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Choose Your Poison

1) "Talk Dirty to Me" (1987)

1 votes

2) "I Want Action" (1987)

0 votes

3) "I Won't Forget You" (1987)

0 votes

4) "Nothin' but a Good Time" (1988)

4 votes

5) "Fallen Angel" (1988)

3 votes

6) "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" (1988)

2 votes

7) "Your Mama Don't Dance" (1989)

0 votes

8) "Unskinny Bop" (1990)

0 votes

9) "Something to Believe In" (1990)

0 votes

10) Other (Please specify)

1 votes

Edgy DC Apr 27 2010 08:21 AM

While Bret Michaels fights for his life, what better time to send him good kharma as you decide which dose of Poison you'll take with you when stranded on a desert island. This track will round out your mix tape but hopefully not provide that fatal dose of pop glam goo that the name implies. I mostly think of Poison as the band who incorporated neon greens and pinks in their presentational pallette just as nu wave was forsaking these giddy tones for metal's grimmer darkness of black and deep purple. It was a solid if cynical flanking maneuver to get them an edge in the rapidly expanding hair band marketplace, but I hadn't realized how many hits --- or hit-like things --- Poison spit out, perhaps because of that marketing acumen. They had three or four hit singles per album in the late eighties, then --- somewhere between Guns 'n' Roses and Nirvana --- it all ended. Bret, Rikki, Bobby, and C.C. kept grinding, but it was all over but the nostalgia tours and reality shows. To the extent that I think of them otherwise, it's that they tried to bring an Aerosmith-like funk to their metal. So, what's your dose of Poison? 1) "Talk Dirty to Me" (1987) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1-l5oB5e_I 2) "I Want Action" (1987) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aLxbg7Z714 3) "I Won't Forget You" (1987) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAF5wXKOtw8 4) "Nothin' but a Good Time" (1988) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JRs28-O4CY 5) "Fallen Angel" (1988) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5lTt0jZ330 (watch out for the type of nostalgia tour pyrotechnics that led to the Great White disaster) 6) "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" (1988) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c56vEgA4fjU 7) "Your Mama Don't Dance" (1989) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3l0IBTN1J8 8) "Unskinny Bop" (1990) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS-tVp4SK3o 9) "Something to Believe In" (1990) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O0bwPuq0L0 10) Other (Please specify)

TransMonk Apr 27 2010 08:26 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

I actually saw Poison (and Cinderella) as a 13 year old high-school freshman. This was right before "Every Rose" became a #1 hit. They put on a good show for a hair band. Both acts were shooting music videos at the show. "Nothin' But a Good Time" is my pick, as that is the song that epitomizes Poison for me.

Frayed Knot Apr 27 2010 08:29 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

So I guess you're saying that their prime pretty much existed over a three-year span, huh? I was pretty much ignoring and/or mocking hair-bands in those days and doing very little listening.

metirish Apr 27 2010 08:39 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

I picked " Every Rose Has it's Thorn".....I'll admit to having the double live album of theirs. I saw them with Warrant years ago at Tuxedo Junction in Danbury , lots of metal slappers at the show.

Edgy DC Apr 27 2010 08:50 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

Poison was bigger than Godzilla in Ireland, weren't they?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 27 2010 09:06 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

Poison seemed to me to be more of an invention than an actual band but they managed to stand out among so many similar inventions, so I guess they deserve a little credit. I conflate them with Motley Crue, who had a better lead singer. That said it's kind of funny to me to hear "real" metal fans dismiss bands like Poison, as if their music isn't also formulaic, overwrought, boring and frequently unlistenable. Geez, as artificial as they were, least these fellas had a few hooks in their pockets. Here's my take: I Want Action, I Won't Forget You, Something to Believe In, Every Rose -- they all suck. "Mama Don't Dance" is a shitty cover. That leaves Talk Dirty, Nothin But a Good Time, Fallen Angel and Unskinny Bop -- all have big hooks and a good-time feel but I'll go with Fallen Angel and its love letter to the runaway teen hollywood whores who grew into haggard reality show milves. I'm pretty sure Aerosmith stole as much from these guys as vice versa, since their entire renaissance was built on songs that sound exactly like Unskinny Bop.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 27 2010 09:19 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

I know the words to far too many of these by heart. Even the shitty ones. Hell, in some cases, especially the shitty ones. (Hey, I also liked Chuck E. Cheese, shaving things into the side of my head, and Garbage Pail Kids. I was, like, 9.) "Talk Dirty to Me" for that sorta-snarling-- if superpolished in production-- guitar hook, the half-decent CC DeVille solo, and the fact that it was my cousin's and my tag-team theme song for a little while (eventually replaced by "Fight the Power") during our surprisingly elaborate, surprisingly actual-violent living-room-wrestling matches. "Fallen Angel" and "Unskinny Bop" are pretty damn decent, too.

Edgy DC Apr 27 2010 09:22 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

I went for "Fallen Angel," as "Unskinny Bop" is almost all hook and there's not much song. It's like eating icing for desert and not getting the cake. [quote="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":1ro2foe3]"Talk Dirty to Me" for that sorta-snarling-- if superpolished in production-- guitar hook, the half-decent CC DeVille solo, and the fact that it was my cousin's and my tag-team theme song for a little while (eventually replaced by "Fight the Power") during our surprisingly elaborate, surprisingly actual-violent living-room-wrestling matches.[/quote:1ro2foe3] Please tell me there's available video.

seawolf17 Apr 27 2010 09:38 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

I could write a doctoral dissertation on Poison; they've long been one of my favorite bands, despite all the crazy things they've done. The first two albums are virtually interchangeable; they grew a lot with "Flesh And Blood," but then the hair metal world imploded at the same time the band did. They released a double-live disc, and despite the fact that the four new songs weren't too bad, left CC in the dust somewhere outside of New Orleans and brought on Richie Kotzen. Kotzen completely changed their sound, and for the better; the songwriting changed dramatically for "Native Tongue," which nobody bought because it came out in 1991. "Stand" was the big single, but there were some great songs there. It's my favorite Poison album, top to bottom. "Seven Days Over You," "Ride Child Ride," "Bastard Son of a Thousand Blues," "Strike Up The Band," even "Theater of the Soul," which told the story of the CC DeVille split. Stand: [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3hmgkPYUuk Richie was found boinking Rikki Rockett's wife, so they booted him and brought on Blues Saraceno, despite the fact that nobody except me cared any more. They recorded "Crack A Smile," which sounded different yet again, but then got dropped by the record company before it could get released. Two of the songs, "Sexual Thing" and "Lay Your Body Down," made their way on to a best-of disc in the mid-90s, but the album didn't get a proper release until much later; even so, the bootlegged version of the full album included better tracks, including the band's full MTV Unplugged performance. Sexual Thing: [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5aLTDIasIo CC and Bret both did solo things for a while, which were both awful, and then the band got back together and released another live set with five new songs, including one song that they let CC sing, despite the fact that he sounds like the ferrets from the old Budweiser commercials. Power To The People: [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8_Bhoi1ETk The last two discs were pretty bad. "Hollyweird" was just awful, and their "Poison'd" covers disc includes every bad, overdone cover you can think of. The only redeeming song is (honestly) their Justin Timberlake cover: Sexyback: [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPiHZUhUIpM Bret has a new solo disc coming out this summer, and they still tour together, but I can't imagine them releasing any new music worth anything ever again. I'd love to be proven wrong, though, because they're one of maybe five bands that have had the most significant impact on my life.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 27 2010 09:53 AM Re: Choose Your Poison Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 27 2010 09:55 AM

[quote="Edgy DC":17400vuc]I went for "Fallen Angel," as "Unskinny Bop" is almost all hook and there's not much song. It's like eating icing for desert and not getting the cake. [quote="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":17400vuc]"Talk Dirty to Me" for that sorta-snarling-- if superpolished in production-- guitar hook, the half-decent CC DeVille solo, and the fact that it was my cousin's and my tag-team theme song for a little while (eventually replaced by "Fight the Power") during our surprisingly elaborate, surprisingly actual-violent living-room-wrestling matches.[/quote:17400vuc] Please tell me there's available video.[/quote:17400vuc] Video, no (at least not surviving video; at least not that I'll admit exists). Championship belts and weekly ladder updates, yes.

Fman99 Apr 27 2010 09:54 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

Ech, these guys never didn't suck. I'm drinking seawater on Craptastic Music Island, thanks.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 27 2010 10:01 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

Power To The People: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8_Bhoi1ETk If there's something worse than overproduced sacchrine pop-metal by homos in pink and green spandex, it's barftastic chuffing metal guitar sound by heroin-chic homos with noserings.

Ashie62 Apr 27 2010 10:16 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

I'll take hemlock over any of the listed 10. Bret, get well soon.

Centerfield Apr 27 2010 10:29 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

The way I see it, if you were between the ages of 10 to 14 during their heyday ('87-'89), there's a good chance you love Poison. If you were any older, you probably thought they sucked. If you were younger, you probably looked back on them later and wondered what it was all about. I was 12 when Fallen Angel came out. I haven't heard it in years, but I bet I could still air-guitar perfectly to CC's solo.

metsguyinmichigan Apr 27 2010 10:33 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

A band bold enough to not just cover Kiss, but to take on "Rock and Roll All Nite!" That said, I was never much of a Poison Fan. But "A Good Time" is harmless fun.

Willets Point Apr 27 2010 10:34 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

When did the desert island mixtape go from recognizing the best song from good but overlooked bands to torturing oneself with the drek of crap bands?

Edgy DC Apr 27 2010 10:34 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

Edgy DC joined the group LET CC SING!!LOLZ!!

metirish Apr 27 2010 10:39 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

"Something to believe in " had a vague War Vet coming home feel to the video....I remember that...can't believe that was 1990......

Edgy DC Apr 27 2010 10:40 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

[quote="Willets Point"]When did the desert island mixtape go from recognizing the best song from good but overlooked bands to torturing oneself with the drek of crap bands?

Desert islands give you lots of time to try to come to find the silver lining in any cloud, and so in isolation and contemplation, see the unity and glory in all creation, even spandex-wearing, hairspraying, groupie-chasing twitfucks.

God don't make no junk. In fact, I think that was Capitol's motto in the eighties. "Capitol, 'Cuz God Don't Make No junk."

(And don't think we don't remember the Erasure poll.)

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 27 2010 10:53 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

Thar be Erasure in these island shoals? Yar? Not that I'd want there to be.

seawolf17 Apr 27 2010 11:08 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

[quote="Centerfield":1ke8fyoz]The way I see it, if you were between the ages of 10 to 14 during their heyday ('87-'89), there's a good chance you love Poison. If you were any older, you probably thought they sucked. If you were younger, you probably looked back on them later and wondered what it was all about. I was 12 when Fallen Angel came out. I haven't heard it in years, but I bet I could still air-guitar perfectly to CC's solo.[/quote:1ke8fyoz] If it wasn't for the fact that I've actually had Poison on shuffle all day in my office, and the fact that I have 70 Poison tracks on my mp3 player (plus another 18 Bret & CC solo songs), the CF/s17 similarity score would be even higher than it already is. And here's CC's lead vocal turn, on "I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll0m8Di7rKI

Willets Point Apr 27 2010 11:08 AM Re: Choose Your Poison

Erasure rules.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 27 2010 12:39 PM Re: Choose Your Poison

Proud purveyors of the most literal video ever? Proud purveyors of the most literal video ever.

seawolf17 Apr 27 2010 12:41 PM Re: Choose Your Poison

Um, hi. Threadjackers? Keep your wussy Europop schmaltz out of the hair metal thread.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 27 2010 02:25 PM Re: Choose Your Poison

[quote="seawolf17"]Um, hi. Threadjackers? Keep your wussy Europop schmaltz out of the hair metal thread.

"Really. Take that gay shit outside, Queer-Os."

Ashie62 Apr 27 2010 03:06 PM Re: Choose Your Poison

[quote="Edgy DC"][quote="Willets Point"]When did the desert island mixtape go from recognizing the best song from good but overlooked bands to torturing oneself with the drek of crap bands?

Desert islands give you lots of time to try to come to find the silver lining in any cloud, and so in isolation and contemplation, see the unity and glory in all creation, even spandex-wearing, hairspraying, groupie-chasing twitfucks.

God don't make no junk. In fact, I think that was Capitol's motto in the eighties. "Capitol, 'Cuz God Don't Make No junk."

(And don't think we don't remember the Erasure poll.)

I like Stiff records motto best, "If it ain't Stiff it ain't worth shit."

Frayed Knot Apr 27 2010 04:24 PM Re: Choose Your Poison

I liked the a capella version of 'Talk Dirty to Me' that Carla & Ted did on an episode of 'Scrubs'. Something about raunchy teenage lyrics re-done as a kind of slower love song made it hilarious.