 Capitol 180 gram coloured vinyl reissue)

There are some bands I find myself constantly having to defend my enjoyment of.  Poison is definitely up there in the top five, if not #1.   They’re not incredible musicians (Richie Kotzen and Blues Saraceno notwithstanding).  They put out some junk.  But they also did at least three legitimately great hard rock albums, and Open Up and Say… Ahh! is one of them.  Poison had good producers behind their best albums.  Bruce Fairbairn, Richie Zito, and in this case, Tom Werman, who had plenty of experience getting great records out of mediocre musicians (and great ones too).

This 180 gram vinyl reissue, on red vinyl and spinning at 45 rpm, still sounds great.  This was a good sounding album 1988 and this record spins well.  The drum sound is a little synthetic sounding, but that was a common issue in the 80s.  Rikki Rocket got a better snare sound later on in the 1990s.  CC’s guitar is like an over-the-top Ace Frehley.  Harsh with more of that 80s transistor amp sound, but actually not that bad on this album.  Frehley was probably the model.  Werman got a solid performance out of Bret Michaels, and layers the choruses with ample backing vocals, but just enough for sweetener.

The album was loaded with mostly good songs.  Opening with the terrific riffing of “Love on the Rocks”, Poison started with a rocker, as if to prove a point.   “She goes down slow, like a shot ‘o gin…” and 14 year old me had no idea what Bret was really signing about, so you have to give the lyricist credit for that.  “You wanna taste my love, why don’t ya swallow this.”  Well, maybe I did get the picture after all.  Swallow This was the original album title, but cooler heads prevailed.  It was later used as the title for Poison’s premature double-live.

Smash hit and first single “Nothin’ But A Good Time” is in the second position, exactly where it belongs, hitting it home immediately.  The riff always struck me as something inspired by Kiss (“Deuce), but later on Kiss ripped off this song for one of their own (“Never Enough”).  Although it’s bubblegum hard rock fun, there’s nothing wimpy about “Nothin’ But A Good Time”.  “Back to the Rocking Horse” is a good track, a sort of Poison deep cut, as is the harmonica-laden “Good Love”.  The first side ends with the darker “Tearin’ Down the Walls”.  Songs like this show that Poison were more than the sum of the public’s perception.  CC’s guitar solos speak.  The lyrics may be shallow (coming home from the road for a good romp in bed), but there’s something about the music that is more than meets the ear.

Opening side two, “Look But You Can’t Touch” has a completely different vibe.  A vicious CC riff kicks it off.  We’ll ignore Bret’s ill-advised lyrics about plying an unwilling young woman with drink.  Not cool, Bret!  (I didn’t think so back in 1988 and I don’t think so now, so don’t come at me.)   Great song otherwise, thanks to CC’s killer riff.  As if to make up for the previous song, Poison got a bit serious on “Fallen Angel”.  In the music video, a predatory manager played by actor Anthony James takes advantage of young girls heading to Hollywood looking for stardom.  It’s a re-enactment of the lyrics:  “She stepped off the bus out into the city streets, just a small town girl with her whole life packed in a suitcase by her feet.”  Things gradually go bad, and Bret’s words serve as a warning.  The song itself remains in the top Poison tracks of all time.  It has it all:  great riff, terrific chorus, strong verses, and another in a series of memorable CC guitar solos.  He didn’t break new ground as a lead soloist, but like many that receive far more praise than he does, CD composes his solos.  The one in “Fallen Angel” is like a mini-song inside a song.

“Every Rose Has Its Thorn” was respected in its time for being a bit further out in the acoustic direction than many bands were comfortable.  “Too country!” said some.  Bret was right on the money with this song, as time has shown.  It didn’t take long (only three years) to become something of a pop culture phenomenon, being quoted in the second Bill & Ted film.  You’ve heard it a million times, but it still stands as a good, well written and well performed ballad, with another great little CC solo.

The cover of “Your Mama Don’t Dance” was cute, and we’ve all heard it a million times now.  It’s fun but at this point we don’t need to discuss it.  We close on “Bad to be Good”, which actually focuses on Bobby Dall’s bass line as the main backbone of the song.  Not to be ignored, listen to CC’s opening guitar licks.  This is a fine song, but not an album cornerstone.  Just a way to take the album out on a dark, sassy note.

One thing we always appreciated about Open Up And Say… Ahh! back in the 80s was that it came with ample photos on the lyric sheet.  Though the cover was always garish and ugly, Poison gave you value when you bought their records.

4/5 stars

 

 

REVIEW: Poison – Poison’d! (2007 Walmart version with bonus track)

POISOND_0001POISON – Poison’d! (2007 Capitol)

Talk about defying expectations.  As a general rule, covers albums suck.  By extension of that, you would certainly predict that a cover album by Poison would absolutely suck.  After all, the band Poison haven’t made a decent studio album in well over 20 years.  2002’s Hollyweird was junk.  Maybe it’s the presence of legendary producer Don Was, but Poison somehow managed to make a good cover album!  I’m almost worried about losing credibility by saying this.  I did indeed get Poison’d by it.

I think Poison are at their best when playing upbeat but hard pop rock numbers.  “Little Willy” by the Sweet is a great example of that kind of song, and it’s right up Bret’s alley.  It’s obvious that he doesn’t have the voice he once had (which wasn’t much to start with) but when Bret’s at home with a particular style it always works better.  “Little Willy” is hella fun.

Here’s my Bowie confession — this guy here is not a fan.  Maybe it’s over-exposure.  I do like the hits, and of those “Suffragette City” is one I enjoy.  Once again, Poison are at home, putting their slant on Bowie and somehow making it work.  I don’t even mind C.C.’s over the top guitar slop — silly but that’s his style.  I’m sure Bowie diehards will absolutely hate this.

The classic Alice Cooper ballad “I Never Cry” is a great song, and Poison throw a little twang on it while keeping it pretty true to the original.  Dick Wagner had a knack for writing incredible songs, and “I Never Cry” is one of the best he’s ever written.  As for Bret, he’ll never be Alice Cooper but he’s not trying to be.  Too bad C.C. can’t seem to hit the notes he’s searching for on the solo!  If Poison had done this in 1988, they absolutely would have had a hit with it.

You wouldn’t expect a band like Poison to have too many Tom Petty records in their collection, but they do a great job glamming up “I Need to Know”.  They nailed it by doing it in their style, and as long as you’re not too attached to Tom Petty’s original then you’ll dig it.   On the other hand, I can picture Bret having a whole bunch of albums by the Marshall Tucker Band.  “Can’t You Say” has that laid back, southern gospel rock vibe that Bret has been trying to copy for 25 years.  Unsurprisingly, “Can’t You See” is better than most of Bret’s originals in the same style.  Guitar solo aside it’s actually pretty great!

One song I really don’t care for anymore is “What I Like About You” by the Romantics.  Hearing a decent cover though ain’t so bad.  Surprisingly, once again, Poison do a great version.  C.C.’s soloing doesn’t fit the track, but hey, that’s C.C. for you.  Bret’s enthusiasm carries the track, which is in Poison rock mode.  Then they slip by covering the Rolling Stones.  “Dead Flowers” isn’t a song I would be brave enough to do, and Poison should have erred on the side of caution and not tried it.  This is filler, but I love the Cars, so I had my hopes up for the next track “Just What I Needed”.  No need to fear — this one is in that hard pop rock mode that Poison do very well.  It reminds me of their own song “So Tell Me Why” in tone.   Count this one as an album highlight and personal favourite.

Some previously released tracks fill out the set.  A Poison covers album should include their first cover, “Rock ‘N Roll All Nite”.  This Kiss cover (produced by Rick fucking Rubin, no shit) was first released on the Less Than Zero soundtrack in 1987.  You can also hear it in the background at the start of their music video for “Nothin’ But a Good Time”.  I do not like it, but it’s nice to include.  The Who’s “Squeeze Box” was originally from the aforementioned Hollyweird CD, and it’s sadly (but not surprisingly) a stinker.  Jim Croce’s “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” is a demo from 1987, previously released on the remastered Look What the Cat Dragged On.  Not bad when you want a taste of that old-style Poison.

I think it’s kind of odd to put “Your Mama Don’t Dance” on this CD, since pretty much every Poison fan in the world already has that song.  But here’s the overrated Loggins and Messina cover for you one more time!  “We’re An American Band” was also previously released, on the Poison best of 20 Years of Rock.  (“Rock ‘N Roll All Nite” and “Your Mama Don’t Dance” are also on that CD.)  It’s a good tune on which to end the CD.

Except it’s not!  Walmart’s version of the CD had a bonus track, and it’s a baffling one.  I’m very proud to say that I have never heard the song “Sexy Back” by Justin Timberlake.  Having said that, I’m sure it’s better than Poison’s industrial-flavoured version.  A colonoscopy is better than this.  So essentially what Walmart have done is ended the album with a colonoscopy for you.  You’re welcome!

Missing: “Cover of the Rolling Stone” from the Crack A Smile album. Too bad, as that would have been better than getting “Your Mama Don’t Dance” yet again. Also missing (but not missed): “God Save the Queen” from the remastered Flesh & Blood.

Overall though?  Good CD.

4/5 stars

REVIEW: Poison – Open Up and Say…Ahh!

POISON – Open Up and Say…Ahh! (1988. 2006 Captiol remaster)

Man, did I feel old when this 20th Anniversary Edition came out. I remember buying the cassette back in ’89 (the year after it was released). I even conned my dad out of the $10 for it by saying it was for a school project! (It was…sort of.)  I purchased this at A&A Records & Tapes on the way home from school.

I’m glad that today, Poison are still around (as a live entity, anyway), and back to the same four guys who rose to fame in the 80’s. Although Flesh & Blood is a good album, and Native Tongue is criminally ignored, Open Up and Say…Ahh! is actually quite strong and best represents the early Poison sound.

Starting off with “Love On The Rocks” (featuring the lyric “swallow this” which was actually the original title of this album), Poison are off to a strong start. The riff is catchy, somewhere between glam rock and old classic rock n’ roll. What C.C. Deville brings to the party is a love of rock n’ roll, and that’s why when he left.  The band went more bluesy, too bluesy for his tastes.  That and the drug addiction did C.C. in. I don’t evem mind his guitar sound on this, I kind of like it. It’s overdriven and shrill, but it rocks and C.C. manipulates his instrument to pull off some cool sub-Frehley solos.

From there it’s the classic “Nothing But A Good Time”. The riff seems ripped off from “Deuce” by Kiss, but then later re-ripped off by Kiss for their song “Never Enough”! Anyway, you know the hits already, so I won’t spend too much time discussing these songs.  Suffice to say that I still hear “Nothin’ But A Good Time” on the radio.

What was actually surprising was that Open Up and Say…Ahh! is more than the sum of its singles. The album tracks are almost entirely as strong. “Back to the Rocking Horse” is another fun, catchy Poison rocker, followed by the harmonica-laden-shoulda-been-a-single “Good Love”. “Tearin’ Down The Walls” ended side one on a fairly strong note, and actually features some interesting changes.

Side two started with “Look But You Can’t Touch”, a juvenile sex song (it sounded juvenile to me even then), which nonetheless has a lot of energy. Then, three singles in a row: “Fallen Angel” (best song on the album), “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (no comment required), and the Loggins & Messina cover “Your Mama Don’t Dance”. Why was bassist Bobby Dall getting arrested in that video? I still don’t know! The album ended with “Bad To Be Good”, a bit too slow and ploddy, and the weakest song on the record.

This special edition has just a scant two bonus tracks, and one is a useless interview. Most people will stop the CD before the interview. The other is the very raw B-side “Livin’ For The Minute” which, if memory serves, was originally the B-side on the “Every Rose” 7″ single. It’s a fast rocker, demo-quality, and is more akin to the sound of the first Poison album. I don’t know where the interview comes from. In all my years of collecting singles, I’ve never run across it before, so if you care about it, it does seem to be a genuine rarity. “Livin’ For The Minute” has been released multiple times elsewhere. (Missing is the B-side “Gotta Face the Hangman”, available on the Crack A Smile CD.)

Also of note, if you had the censored version of this cover, the original has been restored on this edition.  Yes, this cover was censored.  Columbia House sold a version with the tongue and everything below blacked out.  Packaging-wise, don’t expect much else.

As an album, this is fun and has a great 80’s sound, thanks to the production talents of Tom Werman.  Younger kids will dig it for the pop punk-like energy. Older fans will want it for nostalgia purposes. That, and it still rocks really well.

As much as I usually maligned C.C. DeVille (Swallow This Live is almost unlistenable), I really like his work here. He may be no guitar wizard, but at some point you have to recognize the fun guitar playing here. It’s like toffee — sticky, sweet, and good. Too much might make you sick, but in moderation, it hits the spot. And really, he weaves some really fun melodic fills over his riffs, like icing on a cake.

4/5 stars