From the Vault...

11/05/2000
#706

info
Poison
"Flesh And Blood"


© Capitol Records

Year of Release: 1990
Rating:

track listing
  • Strange Days
    Of Uncle Jack
  • Valley Of Lost Souls
  • (Flesh And Blood)
    Sacrifice
  • Swampjuice (Soul-O)
  • Unskinny Bop
  • Let It Play
  • Life Goes On
  • Come Hell Or
    High Water
  • Ride The Wind
  • Don't Give Up An Inch
  • Something To
    Believe In
  • Ball And Chain
  • Life Loves A Tragedy
  • Poor Boy Blues

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    Poison Website
    Wikipedia
    Previous Review: #705
    R.E.M.--Dead Letter Office
    Next Review: #707
    Steve Martin--A Wild And Crazy Guy
    Poison
    "Flesh And Blood"



    Recently, I've been hearing a lot of negative talk about 1980s hard-rock Poison. The hype was pretty-boy makeup Kiss wanna-be's, and/or their sound was too pop for heavy-metal rock hair bands. Whether you like Poison or not, their sound was one of many who made hard-rock hair bands famous. And yes, they faded towards the beginning of the 1990s decade, (typical fights with members of the group, and/or drug use), but for some bands recently, Poison is back recording again, with the original members, and for those who enjoyed this kind of music from the Eighties can relive them again, and also the younger crowd can be introduced to their music as well.


    Like many biography/documentaries, VH-1's Behind The Music provides excellent coverage of a well-known band or artist. Poison got this treatment last year, as we all saw the story of singer/guitarist Bret Michaels and company's rise to fame as one of many 1980s rock bands who enjoyed the spotlight. Bret Michaels had come a long way, being a diabetic, and had to be careful in the crazy "sex, drugs and rock and roll" lifestyle. His other band members shared the lifestyle, and some were threatened that if their constant drug use continued, they would be fired. (It happened to C.C. DeVille; he was replaced, and like many other bands, the decline of a band occurs when a member is replaced, as they try to pick up where they left off.) But today, the original members of Poison are back together, as they just released 2 albums, Crack A Smile ... And More and Power To The People.


    Flesh And Blood was during Poison's prime, and it is an exceptional album... Let's see why...


    The album's opener, "Strange Days Of Uncle Jack" has a lot of sound effects -- phone calls, whirling wind sounds, as it is a short intro for preparation to "blast off" in 1980s hair-rock heavy metal adventure -- it leads into "Valley Of Lost Souls," a song that simply rocks, 1980s hair-bands style, with excellent guitar solos, flashy drumming, and all-and-out hard rock. "(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice" has a more 1980s Kiss sound, "Swampjuice (Soul-O)" can easily be compared to Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive," with its accoustic guitar, yet this song is an instrumental.


    "Unskinny Bop" is the ultimate Poison song... as it was very popular, and a regular radio airplay favorite. "Let It Play" starts out with excellent acapella vocals, and then kicks into another Poison hard-rock song, Poison style. And like many other hard-rock Eighties band, "Life Goes On" is a monster ballad, where things slow down a bit, and this ballad is a good one...


    With a title such as "Come Hell Or High Water," it definitely has to have a kick-ass hard-rock sound, and it certainly does... Poison style... If you like their hit "Nothin' But A Good Time" (likewise 1980s Kiss), you'll like this one too. "Ride The Wind" and "Never Give Up An Inch" are hard-rock, yet they both have a pop-metal sound also. No complaints; they're both good songs.


    The ultimate monster ballad is featured here -- "Something To Believe In," a great ballad with a great sound, and the lyrics are great too. "Ball And Chain" has the Bon Jovi accoustic-sounding guitars (as heard in "Swampjuice," as it kicks into another hard-rocking Poison number, (just like Bon Jovi and many other Eighties rock bands...)


    "Life Loves A Tragedy" begins as a ballad, and then kicks into another hard-rock song, and the album's closing song, "Poor Boy Blues" starts out as grit, slow "strip for this one" blues, as it later kicks into typical blues boogie-woogie rock... very cool...


    Flesh And Blood is a great album. Despite what anyone says negatively about Poison, they're one of many bands that dominated the hard-rock hair-band years of the late 1980s. Some of those bands are still around today, (or in Poison's case, getting back together again), and they've picked a good time to do so. They probably won't be as famous now as they were back then, but I'm sure they will all bring back pleasant memories of those who enjoyed their music in their heyday. Poison is cool; there are bands who are better than them, but still, Poison's music is enjoyed by those who loved them, no matter what other people say.


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    Previous Review: #705
    R.E.M.--Dead Letter Office
    Next Review: #707
    Steve Martin--A Wild And Crazy Guy