Mr. Big What If
by Erik Tweedy
Staff Writer
In 1991 Mr. Big stormed across the world with their hit single “To Be with You” which skyrocketed to #1 in 15 countries and has since become a staple on every hair band ballad collection being hocked on late night television. The original Mr. Big lineup never quite reached the pinnacle of success in America as soon after 1991 ended, so did their career in the U.S. Long since forgotten in their homeland, Mr. Big literally hit it big across the Pacific and have carved out a pretty solid 20 year career in Japan. The band comprised of all original members Eric Martin on vocals, Paul Gilbert on guitar, Billy Sheehan on bass and Pat Torpey on drums have reunited and just put the finishing touches on their first studio release, with the original lineup, since 1996’s Hey Man.
What If takes the listener on a raucous ride through a forgotten time of excellent musicianship, great vocal harmonies and the feel good Kodak moments of life. You won’t find any earth shattering or ground breaking material on this release, but what you will find are well crafted songs with strong vocals, some gnarly bass playing by Sheehan mixed with plenty of tasty licks by Gilbert all locked in step with the top notch drumming of one of the best timekeepers in the business in Torpey.
Once the needle drops on the first track, “Undertow”, you might find yourself thinking it is the early ‘90s all over again. What If could easily have been the successor to the meg-hit Lean Into It from which “To Be with You” was culled from. “Undertow”, the first single, is a solid kick-off to the album and features a gritty guitar groove that chugs along to the chorus and back again until Gilbert starts finger tapping through a welcomed solo that highlights the song. The second track, “American Beauty”, is a classic Mr. Big straight ahead rocker. This is what Mr. Big do best. Running with a deep bass line and a snappy snare drum mixed with great vocals and a smoking hot solo, this song will surely be a fan favorite.
After a deep breath, the disc hits the brakes with the melancholy lyrics of “Stranger in My Life” which could have been placed on any Loverboy record during the ‘80s and been right at home. With 12 songs, you know there has to be at least one filler and that’s what “Nobody Takes the Blame” feels like. It is a mish-mosh of sounds and structure and feels more like one of Extreme’s crappy funk laden songs that nobody understands.
If you must suffer through the bad to get to the good then listening to “Nobody Takes the Blame” is well worth it as it leads into “Still Ain’t Enough for Me” which puts the disc back on the rails and the pedal to the floor. A barnburner that again features Billy Sheehan ripping up the bass frets, reminiscent of 1989’s “Addicted to That Rush”. This song will surely have your head bopping with delight.
Hitting the midway point of the album “Once Upon a Time” is an up-tempo dirty rocker with a side of funk and features another ripping Gilbert solo that has you questioning why you stopped listening to this band back in ’92. “As Far as I Can See” is all about Eric Martin and showcases his strong vocal abilities. Martin remains one of the top vocalists in the melodic rock community and he shines on this track. There’s a reason he is bigger than Godzilla in Japan.
The one true ballad comes in the form of “All the Way Up” which in the right market could get some airplay. This one might not inspire the rockers too much but we all need to stop and smell the roses sometimes.
One of the best tracks from What If is the mid-tempo “I Won’t Get in My Way” that features a great harmonizing chorus and lyrics that include “Viva La Strange, Take a Bite of Eden’s Apple”. This is a very solid track that will have the listener pushing the replay button.
Cranking up the pace it’s “Around the World” that, like much of this record, features a blistering bass line from Sheehan. Heading into the homestretch, “I Get the Feeling” is an average mid-tempo melodic rock track that sounds dated on this release and would have been more at home on an Eric Martin solo record. The last track is the European/U.S. bonus track, “Unforgiven”.
The highlight of this track is the Gilbert guitar playing which is on full display throughout the song. A good way to end a very solid release from these veteran rockers from Los Angeles that have spent the past 15 years trying to get back into the music scene in the U.S. Frontiers Records has recently signed a new distribution deal for the U.S. which hopefully puts this release in more people’s hands.
If you are a longtime fan, you should really enjoy this album and if this is your first time around the block, there are several tracks that might have you scouring the record bins for their earlier material.
Band:
Eric Martin – Lead Vocals
Paul Gilbert – Lead Guitar
Billy Sheehan – Bass
Pat Torpey – Drums
Track Listing:
1. Undertow
2. American Beauty
3. Stranger In My Life
4. Nobody Takes The Blame
5. Still Ain’t Enough For Me
6. Once Upon A Time
7. As Far As I Can See
8. All The Way Up
9. I Won’t Get In My Way
10. Around The World
11. I Get The Feeling
12. Unforgiven (Bonus Track)
Label: Frontiers Records
Website: http://www.mrbigsite.com/
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.3/10
Great review, very accurate. This cd is great driving music, there’s something dynamic about the band’s playing that lends itself well to traveling by car, and video game playing. The Japanese bonus track ” Kill Me With A Kiss’ is a bluesy track with fat guitar and bass tones, riffs, and solos, great melodic structure and vocals, and with Mr. Torpey adding his own monster brand of punctuation on the subject. I will purchse both versions, as I am an obbsessive fan who has to have every track. You may want to choose which version based on cost, bonus track, or availability. There is also a deluxe version w/ dvd retailing approximately $59.99, featuring making of the cd, videos of some songs, etc.
It’s been a loooong time coming !!
Thankfully, it’s here !!