In Samantha 7, DeVille takes the mic with a raspy voice that scratches through the pop hooks. The band's music is more punk than hairband, more Green Day than Poison. The songs are short and sweet and, honestly, the record is a blast to listen to from beginning to end. Standouts include "Framed," "Cover Girl," "Seane Girl," and this one, the single, "I Wanna Be Famous." With proper promotion back in the day, I could see Samantha 7 being stars in their own right.
Showing posts with label Poison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poison. Show all posts
Monday, October 21, 2019
"I Wanna Be Famous" by Samantha 7
CC DeVille is the flamboyant guitarist from the glam rock band, Poison, but he completed a one-off side project with other musicians back in the late 90s called Samantha 7. Their work together culminated in the release of their only record, a self-titled LP released in 2000.
In Samantha 7, DeVille takes the mic with a raspy voice that scratches through the pop hooks. The band's music is more punk than hairband, more Green Day than Poison. The songs are short and sweet and, honestly, the record is a blast to listen to from beginning to end. Standouts include "Framed," "Cover Girl," "Seane Girl," and this one, the single, "I Wanna Be Famous." With proper promotion back in the day, I could see Samantha 7 being stars in their own right.
In Samantha 7, DeVille takes the mic with a raspy voice that scratches through the pop hooks. The band's music is more punk than hairband, more Green Day than Poison. The songs are short and sweet and, honestly, the record is a blast to listen to from beginning to end. Standouts include "Framed," "Cover Girl," "Seane Girl," and this one, the single, "I Wanna Be Famous." With proper promotion back in the day, I could see Samantha 7 being stars in their own right.
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
"Until You Suffer Some (Fire And Ice)" by Poison
Formed in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and led by the charismatic Bret Michaels, glam rock band Poison took the world by storm in the late 80s. They had a huge surprise hit with "Talk Dirty To Me" right out of the gate, which went to #9 in 1987. It catapulted their debut album, "Look What The Cat Dragged In", to multi-platinum status and set the band up for a string of follow-up successes that included "Nothin' But A Good Time" (#6), "Fallen Angel" (#12), "Unskinny Bop" (#3), and their cover of the Loggins & Messina classic, "Your Mama Don't Dance" (#10).
The band had a softer side, too, and scored big with ballads like "I Won't Forget You" (#13), "Something To Believe In" (#4), and their chart-topping hit "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," which spent 3 weeks at #1 in 1988.
By 1993, things took a turn. Beloved guitarist CC DeVille was fired due to substance abuse issues and replaced with a more blues oriented axe, Richie Kotzen. In addition, grunge had arrived in full force by the time the new line-up released their album, "Native Tongue." The album, which largely abandoned their usual party and cock rock fare in favor of more mature songwriting, was met with mixed reviews. The first single, "Stand," backed by a gospel choir, stalled at #50 and became the band's last chart appearance. Kotzen was subsequently fired for fraternizing too heavily with the drummer's girlfriend, opening the door for DeVille to come back onboard in 1996.
"Native Tongue" might have performed better had it been released during the hair band heyday. It contains some really good tracks and put Poison on a growth trajectory that would have been interesting to continue. The musicianship and harmonies that decorate the killer ballad "Until You Suffer Some (Fire And Ice)" exemplify what this might have been like.
The band had a softer side, too, and scored big with ballads like "I Won't Forget You" (#13), "Something To Believe In" (#4), and their chart-topping hit "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," which spent 3 weeks at #1 in 1988.
By 1993, things took a turn. Beloved guitarist CC DeVille was fired due to substance abuse issues and replaced with a more blues oriented axe, Richie Kotzen. In addition, grunge had arrived in full force by the time the new line-up released their album, "Native Tongue." The album, which largely abandoned their usual party and cock rock fare in favor of more mature songwriting, was met with mixed reviews. The first single, "Stand," backed by a gospel choir, stalled at #50 and became the band's last chart appearance. Kotzen was subsequently fired for fraternizing too heavily with the drummer's girlfriend, opening the door for DeVille to come back onboard in 1996.
"Native Tongue" might have performed better had it been released during the hair band heyday. It contains some really good tracks and put Poison on a growth trajectory that would have been interesting to continue. The musicianship and harmonies that decorate the killer ballad "Until You Suffer Some (Fire And Ice)" exemplify what this might have been like.
Friday, April 27, 2018
"Hello" by Joey C. Jones & Glory Hounds
If Joey C. Jones and his so-called Glory Hounds had released their CD in the late 80s, they would have been huge. But their self-titled debut album arrived a day late and a dollar short in 1994. Sounding like Vince Neil fronting Cheap Trick, this band had all the ingredients for major chart success being the hairband craze. In fact, their album contains a song written by members of Cheap Trick ("Wait All Night").
Joey C. Jones was also a member of an early 80s glam band called Sweet Savage. Fondness for glam rock can also be found on his self-titled record on "Broadway," a track co-written with Poison's CC Deville.
"Hello" appropriately opens this fine album of overlooked power pop and rock.
Joey C. Jones was also a member of an early 80s glam band called Sweet Savage. Fondness for glam rock can also be found on his self-titled record on "Broadway," a track co-written with Poison's CC Deville.
"Hello" appropriately opens this fine album of overlooked power pop and rock.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)