Lynch riffs on the third studio album from Poison, “Flesh & Blood” from June 1990 (Unskinny Bop / Valley of Lost Souls / Life Goes On / Something to Believe In). ENTERTAINMENT TRACK: "Youre In the Doghouse Now" by Brenda Lee (from the motion picture "Dick Tracy") STAFF PICKS: “Ball and Chain” by Social Distortion — Wayne. “Way Down Now” by World Party — Rob. “Tie Die on the Highway” by Robert Plant — Bruce. “Kool Thing” by Sonic Youth — Lynch. INSTRUMENTAL TRACK: “Mildred Pierce” by Sonic Youth. **(NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.)
Flesh & Blood, the third studio album by Poison, finds the group at the top of their form. The team of Bret Michaels on lead vocals, C.C. DeVille on lead guitar, Bobby Doll on bass, and Rikki Rockett on drums had been quite successful in the glam metal genre of the mid-80's, and had developed a reputation for a "work hard, play hard" mentality. While they had a legendary stage presence, they also were plagued with fights both within and outside of the band. A number of lawsuits in various cities were predicated on Michaels' tendency to get into fights at parties and other events. Despite these issues - or perhaps because of them - their reputation only grew over time.
Flesh & Blood is an album that is more challenging musically than the earlier ones. The band is toning down their glam metal persona and taking on more serious lyrical themes. Songs cover a wide range from sex and motorcycles, to struggles with long term relationships, to frustration with the struggles seen in society. The band would drop the excessive makeup of their earlier career, and found the songs on a more blues-oriented rock. More piano work is included, with keyboardist John Webster contributing to the album sessions.
The result was a success, reaching triple platinum status by 1991. The album peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and number 3 on the UK albums chart.
This album would be a kind of high water mark for the group, as the industry was moving away from the metal sound of the late 80's and into the grunge sound of the mid-1990's. However, the group would go on to record and tour into the new millennium, and Bret Michaels would become both a solo act and a celebrity with his MTV reality show "Rock of Love with Bret Michaels."
Lynch brings us a look at a somewhat more mature Poison on this week's for today's podcast.
Unskinny Bop
Not every song has deep or significant lyrics. This hit single from the album started as a nonsense lyric, a placeholder that stuck. The catchy repetition would make it a crowd favorite at concerts, and it was a top 10, going to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Valley of Lost Souls
A deeper cut, this song lyrics talk about the life of a rock artist struggling to make it in a place without compassion. It is a slower piece, but definitely not a ballad.
Life Goes On
C.C. DeVille brought the original draft of this song to the band. The lyrics were inspired by a girlfriend of DeVille who was shot and killed in a California bar fight, and describe the quest for light at the end of a dark period in life.
Something to Believe In
This ballad was the second single released from the album, and went to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Bret Michaels dedicated this song to his friend and bodyguard James Kimo Maano who had died previously. The lyrics reflect the frustration in the failures of society, from poverty, to the treatment of Vietnam veterans, to the hypocrisy of televangelists.
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
You're In the Doghouse Now by Brenda Lee (from the motion picture “Dick Tracy”)
This action movie based on the comic series from the 1930's starred Warren Beatty in the title role, along with Al Pacino and Madonna.
STAFF PICKS:
Ball and Chain by Social Distortion
Wayne kicks off the staff picks with a more alternative rock song penned by a punk rock band from their third and self-titled album. The lyrics describe a hard luck story of a man who can't escape his difficulties. It could be about a relationship, a rut in life, or about any vice that holds you down.
Way Down Now by World Party
Rob's staff pick is the first single from World Party's second studio album, "Goodbye Jumbo." If you hear echoes of "Sympathy for the Devil," that is deliberate - though the song is much more upbeat. It reached number 1 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. World Party is primarily a one-man project from multi-instrumentalist Karl Wallinger from the Waterboys.
Tie Dye on the Highway by Robert Plant
Bruce brings us a song off plant's fifth studio album "Manic Nirvana." The spoken line, "What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for 400,000." is from Wavy Gravy and the Hog Farm Collective, delivered at the Woodstock festival in 1969 announcing the intention to provide free breakfast to the crowd.
Kool Thing by Sonic Youth
Lynch closes out the staff picks with a song critical of the over-the-top masculinity of LL Cool J. It was the first single from their sixth studio album, "Goo." The track never mentions LL Cool J personally, but references a number of his works. Chuck D. of Public Enemy provides the spoken vocals to the song.
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Mildred Pierce by Sonic Youth
We double up on Sonic Youth as we end today's podcast with their instrumental based on a 1945 film noir starring Joan Crawford.