 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poison
Seven Days Live
(Cherry Red Records/
Eagle Rock Entertainment)
I’ll be the first to admit that when ‘Hair Metal’ pioneers Poison announced the addition of renowned underground shredder Richie Kotzen as a replacement for the recently departed CC Deville, I was initially more than a little optimistic. Although a mere twenty years old (!) at the time, Kotzen already had three universally acclaimed solo releases to his credit (1989’s Richie Kotzen, 1990’s Fever Dream and 1991’s Electric Joy) and appeared, at least upon first glance, to be much-welcomed addition to the group. However, following the release of the much-hyped (albeit woefully underperforming) Native Tongue in 1993 and its subsequent supporting tour(s), it soon became apparent that all was not well. Now, fourteen years after the dissolution of the group’s misbegotten ‘…MKII…’ line-up, the public at large has been offered a testament of its exploits.
On the uncharacteristically unflattering Seven Days Live (2008), an expertly captured eleven track collection of hopelessly flawed ‘…in concert…’ recordings, each track, beginning with the maddeningly infectious “Ride The Wind”, and the soaring, hook-riddled “Something To Believe In”, immediately attempts, with widely varying results, to engulf the average listener (i.e. you, the increasingly faithful reader) amid a virtual tidal wave of gritty yet passionate vocals, searing fretwork and redundantly bombastic arrangements. Wisely attempting to recapture the fractured magic of 1991’s curiously maligned Swallow This Live, the group dives headlong into a sweat-soaked set that deftly accentuates each of their sonically distinct eras without overly focusing on a particular release, a factor that later proves to be one of the disc’s few genuine saving graces.
Continuing with the acoustic-tinged, emotionally charged single “Stand”, and the obligatory (yet outright blistering) “Look What The Cat Dragged In”, the awkwardly assembled combination of vocalist/guitarist Bret Michaels, guitarist Richie Kotzen (later of fellow Pop Metal icons Mr. Big), bassist Bobby Dall and drummer Rikki Rockett steamroll ahead at what can only be described as a ‘…grimly determined pace…’. Stripped of the hedonistic, tongue-in-cheek charm that initially helped propel the group to the dizzying heights of international success, much of the audiovisual train wreck that is the particularly lackluster Seven Days Live finds the Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania-born quartet going through the proverbial motions, only further subtracting from what should have been a deliciously airtight, high energy performance.
Recorded at London, England’s now-infamous Hammersmith Apollo on April 23rd, 1993, other standouts, including the group’s quasi-anthemic modus operandi “Talk Dirty To Me”, and the equally impressive closer “Nothin’ But A Good Time”, only add to what was, believe it or not, a burgeoning reputation as a creative and commercial force not to be ignored. Unfortunately, Kotzen’s technically precise delivery, whilst undeniably impressive when judged solely upon its own mind-boggling merits, often fails to accurately recreate--or in some instances recapture--Deville’s arguably ham-fisted yet highly effective ‘…let the good times roll…’ approach (most notably on the abysmal “Unskinny Bop”), resulting in a series of inexplicably sterile interpretations seemingly guaranteed to not appeal to either curious newcomers or the returning faithful.
So what’s really wrong? Quite a lot, actually. An absolute must-have only for die-hard completists invariably insistent on partaking in the improbably long-running group’s entire hairspray and mascara-encrusted catalog, the majority--if not all--of the otherwise tuneful wares contained herein ultimately serve as little more than an ill-advised reminder of the already oft-discussed Michaels/Deville/Dall/Rockett era’s chart-topping, Platinum-fueled prowess. As a result, even if you’ve once again found yourself in search of a ‘…relatively obscure…’ mid-‘90’s anomaly to augment your already undoubtedly sprawling, oddity-riddled collection, do yourself (and thus those in your immediate vicinity) an incredibly enormous favor and avoid this pointless, Velveeta-laden cash-grab like the freakin’ plague. Trust me, my friends, you’ll be disappointed if you don’t.
Select Discography
Live, Raw & Uncut (CD/DVD) (2008) *
Poison’d (2007) *
The Best Of Poison: 20 Years Of Rock (2006) *
Seven Days Live (DVD) (2006) *
The Best Of Blues & Ballads (2003) *
Hollyweird (2002) *
Crack A Smile...And More! (2000) ***
Power To The People (2000) *
Greatest Hits 1986-1996 (1996) *
Native Tongue (1993) **
Swallow This Live (1991) *
Flesh And Blood (1990) *
Open Up And Say...Ahh! (1988) *
Look What The Cat Dragged In (1986) *
* features guitarist CC Deville
** features guitarist Richie Kotzen
*** features guitarist Blues Saraceno