Customer Reviews

Flesh & Blood

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Of the three Poison releases that were popular, which also include Look What the Cat Dragged In and Open Up and Say...Ahh!, Flesh and Blood is undoubtedly the best, catchiest and most developed. I might get beaten for saying this, but it's a Poison record that can be taken seriously.

At this point in their career, Poison dropped the lipstick (perhaps in imitation of Motley Crue, who did the same thing several years prior) and began mixing more intensity with their mindlessly catchy hair metal. This is evident in the brilliant hit "Ride the Wind," as well as 80's rock's most underrated ballad, "Life Goes On."

They also began experimenting with new themes and emotions, such as in the angry "Come Hell or High Water" and the worldly "Something to Believe In." There is even an acoustic guitar piece called "Swampjuice (Soul-O)".

Flesh and Blood also keeps consistent with Poison's blues-based rock roots. This is obvious in "Let it Play" and "Ball and Chain," not to mention the unforgettable "Unskinny Bop." There's something on Flesh and Blood to please every part of the band's fan base.

Anyone who likes hard rock should have Flesh and Blood in their CD collection. It is a monument to the potential hair metal had, and to how much fun it was. (Insert Aquanet joke here)

Poison has changed their approach on this cd as opposed to their earlier releases. Known strictly as a "party band", this cd shows us a different side of Poison. Yes, the band still has a lot of fun and some of the songs on this disc may be considered "party" songs, but with such songs as the power ballad "Something to Believe In" and the blues-like "Poor Boy Blues", Poison shows their diversity as well.

"Ride The Wind" is my favorite song on the disc. C.C. DeVille's guitar is very noticeable, while Brett Michaels' voice has never sounded better. "Unskinny Bop", a song that shows Poison still knows how to have fun, is another of my favorites.

I give this disc my highest recommendation. Poison has completed their transformation from a glam/party band to serious rockers, and it is evident with the songs on this cd. Pick up "Flesh and Blood" and listen to some good old-fashioned, hard-driving rock and roll.

Poison tried to infuse their music with "serious" themes on this album, atempting to distance themselves from the glam-party goodtime rock that was their forte. Sometime it works, sometimes it doesen't. Happily, on this album, most of the time it works very well. Some of CC's best playing is featured here.

Overall, this is not the type of material that Poison is known for, but it's still damn good.

Sadly, this would be the last of Poison's major chart successes, as its follow-up, "Native Tounge" was a commercial failure, and the more recent "Crack A Smile" and "Power To The People", while they are both really good albums, simply can't compete for popularity with the legions of idiot rappers, boy bands and worthless teen pop idols that pollute the radio airwaves.

And it's really not fair, because if Kid Rock released a song like "Ball And Chain" or "Poor Boy Blues", everyone would eat it right up. But if they know it's poison, the automatic mentality that takes hold is that "It's gonna be gay". People should open their minds and give some different stuff a chance.

I don't get why people are so down on 80's rock, most of it just great! While there's something to be said for "serious" rock, most of it is so down that it can't be anything other than just another elaborate "pose", otherwise most 90's alterna-rockers would have ALL shot themselves in the head from the unrelentig self- hate their albums display. In any case, this album, like all the Poison albums, is goofy, great, fun rock. In retrospect I recognize that most of it is cheese, but way- back- when this was the soundtrack to my gloriously misspent youth. The only thing that bothers me when I hear this album is the attending wave of nostalgia that washes through me. Does this mean that I'm getting old, or what? Maybe a Poison reunion tour isn't such a great idea, unless they can come up with an equally goofy, great, fun new album.

'Flesh & Blood' is in many ways Poison's best album. The number one reason: Life Goes On. Not only does C.C bring his electrifying guitar riffs but Michael's vocals are superb on the album. The best lyrically by Poison and musically, this album is one for the decade. Two instrumental songs appear on the album 'Strange Days of Uncle Jack' and 'Swampjuice (Soul-O)', they're acoustic and jazzy sounding. The best songs on the album are 'Life Goes On', a beautifully written song that Bret wrote about C.C and friends they have lost, 'Let It Play', a jazzy rock sounding song that is great for the car, 'Unskinny Bop', a Poison hit and classic and 'Life Loves A Tragedy', a brilliantly written Poison song that could have been a hit for sure if it were a single. In all, all Poison, 80s fans or even jazz/rock fans should get this album. It's a great album for the car or just hanging out at home.

OK. being a long-time fan of this band, I have to say that this CD, along with Open up!.... represents the pinacle on Poison's carreer. It's still part of that cheek-in-tongue party all night rock n' roll from the late 80's and (very) early 90's. It's amazing how in one of today's songs you'll find (most of the times) that half the lirycs are about shooting and swearing. This album just isn't. It's partying and having a good time. I highly recomend this album.

Although it lacks a little of the "party band" punch that made Poison a top glam rock band, "Flesh & Blood" is definitely one of their best albums. It showed the listening audience that they knew about more than just partying, drinking, and sexcapades. The band collectively offers up one of their strongest efforts music-wise, especially C.C. Deville, who has some wonderful guitar solos here. They aren't all in the "who plays fastest?" vein. Instead, Deville gets to slow things down quite a bit.

Songs such as "Something To Believe In" and "Life Goes On" show that the band can actually sit down and write a good serious song. Don't worry that Poison is hanging up their goodtimes shoes, though, because songs like "Don't Give Up An Inch" and the wonderfully silly "Unskinny Bop" remind the listener that they still know how to have a good time.

If you're looking for a sweet reminder of your youth (like me), "Flesh & Blood" is definitely the poison you need to pick. It's their best album lyrically and quite possibly their best album overall.

Flesh and Blood is Poison's follow up to 1988's Open and Say Ahh. Flesh and Blood may possibly be Poison's finest album,while many of the songs go for a serious theme instead of good time lyrics like Look What the Cat Dragged In and Open Up and Say Ahh,Flesh and Blood is a much more solid album than the previous two albums. Valley of Lost Souls,Unskinny Bop,Let it Play,Life Goes On,Ride the Wind,and Something to Believe In are all highlights of Flesh and Blood,but what is really impressive that the filler songs are just as good as the hit singles of the album.That is what puts it up higher than Poison's first two releases,with Flesh and Blood the boys in Poison wrote their strongest batch of songs.

Up there with Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and other bands of the era, Poison helped create the greatest decade of rock music ever made. Flesh & Blood would easily be their best album with 14 songs which even today is a substantial number for one album let alone for the 80's with most albums having 9 or 10 songs at the most. Unskinny Bop is probably the most played of the songs on this album on the radio today and this album is worth obtaining for that great song alone.

This album contains a mixture of fast catchy rock style songs and ballads and some songs which start off as ballads then get faster. There is even a blues type song in here, the last one Poor Boys Blues.

If you like Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, AC/DC and similar bands then you have to listen to Poison as well. This is probably the best album of theirs to buy. Cover booklet also contains lyrics and photographs of the band.

Poison is everything rock music should be...full of attitude, FUN, and rebellious. Flesh & Blood falls slightly short of the classic Open Up and Say Ahhh...but still blows away the so-called "rock" music of the mid to late 90s. It's called FUN and "popular" music is definitely missing it these days. Have no fear, Poison is recording again and will TOUR THIS SUMMER! Check 'em out to have some real fun...and that's what rock music is all about to begin with.