Customer Reviews

Songs of Life

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album by Bret Michaels complete with personal feelings, experiences and Michaels trips through life is better than I expected. When I read the reviews, I was having second thoughts about buying the album but I figured I loved Poison and Bret so much that I'd buy it anyways. I wasn't the least disappointed. 'Loaded Gun' is similar to Poison while songs like 'Forgiveness' is completely Bret, new, fresh and great sounding. Bret definitely has the talent when it comes to slow songs. 'Stay With Me' is one of the saddest songs I've ever heard. 'One More Day' is about asking God to give him another day to live his life. 'Raine' is a song dedicated and written for his daughter, Raine Elizabeth, it's a sweet song. 'Menace To Society' shows Bret going into a more punk direction. This CD has it all and I love ever inch of it. 'Songs Of Life' is from start to finish a beautifully written about and it's a must for any Poison fan. Exceptional lyrics on the slow songs, awesome melodies and hooks, just brilliant from start to finish.

What an awesome suprise. Bret Michaels is not just a Hotty. Since his heavy party stardom in the 80's, he has become an honest, balanced, sincere man- father- and yes...still a serious hotty (did you see those pictures?!)
This album "Songs of Life" is exactly that. Different parts of Bret's personality and life shared with the world. Still the sex GOD in "Loaded Gun" and "It's My Party", the comedian in "Bittersweet", and the amazing ballad writer that touched my heart with "Every Rose Has a Thorn" the ballads on this album are equal if not better. "Raine" and "One More Day" absolutely fill me with emotions that I have'nt felt from music in a very long time. His honesty and openess in his lyrics have reconnected his long time fans with who he is today. I guess we have all grown up. I would recommend this to not only Poison fans but anyone who loves great music.

this cd was like a breath of fresh air! I dont really find rock cds i like anymore not since the 80's died down.( this one and slaughter back to reality are the only two I really felt) but this cd was exactly what i wanted. Its just rock and roll, not trying to see how loud and obnoxious you can be or try to be someone youre not like most 80's bands have done. I saw some reviews which really disturbed me. 1st of all anyone who has ever met bret would be offended by him being referred to as a "poor human being" if you like his singing or not, because he is very genuine, the greatest, and anyone who feels that obviously hasnt met him and did not listen to the cd how could a poor human being write touching songs like raine, or forgiveness, or one more day, or stay with me? and as far as him not having much going on in the past decade, thats funny because i know ive been tightly packed in at poison concerts for MANY years now, and the place is just crazy. poison still puts on a great show, so great that i usually cant get enough and end up going to see them again in another town. and lets not forget the every rose guitar was entered in the rock and roll hall of fame last year. so i dont really think you could say he is trying to "salvage his career" because Poison and bon jovi are the only 2 "hair bands" i know of that can still fill arenas. not to mention Brets solo tour was awesome!!!! just to see the love in his face for the music. the energy of a man who you knew was there for the love of the music and his fans and nothing else. It was like watching a friend perform not a rock star. It was a beautiful thing and i am so glad i got to be a part of it, washed up? i think not! oh yes and the pittsburgh show sold out twice, cleveland was packed too. songs of life is a perfect title for this cd because listening to it you can tell its a very personal cd and i absolutely love it! not many new rock cds remain in my music rotation but this one does and slaughter "back to reality" because they are the only two ive bought that remind me of the rock and roll i fell in love with years ago. anyone who is a fan of bret michaels and rock and roll, scroll up right now and buy this cd:) alot of touching songs, fun songs and fast songs, its everything I expect from bret michaels and then some. A good quality cd and its a shame it doesnt get any air play because if more people knew it was out there im sure it would be huge.

Shortly after Hollyweird was releasd,rumors started that lead singer Bret Michaels was saving all of his stronger material for his upcoming solo album.Well the rumors are true! Everything that Poison fans wanted on "Hollyweird" but didn't get is on "Songs Of Life".

This has so much more passion, spirit and effort then "Hollyweird" ever had. This is hands-down the melodic rock CD of the summer! Bret has definitely learned his craft and has come up with a very polished, melodic project that harks back to the glory years of Poison, with some modern influences thrown in for good measure. No doubt about it, if it would have been released after "Flesh and Blood" it would have been a monster!

Bret starts us off with the "new-breed" angst rocker "Menace to Society". It's "in your face" style didn't really grab me at first, but it's definitely one that grows on you after a few spins. It's track two, "Bittersweet" which made me fall in love with this CD. It blows almost every song on Hollyweird out of the water. The song is a groovy rocker with a huge chorus that you infect you almost immediately, and if you can relate to the message of the song, it'll bring a smile to you face too!

Back in the late 80's a Poison CD wouldn't be complete with the power ballad or two. Bret gives his fans what they want with the CD's first single "Rain". Some might say it's a re-hash of "Stand" but hey, is that really that bad? It must not be, because VH-1 Classic has been spinning the video and I've heard it's getting airplay on rock radio. He is definitely a master craftsman when it comes to the ballad.

Bret strays into the adult contemporary side of things with the catchy "Forgiveness" He's at his best lyrically when he tells a story, and this song is no exception. I could easily see it as either the second or third single.

With recent releases by older rock bands, they've been going by the "every 2nd song is a ballad" rule, (i.e. Bon Jovi's Bounce, Def Leppard's X, etc) so I was expecting another ballad. Thankfully that's not the case here, and Bret delivers more doses "big sounding" rock on "Loaded Gun" and "Strange Sensation". I honestly thought Bret recruited Blues Sarceno back, because both of these songs could have easily been on the "Crack A Smile" CD. Kudos goes out to guitarists Cliff Calabro, Christy Calabro, and Mark Castrillon on this release.

For the title track, Bret reaches back into his lyrical catalog for some help on the chorus, but it's so damn catchy it doesn't matter. The slide guitar solo is a nice addition. Up next is "One More Day" a gentle acoustic ballad about faith, love, and hope that everyone can relate too. Bret heads back to his blues-rock roots in "I Remember" complete with harmonica and sing along chorus. It can't get any better then that!

The next two songs begin to stray off the mark and are the weakest on the CD. I not sure why Bret included "The Chant"; it's a little too close for comfort to the beginning of Bon Jovi's "Lay Your Hands On Me" for my liking, and the lyrics are lost in the mix. "It's My Party," sounds very similar in places to another party song, the Beastie Boys "You Gotta Fight (For Your Right To Party). Both didn't do anything for me, but are still better then half the songs on Poison's previous CD.

War Machine is a raw; grab you by the balls rocker that's never lets up from beginning to end. It, like the opening track begins to grow on you after a few spins.

The punk tinged "Party Rock Band" (From Bret's 1996 movie "Letter From Death Row) had me howling the first time I heard it. It has all that made Poison huge: a big chorus; sing along lyrics, catchy guitar work and it shows of Bret's quirky sense of humor. Hopefully he'll throw this in set list when Poison hits the road this summer.

"Stay With Me" is simply the BEST song Bret Michaels has ever written. This soul touching ballad is a touching reminder of how just precious life is and how we should cherish every moment we have, because it could be gone in an instant. Not only are the lyrics powerful, the song's simple arrangement of just a piano and string section enhances the song's message.

It is refreshing to hear all the different musical styles on this disc; I'd forgotten how dynamic and diverse Bret Michaels is as a songwriter. "Songs Of Life" has it all: 1) Well-written songs, 2) Solid song arrangement/flow, and 3) Good production throughout. It's of course a must for all Poison fans, but it's also a must for anyone who likes melodic hard rock in general. It will be on my Top 10 list of 2003!

Not unlike a Poison album (and much better than Hollyweird) this is a good cd for Poison fans while awaiting the next record. Brett really has an urge to do bluesy stuff, but he balances it out nicely with rock. Lyrically he's come along away from LOOK WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN.

Great songs!I have been a Poison fan for 15 years and have always loved Bret michaels especially so i was thrilled to get this cd.one of the songs "Raine" is a heartfelt song about his daughter.great song.if you love poison this is a must get.all the songs are awesome and have catchy lyrics.i was a little hesitant because it's always been poison as a group but i was definitly impressed and would surely recommend this cd.you will not be dissapointed.and if you really like his cd then you can catch him on his solo tour and hear it live!!!!

This is an excellent record from start to finish. Its very apparent that Bret's best material was saved for this solo effort. Been a die hard Poison fan since 86 and was only dissappointed with their last album Hollyweird. This is a much more solid effort lyrically, musically and production wise. It really more of a progression from Crack a Smile, rather then Hollyweird which I personally feel was a step back. I can only hope that Poison will release new material in the years to come and that as a band they will challenge themselves much as Bret has on this album.

Bret Michaels is just as great! He rocked pretty cool. His metallic songs sounded like modern-day alternative (menace to society, bittersweet) and a bit grunge where he also looked like Kurt Cobain in the "Raine" video. However his ballads (one more day, forgiveness, stay with me, raine) sounded like Poison in their good old days where songs alike were timeless! Songs were very well written, performed and lyrics pertains to reality... real songs of life! Recommended for fans of metal, alternative and especially Poison fans! A must-have!

This cd really shows how well Bret can shine on his own. Don't get me wrong I love him with Poison, but when you listen to this cd you can really hear the difference in the music from the start. Personally i like the sound he has w/Poison better, but the songs he has on THIS cd really have ATTITUDE!
It's really refreshing actually. He covers everything from Break-ups to his first Daughter (Raine) to just standard songs.
Being a female, i'm not really into the song he wrote for his daughter, don't get me wrong its pretty and sweet, but if you like Bret it's like the last thing you really want to hear him sing about is a kid! sorry.
Not bad overall though.

If you are a fan of Poisons softer songs (Every Rose, Something to believe in) this is a great CD. Brett Michaels is truly a great songwriter when is comes to ballads. Raine is a moving song written about the Poison frontman's daughter Raine Elizabeth and is well written and lovingly sung. The title track had a little Mellencamp feel to it and the bonus track Stay with Me is heavy on the piano and well sung. Tracks Forgiveness and One more Day are great songs. It almost sounds like you could hear it on a "Young Country" radio station with a singer like Trace Adkins singing it. The Upbeat songs on the disc are a little goofy at times and the lyrics are a little weak. Songs like Menace to Society and Bittersweet seemed to try barrow from Pop Punk and doesn't really work too well. The only heavy song on the CD with that vintage 80's hair rock feel to it, is War Machine. It's a pretty good rock song, but the strength of this disc is the deep ballads. You can really tell where Bret's true passion is. This is a great listen.