Poison Hollyweird CD

New Studio Album

Poison: Bret Michaels (vocals, acoustic guitar); C.C. Deville (guitar); Bobby Dall (bass); Rikki Rockett (drums, percussion).
Personnel: Bret Michaels (vocals, guitar, harmonica); C.C. DeVille (vocals, guitar); Rikki Rockett (vocals, drums, percussion); Bobby Dall (vocals); Dan Wagner (keyboards); Cliff Calabro, Christy Calabro, Mark Poole (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Cliff Calabro; Thom Panunzio.
Recording information: Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; Hit Shed; Rock Central, Sherman Oak, CA.
Photographers: Annamaria DiSanto; Rikki Rockett.
Unknown Contributor Role: C.C. DeVille.
It was inevitable that the original lineup of Poison would make a comeback effort in 2002 -- they had spent so long on the VH1 airwaves, they had set the stage for a storming return. Like many bands of their era, they were smart enough to make the comeback on a small indie label, which meant they had little pressure to conform to the shifting tastes of their time, and instead could offer a new record in their old style. And that's exactly what Hollyweird (wonderful title, eh?) is -- a return to the sound of Open Up and Say Ahh, but by an older, wiser, more ambitious band. "Ambitious" shouldn't be read as if the group has gone prog, although at times they can have the pomp and circumstance of Meat Loaf ("Wishful Thinkin'" has a chorus straight out of Jim Steinman). Instead, they're sprinkling serious subjects among the party anthems, in an attempt to draw a portrait of their hometown. Their (largely) serious intentions are given weight by their leanest, hardest production yet, the first to really showcase the band as a rock band, not a pop-metal outfit. The thing is, it all works, and the result is one of Poison's best records, if not their best; it says a lot that by far the worst moment is not an original, but an awful cover of a Pete Townshend song (granted, it's "Squeeze Box," the worst song he ever wrote). It may not really appeal to anybody but the converted -- despite their wide exposure on VH1, only the diehards are likely to buy a Poison album in 2002 -- but the weird thing is, this would be the album to convince doubters that the band is actually pretty good after all. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Say what you will about Poison; these glamour boys are worthy of veteran status, releasing HOLLYWEIRD 15 years after their debut LOOK WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN. Poison plays homage to the gritty side of their beloved Hollywood in both "Wishful Thinkin'" and the title track. "Shooting Star," weaves a tale of a small-town girl with stars in her eyes and boasts one of the band's signature gang-vocal choruses (much in the spirit of "Fallen Angel" from OPEN UP AND SAY AHH!).
While they're not the first to cover it, Poison's take on Pete Townshend's "Squeeze Box" notches up the innuendo, making it their own. No stranger to the forefront (after leading his trio Samantha 7), notorious guitarist C.C. DeVille takes over lead vocals in the reprise of the anthemic singalong "Home." When you consider the come-and-go trends the music business has seen during Poison's history, it's an accomplishment to find a band spawned by the likes of KISS and Motley Crue still churning out their brand of sleazy, fun pop-metal while most of their contemporaries are extinct.