Mr. Big - 2010 - What If...

1. Undertow
2. American Beauty
3. Stranger In My Life
4. Nobody Left To Blame
5. Still Ain't Enough For Me
6. Once Upon A Time
7. As Far As I Can See
8. All The Way Up
9. I Won't Get In My Way
10. Around The World
11. I Get The Feeling
12. Kill Me With A Kiss (Japan bonus)
In 1991, Mr. Big stormed across the world with their hit single 'To Be with You' which skyrocketed to #1 in 15 countries and has since become a staple on every hair band ballad collection.
The band comprised of all original members Eric Martin on vocals, Paul Gilbert on guitar, Billy Sheehan on bass and Pat Torpey on drums, have reunited and just put the finishing touches on What If..., their first studio release with the original lineup since 1996’s Hey Man.
What If... takes the listener on a raucious ride through a forgotten time of excellent musicianship, great vocal harmonies and the feel-good moments of life.
Well-crafted songs with strong vocals, some gnarly bass playing by Sheehan mixed with plenty of tasty licks by Gilbert, all locked in step with the top notch drumming of one of the best timekeepers in the business: Pat Torpey.
Once the needle drops on the first track, “Undertow”, you might find yourself thinking it is the early ‘90s all over again.
What If... could easily have been the successor to the mega-hit album Lean Into It, from which "To Be With You" was culled.
“Undertow”, the first single, is a solid kick-off to the album and features a gritty guitar groove that chugs along to the chorus and back again until Gilbert starts finger tapping through a welcomed solo that highlights the song.
The second track, “American Beauty”, is a classic Mr. Big straight-ahead rocker. This is what Mr. Big do best. Running with a deep bass line and a snappy snare drum mixed with great vocals and a smoking hot solo, this song will surely be a fan favorite.
After a deep breath, the disc hits the brakes with the melancholic lyrics of “Stranger In My Life” which could have been placed on any Loverboy record during the 80's and would have been right at home there.
On “Nobody Takes The Blame”, the band explores some new territories, this is a dark tune with an intricated guitar solo and a deep bass. Martin remains one of the top vocalists in the melodic rock community and he shines on this track. There’s a reason he is bigger than Godzilla in Japan.
What If... is a very solid release from these veteran rockers from Los Angeles that have spent the past 15 years trying to get back into the music scene in the U.S.
They're still a #1 act in Asia, hopefully this new album (which will be available in Europe and America at the very beginning of 2011) puts this release in more people’s hands.
If you are a long time Mr. Big fan, you should really enjoy this album and if this is your first time around the block searching for first class melodic rock, there are several tracks that might have you scouring the record bins for their earlier material.
Great Comeback.
Line-up:
Eric Martin : Vocals
Paul Gilbert : Guitars
Billy Sheehan : Bass
Pat Torpey : Drums
Last Updated (Sunday, 19 December 2010 16:56)
18/05: Sex Slaves (USA)
+ Raygun Rebels (DE)
+Aesthesia (FR)
+ Filty Harry (BE)
+ DJ Dr. Rock (Cowboys & Aliens)
+ Vicious Vixens dansers
@ Diezie Roeselare, st-michielsstraat 16
8€

30 juni: Highlight Enemies (ex Star*Rats & Tracy Gang Pussy)
5€
@ De rots, Antwerpen

27 juli: Dead City Ruins (Australia)
+ more
FREE
@ Diezie Roeselare, st-michielsstraat 16
28 juli: Dead City Ruins (Australia)
+ more
FREE
@ De Rots Antwerpen, melkmarkt 11
26/10: Reckless Love
+ more
@ Diezie, Roeselare
vvk: 11€





Comments
I want to Download Your Song, Please....
RSS feed for comments to this post