Poison - Open Up and Say Ahh!

It was 25 years ago this album was released (1988) the cover was banned in many stores (see original cover art below) so a censored version was released (see above). It seems that it was a different world back then. To ban this cover, as it seems really quite tame by today's debauched standards.
The album kicks off with 'Love On The Rocks' and is an awesome bit of Rock 'n Roll with a healthy dose of swagger thrown in. I do love the a screaming guitar and C.C. DeVille does a great job on this track. the next track is 'Nothin' But A Good Time' is a ripper of a song, great beat, great guitar, just a real cool, fun song, almost an eighties anthem. I especially love the guitar solo from CC - kick-ass to hear a guitar solo, they are so rare these days.
We then move onto 'Back To The Rocking Horse' starts off with a cool driving drum beat. The lyrics are quite simple all about going back to simpler time, still a good song though. Again the guitar shines, another blistering solo, awesome.Next up is 'Good Love' which starts with drums and guitar, some cool singing by lead singer Bret Michaels. We then move onto the track 'Tearin' Down The Walls' which has a real hard rock feel to it. The riff is unreal and the way they scream the lyrics makes it a really cool song it has a real anthem feel about it.
The next track is 'Look But You Can't Touch' a song about trying to seduce a girl who plays hard to get. It is an awesome song that starts with another blistering guitar solo and I love the opening line "good girls go to heaven, bad girls go to hell". This is one of my favourite songs and it's like my theme song for all my lady friends because I ain't for keeps.I especially love the guitar squeals in this song. the next track is one of my favourites and is a bit of a classic 'Fallen Angel', a song about about a small-town girl whose dreams of show business include wanting a life in the fast lane, "rolling the dice of her life." This is a really cool song.
Then we move onto the power ballad 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn', this was a number 1 hit for them. It is a lament or break-up ballad but it has such an emotional feel to it that makes this song sound as good now as it did in 1988, the true test of any song and this does stand the test of time. With lyrics like this "like the knife that cuts you/the wound heals, but the scar, that scar remains," A truly great rock ballad.
Then comes their cover of Loggins and Messina's "Your Mama Don't Dance," which is good old fashioned rock and roll from the 1970's. It is a good song, fun and they make it their own thanks largely to CC DeVilles awesome guitar playing. the last song on the album is 'Bad To Be Good' which is good song, love the guitar riff and the solos are unbelievable which makes this song a really cool finish to a great album.
Look as far as Pop-Metal albums go, this is unreal. I love the guitar solos and for that reason I am giving it 3 and a half shots of Whiskey out of five, well deserved and it sounds as good today as it did back in 1988.
Till next week
Peace out my bitches!
Herbie