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Reviews are given 1 - 5 stars.
1. Little Willy (originally performed by Sweet)
2. Suffragette City (originally performed by David Bowie)
3. I Never Cry (originally performed by Alice Cooper)
4. I Need To Know (originally performed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
5. Can’t You See (originally performed by The Marshall Tucker Band)
6. What I Like About You (originally performed by The Romantics)
7. Dead Flowers (originally performed by The Rolling Stones)
8. Just What I Needed (originally performed by The Cars)
9. Rock And Roll All Nite (originally performed by KISS)
10. Squeeze Box (originally performed by The Who)
11. You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (originally performed by Jim Croce)
12. Your Mama Don’t Dance (originally performed by Loggins and Messina)
13. We’re An American Band (originally performed by Grand Funk Railroad)
Barbecue season is just around the corner and, you know what that means, Poison is on tour. This time they are hitting 50 U.S. cities to support their new CD of cover songs, aptly titled Poison’d!
Poison’d!, produced by Don Was, is the quartet’s first new studio release since 2002’s Hollyweird and features original members Bret Michaels (vocals), C.C. Deville (guitar), Rikki Rockett (drums) and Bobby Dall (bass).
Released on June 5th, the album sold 21,000 copies in its first week and debuted at #32 on the Billboard 200.
“Little Willy” sets the mood for the thirteen track release, which can be described in one word...fun!
“Suffragette City” and “I Never Cry” follow and clearly show their glam rock influences. Sweet, The Thin White Duke and Alice Cooper are just some of the artists that cleared the way for Poison and others, so I’m pleased they are getting recognized and perhaps being introduced to a new generation.
Brett Michaels takes on an edgier style vocally for “I Need To Know” and their rendition of “Can’t You See”, but still has the recognizable Poison sound that everyone knows and loves.
The first single, “What I Like About You”, originally performed by The Romantics, continues the joyride.
Poison take on The Rolling Stones classic “Dead Flowers” and “Just What I Needed” by The Cars next. Admittedly, it took me several listens to warm up to these versions, but now they are two of my favorites.
Fans familiar with the band’s history are aware the remaining tracks on Poison’d! came from previous releases. While they are great covers and I love re-visiting “Squeeze Box” and “We’re An American Band” many times, it would have been cool to hear a Bob Seger or Slade tune. That little qualm aside, if you have any doubts that Poison aren’t able to remake some of the classics, push them aside. Fans of all genres of rock music will enjoy Poison’d!
I’m eager to see Poison with Ratt and Vains of Jenna in August. Based upon my latest experience, it’s sure to be “Nothin’ But A Good Time”!
Poison’s Official Website: http://www.poisonweb.com
Poison on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/poison
Reviewed by: Sherry Thomas | June 2007
