What’s the 4-1-1?
To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Poison releases another greatest hits package. This is either the third or fourth one for the group.
Genre
Hair metal/glam/pop-metal
The Good
Naturally you get all of the Hollywood rockers' best and most beloved material; “Talk Dirty to Me,” “I Want Action.” “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” “Your Mama Don’t Dance,” “Unskinny Bop,” “Something to Believe In,” “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” and seven others. What makes this collection different from past collections is that you get a couple of tracks from their last studio album Hollyweird — "The Last Song” and “Shooting Star.” Also included is Poison’s cover of Kiss’ “Rock and Roll All Nite” (a song that the group performed nightly on the reunion tours), as well as a brand new recording of Grand Funk Railroad’s “We’re an American Band.”
The Bad
Beside the fact that this is another greatest hits package for Poison, the tracks from Hollyweird were not that memorable. On top of that, the two cover songs, which reflect how Poison sounds today, really pale in comparison to their heyday. They really should have included “Power to the People” from their first reunion live/studio album.
The Verdict
I’ve been a Poison fan from day one, so yeah, I’m a little biased. Say what you want, but beyond the gimmicks and trends that came out of the hair band era, Poison’s music stands the test of time. Whether it’s the hard rocking party songs or the inspirational ballads, there’s at least some part of Poison that appeals to everybody. With that being said, this collection is good, but not great. Their first Greatest Hits collection is probably the best.
Did You Know?
Poison’s video for “Something to Believe In” beat out Faith No More’s “Epic” to win MTV’s World Series of Rock Video of the Year. The single was nominated for an American Music Award that year.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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