Rapid Album Review: Poison'd

Owning Poison'd for 24 hours, I'm ready to give the disc a formal review.

First thoughts?

It's a surprisingly better album than I initially expected. I know most of you will agree that cover albums are never nearly as good as a record of all new material. Of course, this is the case with Poison'd, still, glam metal icons Poison make the songs work.

With innovative marketing, Poison'd is selling strong over at www.amazon.com. I would assume the disc will land Poison somewhere on the Billboard Top 40 chart next week.

The album, produced by Don Was, features these songs:

Little Willy                                       
Suffragette City                                
I Never Cry                                       
I Need to Know                               
Can't You See                                 
What I Like About You                      
Dead Flowers                                   
Just What I Needed                          
Rock and Roll All Nite                       
Squeeze Box                                   
Your Mama Don't Dance                   
You Don't Mess Around With Jim       
We're An American Band                

A special version available only at Wal-Mart stores features the bonus cover of Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back." Since I purchased my copy at Best Buy I haven't heard the Timberlake classic, but the song is available on iTunes, so you can hear that clip that way.

For ten bucks, Poison'd is a fun spin for the car, especially a summer road trip. No, it's not Grammy worthy and no, it won't go down in history as the best rock album ever made. No matter. Poison'd is classic Poison: raw, fun, energetic. 

Haters be damned! 

Comments

[aXe mAn]

I have seen the video for "What I Like About You" and I'm pretty impressed. If the rest of the album is like that, I might just pick it up for myself!

[Rokfighter]

Isn't singing justin timberlake song a little, well don't have the word but my friends will laugh at me if they hear that...

Wait, that is the same guy from NSYNC right? or is there some other JT worth covering??

[Metal Mark]

My guess is that the music is as good as the album cover.

[bob_vinyl]

I thought the video was kinda clever and the Romantics cover was one of the albums better songs (even though it really isn't very good to start with). Because I'm not as big of a Poison fan as everyone else here and because it was covers (from a band that botched "Rock n Roll All Nite"), I didn't have high expectations. I did expect them to inject a bit more energy into some of the songs that I expected were good choices for them and in most cases they didn't.

I was gonna just say that I hated it, but I was afraid of being damned!

[aXe mAn]

Bob....you hate most things.....

[Allyson B. Crawford]

Mark,

I don't like the cover either. I posted that months ago when the mock up was released. The book, however, is great. Great band shots and a great shot of a beautiful woman Poison tattoo.

Bob,

I know you don't particullarly love Poison, but I think you have to admit that I do criticize bands/musicians I love. Did I not rail Tommy Lee? I hate the new Nikki Sixx song and I posted that too. In fact, I was the first person on Metal Sludge to start a thread about how much the songs sucks...and most people disagreed with me just because it's Sixx.

As for "Rock N Roll All Nite"... I think Poison does an pretty good job with a song that should never be covered by any band. After all, we're talking about the KISS calling card here.


Rockfighter,

Yes, Justin was lead singer for NSYNC...he's enjoying a very successful solo career now.

[bob_vinyl]

aXe mAn, "hate" is a strong word. I'm critical of most things.

Allyson, I recognize that you are critical of some stuff. I didn't mean to imply that you weren't. I just meant that I'm usually out there on my own when I comment here. I disagree about "Rock n Roll All Nite" being uncoverable. It may be Kiss' signature song, but it's not like they were Led Zeppelin or something. I like Kiss for the most part, but I don't think they're untouchable.

[Rob Rockitt, Hard Rock Hideout]

I have been reviewing covers discs all week at the Hard Rock Hideout.

Tomorrow I am posting reviews for Tesla's Real to Reel and Poison's Poison'd.

One of them I like, and one of them, I am on the fence on. Can you guess which one? ;)

Rob Rockitt
Hard Rock Hideout
www.hardrockhideout.com

[Christian Graus]

I'm real excited about the Tesla album. I think they are a better band, in terms of technique, and that means they can cover a better selection of songs ( which I think they have ) and do it better. I missed the Best Buy bonus disc ( I was too broke to order it, now I have to buy it on ebay ) and now I have to find a way to get the second reel, seeing as I can't go see them live.

I *like* the 'American Band' cover that Poison do, but I'd agree that Rock n roll all nite is average. It's a bloody average song IMO, strangely put together. I'd have said Detroit Rock City is a better 'signature' KISS song, although I personally like other songs in their older catalog more, like 'C'mon and love me' ( LOVE the Skid Row cover of that song ). Of course, most people would say their signature song is 'I was made for loving you'.

Given that Poison asked fans to nominate songs for them to cover, I find the track selection a little strange, even more so than the Def Leppard covers album was. Tesla may have played it safe, but I'm sure I'll like it more.

The Jorn cover album is the best one I've heard for a long time. He's Euro metal, is anyone into that stuff here ?

[Rob Rockitt, Hard Rock Hideout]

Hey Christian,
I bought my Tesla disc in store with the Bonus Disc. You can still get them while supplies last!

Rob Rockitt
Hard Rock Hideout
www.hardrockhideout.com

[Christian Graus]

Damn - I just paid $24 with shipping for one on ebay. Best Buy online don't have the bonus disc anymore. It's a month before I hit the states, it's probably safer to just get it online than hope they'll still have them.

[bob_vinyl]

Christian, you need to work out a deal with someone over here to get the stuff you want and send it to you so you don't get killed on ebay!

[Demonoid]

This cd is big flaming piece of dog poop. If you cannot write enough original material for a cd...hang it up fellas.

I'm not wasting a dime or a download on this crap.

[Christian Graus]

Yeah, I have a friend in the US, but when I've asked him to track this stuff down, I've had limited success. Also, I thought the bonus cD was available online only, and they sold out while I was waiting to get paid.

[motley101]

i love listening to this album. they make each ssong fun to listen to. By far the best song on there is cant you see. they do the coveres great live as well