Customer Reviews

Actual Size

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Holy smokes, I thought Get Over It rocked. New boy Richie on guitar and bringing some umph back into the band. Well, they improve upon Get Over It a 100 times over with Actual Size. 12 brand new rocking songs, and riffs so smokin' you haven't heard Mr. Big this good ever!!! Richie is one hell of a guitarist, back up vocalist and songwriter. Why heck, his song "Shine" is #1 in Japan, and it's AWESOME. Rest of the tracks are 1. Lost In America 2. Wake Up 3. Shine 4. Arrow 5. Mary Goes 'Round 6. Suffocation 7. One World Away 8. I Don't Want To Be Happy
9. Crawl Over Me 10. Cheap Little Thrill 11. How Did I Give
Myself Away and 12. Nothing Like It In The World. The band
explode open with Lost In America, with a killer riff provided by Richie, and continue to rock with Wake Up. The best track on the album is Suffocation. Richie sings lead with Eric and it's just
another killer song. As a whole, the album is one Big highlight and it's a shame because this probably won't sell a million copies here in US when it the best album I've heard all year.
GET IT!!!!

You have got to be kidding me! This album isn't available in The States? This is absolutely Mr. Big's finest hour, and it's an utter crime that it's not readily available here. Until now, "Bump Ahead" was, in my opinion, their best work. But "Actual Size" smokes that. There really isn't a weak spot on the album. I mean, I can't tell you the last time I bought a CD and it didn't have at least one... [bad] song it. No filler here. Much more rock oriented than their past couple of offerings, "Actual Size" is an instant classic. Do yourself a favor, spend the money and BUY THIS CD!! You won't regret it.

Mr. Big's new album Actual Size is one of the best releases of 2001. It is much better than Get Over It and comparable to their greatest effort so far Lean Into It. This time around they regained pop rock edge and every track is crisp and familiar yet
their gut R&B taste remains. Wake Up, Shine, Arrow and I Don't Want To Be Happy will be sure-fire radio hits. It is hard to believe such finest part of American rock is not accepted by
large number of music fans at home. Recommended for wide range of rock fans who favor Bon Jovi or Firehouse.

I was slightly disappointed when I first got this CD. I really loved "Get Over It", the album prior to this and the first made with Ritchie Kotzen in the band. At that time, the band said they wanted to go to more of their heavier acid-rock roots, and I think they succeeded. So my first impression of this CD, "Actual Size", was that they were going in the complete opposite direction. The different production is noticably very bright and clear, like a pop album. The songs themselves all sound rather polished, less risky, and "radio-friendly". The one exception is the Billy Sheehan-penned "Suffocation". It does sound much more like the type of hard rock song you'd find on "Get Over It".

But anyway, that was all only an initial reaction, because WOW...did this CD ever grow on me! I couldn't get enough of the catchy, well-written, well-played songs. "Lost In America" seemed a weak opener to me at first, but Eric's vocals on the verses have since really gripped me. "Wake Up" is my favorite track, a wonderfully catchy song about getting a grip as a troubled teen in this day and age. My close second favorite is "Mary Goes Round", a great blend of rock and melencholy. "Shine" and "Arrow" are slow numbers that I find myself singing along to alot. "I Don't Want To Be Happy" is a really well-done folk/rock song.

I could go on about the other tracks, but needless to say, this is the Mr. Big CD I find myself listening to the most these days. I can't get enough of it.

This album is straight ahead hard, sorta pop rock. Yes, a standard run of the mill review, but it's Eric Martin's unique voice that will grab you. Newer guitarist Richie Kotzen is surprisingly good. Definitely their best since 1993's Bump Ahead (BA would have been better with a better mix). Richie Zito (The Cult) probably had a lot to do with this album being well produced.

This is a very well written album, thanks to some outside collaboration. Of course you have long time collaborater ANDRE PESSIS "LOST IN AMERICA"; excellent choice for the opening song, THIS ONE ROCKS!. "MARY GOES 'ROUND"; clever play on words.

The songs that really grabbed my ear were "SUFFOCATION"; ERIC MARTIN & RICHIE KOTZEN Both take turns singing on this tune, VERY SOULFUL! "CRAWL OVER ME"; GREAT DYNAMICS/HUGE SOUND! AND "DEEP DARK SECRET"(bonus track); HAS A VERY FLOWING/HAUNTING PACE. All co/written by Drummer PAT TORPEY AND Guitarist LANNY CORDOLA (GIUFFRIA).

"ARROW" is an interesting song penned by ERIC MARTIN & JACK BLADES (NIGHT RANGER/DAMN YANKEES)There is an almost "BEATLESQUE" feel to it.

The teaming of RICHIE KOTZEN & RICHIE ZITO definately produces with RADIO READY songs like "SHINE" & "WAKE UP"(IF ONLY RADIO STATIONS WOULD "WAKE UP"...GET IT?). One of my personal favorites is the very "TONGUE IN CHEEK" Song "I DON'T WANT TO BE HAPPY"; A SORT OF WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING!

If your a "MR BIG" Fan, you will love this slightly more mature offering! If your "NEW" to the band you will definately be impressed with each members MASTERFUL MUSICAL ABILITIES AND GREAT SONG WRITING SKILLS!

I'll be waiting for their next release..........until then, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GET THIS CD! THIS ONE'S WELL WORTH IT!....................................LATER!

Much improved over "Get Over It" "SHINE" is so catchy, it's what a pop-rock song should be. The cd is worth it, just for this song, it just makes you feel happy. "Mary Goes Round" has a catchy drum riff to it, "Crawl Over Me", screams rock-n-roll, James Brown funk on "Suffocation", with a great duel vocal lead by Ritchie Kotzen. "Wake Up" a good rocker, this and "Lost In America" should hit home as the anthem of the events of 9/11. "I Do'nt Want To Be Happy" is smooth-silky meloncholy with a twist in the wording. Too bad this just might be their last studio recording, due to internal strife within the band. It's a shame these are only available in Japan. Everyone else wants to see the promotion/tour in other countries. This is the rarity with the bonus track "Deep Dark Secret" that is so sought after, and hard to find.

I have been a fan of MR. Big since the Lean Into Album 1991 and I have enjoyed all the albums that they have released. The one album that I have not been able to stop playing is 'Actual Size' This stand out album has not one bad track on it. The inclusion of new guitarist Richie Kotzen (also performed on the 'Get Over It' Album) has really taken the band to another level. When listening to this album it is evident they were an awsome talent. Sadly it ended all too soon as I really believe that there was so much more left for Mr. Big. We may never know what they could have achieved with the final line up. If you really want to buy a great CD then MR. Big 'Actual Size' is worth the import cost. The only requirement when listening to this great album is to play it LOUD.

Actual Size is the last album of Mr. Big, the culmination of 12+ years of rock n roll stardom. This is the album I love the most since Use your illusion of GN'R. I recommend this album to everyone who loves rock music. Eric Martin and boys will blow you away with amazing songs like "shine", "arrow", "wake up" and "lost in america".

It was really shocking news for melodic rock fans that Mr. Big one of the greatest American rock bands broke up. Now some of the members are doing fine in solos such as Eric Martin's I'm Going Sane.

Actual Size one of the finest in 2001 has full of upbeat straight American rock'n roll with soul flavor. Particularly I love Wake Up, and Shine. For their fans who favor blues flavored songs this album privides excellent soulful ballads such as Arrow and Merry Goes Around. It even has darker modern rock flavored track Suffocation which beats most of current rock bands. Crawl Over Me is typical of Mr. Big's groovy rocker.

Recommended for wide variety of rock fans and a must-domestic-release.