Mr. Big formed in 1988, comprised of a group of all-star musicians. Some were ace session musicians who've played with many artists over the years. Bassist extraordinaire Billy Sheehan was a member of David Lee Roth's band, vocalist Eric Martin had already seen chart action as a solo artist, guitarist Paul Gilbert played in the rock outfit Racer X, and drummer Pat Torpey (who passed away in 2018) played with everyone from Belinda Carlisle to Ted Nugent. Mr. Big took their name from a song by the band Free, and ended up doing their rendition of this tune on their "Bump Ahead" record in 1993. They are not to be confused with the English disco band who hit the charts in 1977 with "Romeo." Their self-titled debut was generally well-received, although it did not generate any chart hits. But the band's chemistry aligned for their second album, 1991's "Lean Into It." A near flawless piece of AOR, this record doesn't get enough credit. It almost tanked until a simple acoustic ditty, "To Be With You," which was tacked on to the end of the album, suddenly hit #1 for three weeks. The momentum gave the band a second hit, "Just Take My Heart," which reached #16. Due to the shifting winds of the musical landscape in the 90s, it was surprising a band like Mr. Big could squeeze out two more charting singles: a cover of Cat Stevens's "Wild World" hit #27 and "Ain't Seen Love Like That" hit #83. The band continued to put out records over the years, the last arriving in 2017. "Green-Tinted Sixties Mind" was the lead single from "Lean Into It" that somehow did not interest enough folks at radio to get it on the charts. It is a terrific pop rock song that deserved to become a classic.
One of the most successful artists to pioneer theatrical rock is none other than Michael Lee Aday, better known as Meat Loaf, a nickname given to him by a football coach. His unique style and voice was getting noticed early in his career, as he was cast in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and was invited to sing most of the tracks on the 1976 Ted Nugent record, "Free-For-All." Meat Loaf's big break arrived with his epic 1977 record, "Bat Out Of Hell." It became one of the biggest selling albums of all-time and produced three top 40 hits that are now staples of classic rock: "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" (#11), "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" (#39), and "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth" (#39). His follow-up record was delayed four years thanks to a vocal injury, and after "I'm Gonna Love Her For Both Of Us" stalled at #84 in 1981, it appeared Meat Loaf was toast. Enter one of music's most unlikely comebacks: in 1993, Meat Loaf scored his biggest hit with "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)." The song, which had everyone guessing what he wouldn't do, stayed at #1 for a ridiculous five weeks and earned the Loaf a well-deserved Grammy. The song came from his 7th album, and second in the "Bat Out of Hell" trilogy. The success helped keep Meat Loaf on the charts until 1996, when "Not A Dry Eye In The House" stalled at #82. There were high hopes in 2006 that the third installment of the "Bat Out Of Hell" trilogy would make people hungry for Meat Loaf once again. The record still has the epic (in other words, overly long), soaring ballads one would expect, but it also rocks harder than its predecessors. It failed to reignite his chart career, but there are some worthy cuts like "If It Ain't Broke, Break It."
Brian Howe took over vocal duties after Paul Rodgers left Bad Company in 1986. After a string of hits in 70s, Bad Company was losing steam and Brian Howe breathed new life into the band with his raspy vocals and melodic songwriting. Previously, in 1983, Howe sang on the Ted Nugent record "Penetrator." After four successful albums with Bad Company, Howe left in 1994 and pursued a solo career. He released "Tangled In Blue" in 1997, a marked turn towards more adult contemporary fare that went nowhere. In 2010, Howe returned to melodic rock and released "Circus Bar," which is one of the most enjoyable records from the genre that year. Kicking off the record is the aptly named "I'm Back," and it showcases how Howe's powerful vocals hadn't changed a bit. I wish this record would have given Howe the comeback he deserved.
Expectations were running high when word got out that a new rock super group was forming consisting of Jack Blades (Night Ranger), Tommy Shaw (Styx), Ted Nugent (Amboy Dukes), and newcomer Michael Cartellone on drums. The debut single "Coming of Age" left after hitting a disappointing #60 on the chart, but the band scored in a big way with their epic ballad, "High Enough", which soared to #3 in 1990. The third single from the self-titled debut album, "Come Again", came and went only to hit #50. The excitement about the band and strength of the singles helped push the album to #13, and ignited a healthy writing partnership between Blades and Shaw (who also harmonize wonderfully together). In 1992, the band released their follow-up record, "Don't Tread". To most people, the songs were not as strong and it certainly didn't help that the musical tide was shifting towards grunge. Still, the record pulled its weight among the Seattle bands and got to #22, and the ballad "Where You Goin' Now" peaked at #20. "Silence Is Broken" is another terrific ballad, but it only managed to climb to #62 and holds the notoriety of being the band's last charting single (unless perhaps the long discussed rumors of a reunion actually materialize).
