Customer Reviews

Hollyweird

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

Flashback 1988. Those were the good ol' days of Rock n' Roll. Poison's "Hollyweird" is a throwback to those good ol' days. They stay true to their sound here, not following any current trends or fads, thank god! The production is rather raw sounding as well - not too polished or over produced. Some may like this, others may not. I do like it. More of a live feel to it and what you will here when seeing them live, I believe. The title track is an instant Poison classic and would fit nicely on "Open Up and Say Ahh.." or "Flesh and Blood" as most of this recod would. "Squeeze Box" (first single) is a Poisonized version of The Who classic. "Shooting Star" could be Fallen Angel - Part 2. The next couple are kinda cheesy lyric wise by have the typical Poison sound musically. Still very catchy and quite listenable. C.C. has lead vocal duties on three tracks and are the only songs on here that really vary from that familiar Poison sound. The record finishes very strong, with some of "Hollyweird"'s best material here at the end. "Devil Woman" and "Wasteland" are two of the best songs Poison has recorded to date with great solos by C.C. and Bret on harmonica. "Stupid, Stoned & Dumb" is very creative and another highlight. "Home", both Bret's and C.C's versions are hilarious! I love 'em! And the bonus song "Rockstar" gets it's official release here. Yet another instant Poison classic. I love this record. Great guitar work by C.C. throughout! Will it go platinum? Unfortunately, probably not, but it's true Poison through and through. If your a fan of their first three releases this one is definitely for you. Recommended.

Simply put, this is a very weak CD. I agree with Johnny Outlaw's review of May 23rd in that this Poison effort is for dedicated fans only and that everyone else should buy some other Poison product.

I don't know what went wrong with "Hollywierd" but to me the performances aside from CC Deville's are phoned in leaving a CD that is flat and uninspired. The listener should be very grateful for CC's role in this CD as it is the saves the day giving it the only excitement to be found.

The single "Squeeze Box" sounds like a demo tape being shipped around to record companies hoping the group can get a contract. If you want to hear the true version of "Squeeze Box" listen to the Who's rendition.

Poison is these days a nostalgia act touring the country in the summer playing the hits and there is nothing wrong with that. But getting a glimpse of the band and their lasting appeal can be better found at a summer concert or a CD aside from this one.

This is not the best album Poison has recorded, but it's not the worst, either. The attitude is the same, but it sounds a little too new for my tastes. The high points are Bret and CC's Stories, but why did'nt Bobby and Rikki get one? The songs are very good (almost all of them, anyway), and so is the production. Shooting Star is pretty much a Fallen Angel clone, but its one of the album's best. Of course, all you die hard Poison fans already own this, but to a casual fan, I'd tell you to get Greatest Hits or Look What The Cat Dragged In, because this is not true Poison.

I'll make it simple, the original 4 back at it again!! Lead-off
track Hollyweird ("just call me pimp daddy, I'll roll ya one big fatty") gets the CD off to a great start!! Next Squeeze Box again Poison does justice to another cover tune! Wishful Thinkin and Shooting Star both cool tunes, cool hooks in 'em, wish they would of played Shooting Star Live, hopefully they will in '03.
Get Ya some is well you know what its about, its Poison being themselves, it'd be a nice tune live also!! Emperor's New Clothes, personally one of my faves, C.C. has his own style, plus this is much better than his SaMantha 7 outfit! Next, Devil Woman and Wasteland, stand-out tracks by far the best on the album. Bret and the gang wail on Devil Woman, harmonica and all; Wasteland, turn it up and hit the road on your HOG! Livin in the know wasn't crazy about it but C.C.'s style is unique. Stupid, Stoned and Dumb, hmm well this POISON, gang vocals make you wanna sing along and believe me child I do!!

HOME- Bret and C.C.'s Stories love the concept, I personally like Brets version better, actually it is better also Bret mentions the Late Dave Williams from Drowning Pool, who would of imagine he wouldn't be with us now. R.I.P. Dave. Last but not least, OK first off I could of wrote the lyrics to Rockstar but I didn't and thats the point. This song kicks A$$ Live! Definitely 2 thumbs up live, great riff, great hook, and catchy as hell!! Poison is back so purchase this album Hey I own 3(1 for the house, 1 for the car, 1 for the van) Poison rocks and also buy Bret's Songs of Life, he's at his best. bretmichaels.com great website lots of info

I know many people expected something better than this from Poison, hearing CC was back in the band. To much of Poison's fan base, this was their long awaited reunion album. And to much of their disappointment, it was loaded with clichés and rehashes. For instance, "Shooting Star" and "Wishful Thinkin'" sound like Fallen Angel rewrites. There was one Fallen Angel, and that was great. But does there need to be 2 more, that aren't as good? Also, "Wasteland" vaguely represents "Ride the Wind", "Get Ya Some" reminds me of "Unskinny Bop, and "Devil Woman" has some of the same progressions as "Nothin But A Good Time".

While saying that, Hollyweird isn't all bad. Even though most of these songs are things we have already heard before, it is still a decent album. It does include some catchy, interesting songs like "Hollyweird", "Stupid Stoned and Dumb", and the 2 "Home" songs. This album combines the 80s Poison with a more raw , modern sound. The songs are not as catchy as some Poison songs, but once you've heard them a few times, they become so. You might not love the songs right away, but they really do have a growing appeal. The more I listened to these songs on Hollyweird, the more I loved them. They are good, straight up, hard rockin' tunes. I still enjoy listening to this album time after time, and I'll never get tired of it. I like every song on here, and can appreciate this disc for what it is.

This is an excellent album. C.C. hits the guitar hard, so many songs have a little more edge than some of Poison's earlier music. But the tone and overall sound is unmistakably that of Poison. Most important to me however, is that these four guys stayed true to their musical roots. They didn't try to change their style. This album is vintage 80s guitar rock.

The reviews this album received on it's release were mostly disappointing, and this surprises me. If you are a Poison fan then this album is essential to your collection, period. There are some true classics on here and for those of you thinking about buying this album I'll elaborate for you.........

The opening track Hollyweird is a real powerful tune to kick things off, starts off with motley crue style guitars sounding like a bike revving up. Then CC's fingers get to work on a riff that would not be out of place on any of Poison's older albums. Brilliant lyrics by Bret, on the whole this song is the high point of the album, a 9 out of 10 hard rock song.

Then something that the boys have not done that often - a cover song! Not bad, but sounds much better live. CC makes the song his own with his trade-mark riffs. "Shooting star" and "wishful thinkin" have been condemned widely by poison fans for sounding similar to "fallen angel" - the songs are basically about the small town guy/gal who goes to hollywood to make it big but things are not as easy as they seem. I agree, a similar concept to previous songs, but the experiences of Bret, Bobby, CC and Rikki will always be based around this - after moving to California they spent the best part of one year living in a busted down basement surrounded by cockroaches and eating scraps of food. Songwriting is, I guess, all about portraying your own life experiences so I can understand where these songs are coming from.

Now the most frustrating part of this album - the song "Get ya some" - a tune that possesses the catchiest groove you've ever heard, then progresses to a heavy metal riff you could bang your head to....absolutely breath-taking! Why frustrating? Because despite the great music, it sounds like Bret spent five minutes while he was on the toilet writing the lyrics!! for example :"she make a dead man come, I got to get me some"!!!!!

CC does 3 songs, "Emperor's new clothes", "Livin in the now", and "Home" - all good songs but I can't help but think that these were a pre-requisite to this album being made. Nevertheless they are entertaining a don't drag the quality down at all.

"Devil Woman" and "Wasteland" are both decent 7 out of 10 rock songs, and the album gets stronger towards the end with the hilarious "Stupid, stoned and dumb" and "Home" which is a song done twice - same musically but Bret sings one and CC the other and they both tell their own stories - kind of like an after dinner speech detailing their exploits. Check out CC's version, very funny!!

"Rock star" sounds like it was written lyrically by a 14 year old, but there is also a large element of tongue-in-cheek and it is a great song to finish the album with.

This album is not up to the standards of the 1st three classics from the late 80s/early 90s, but as a Poison fan I would rather have this collection of decent tunes to listen to as opposed to nothing at all, hence the five stars I have given. There are some trade-mark moments on here if you listen carefully.

I really hope Bret, Bobby, CC and Rikki play more songs from this album when they next play live. If you enjoyed the Greatest Hits compilation, then this cd will provide you with hours of enjoyment!

Hollyweird, a striking triumph for the glam slam kings of noise. Featuring the full studio album return of C.C. DeVille to the Poison line up and the second Poison album that C.C. shows us his lead vocal skills. This album is a return to Poison's roots and an obvious change from their previous two all new studio albums, Native Tongue (1993) and Crack A Smile (1996 and 2000). Truly a treat for Poison fans of old and a look back into what made the 80's one of the best decades for Pop music.

The two previously mention albums, although good, seemed to lack some of the Poison luster. Perhaps this was due to the replace ment of C.C. with Richi Kotzen and Blues Saraceno on the respected recordings. This latest work however has no lack luster at all and belongs next to Look What the Cat Dragged In (1986), Open Up and Say Ahh... (1988) and Flesh & Blood (1990) in multi-plantinum fame.

Featured Tracks:

Squeeze Box, a cover of the classic.

Emperor's New Clothes, Livin' In The Now and Home feature C.C. on Lead vocals

Shooting Star, Hollyweird, Wishful Thinkin', Get Ya Some, Devil Woman, Waste Land, Stoned, Dumb and Stupid and the bonus track: Rock Star all remind us of the poison of old who put out three multi-platinum albums in a row.

A definate feather in Poison's hat. Two thumbs up and five stars...

I've been a Poison fan since the beginning although I must admit that I didn't really care for "Native Tongue" or "Crack a Smile".
This album is a return to the classic sound that made Poison great with a catchy blend of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. It picks up where the new tracks in "Power to the People" left off and has a similar sound to their "Flesh & Blood" album. Each time I listen to this one, I like it more. The songs are all new and are the catchy kind that you find yourself singing in your head while standing in the shower, walking to down the street, or upon waking up in the morning. For those who have followed CC's band, Samantha 7, CC sings three tracks on this album that you're sure to love. Overall, this is an album is one you can be proud to add to your collection whether you're a closet Poison fan or someone who faithfully attends their concerts year after year.

Excellent offering from the kings of the glam-metal scene. I bought this album two days after having seen Poison's Hollyweird World Tour. Before I even listened to the first song, I had already concluded that I'd like the album, but I didn't expect to like it as much as I do. Excellent guitar, great bass and drums, well-written lyrics, and not to mention superbly-crafted solos (not like I expected anything less from C.C.) have all caused me to fall in love with this album. With "Hollyweird," Bret, Rikki, Bobby, and C.C. have not only met but surpassed my high expectations. Pick up this album, and do it now!