Bret Michaels - Songs of Life
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Free Music Notes for Songs of Life
Free Music Review: Songs of Life truely Bret's finest work.
Hit: 4 Stars
Shortly after Hollyweird was releasd,rumors started that lead singer Bret Michaels was saving all of his stronger material for his upcoming solo album.Well the rumors are true! Everything that Poison fans wanted on "Hollyweird" but didn't get is on "Songs Of Life".This has so much more passion, spirit and effort then "Hollyweird" ever had. This is hands-down the melodic rock CD of the summer! Bret has definitely learned his craft and has come up with a very polished, melodic project that harks back to the glory years of Poison, with some modern influences thrown in for good measure. No doubt about it, if it would have been released after "Flesh and Blood" it would have been a monster!
Bret starts us off with the "new-breed" angst rocker "Menace to Society". It's "in your face" style didn't really grab me at first, but it's definitely one that grows on you after a few spins. It's track two, "Bittersweet" which made me fall in love with this CD. It blows almost every song on Hollyweird out of the water. The song is a groovy rocker with a huge chorus that you infect you almost immediately, and if you can relate to the message of the song, it'll bring a smile to you face too!
Back in the late 80's a Poison CD wouldn't be complete with the power ballad or two. Bret gives his fans what they want with the CD's first single "Rain". Some might say it's a re-hash of "Stand" but hey, is that really that bad? It must not be, because VH-1 Classic has been spinning the video and I've heard it's getting airplay on rock radio. He is definitely a master craftsman when it comes to the ballad.
Bret strays into the adult contemporary side of things with the catchy "Forgiveness" He's at his best lyrically when he tells a story, and this song is no exception. I could easily see it as either the second or third single.
With recent releases by older rock bands, they've been going by the "every 2nd song is a ballad" rule, (i.e. Bon Jovi's Bounce, Def Leppard's X, etc) so I was expecting another ballad. Thankfully that's not the case here, and Bret delivers more doses "big sounding" rock on "Loaded Gun" and "Strange Sensation". I honestly thought Bret recruited Blues Sarceno back, because both of these songs could have easily been on the "Crack A Smile" CD. Kudos goes out to guitarists Cliff Calabro, Christy Calabro, and Mark Castrillon on this release.
For the title track, Bret reaches back into his lyrical catalog for some help on the chorus, but it's so damn catchy it doesn't matter. The slide guitar solo is a nice addition. Up next is "One More Day" a gentle acoustic ballad about faith, love, and hope that everyone can relate too. Bret heads back to his blues-rock roots in "I Remember" complete with harmonica and sing along chorus. It can't get any better then that!
The next two songs begin to stray off the mark and are the weakest on the CD. I not sure why Bret included "The Chant"; it's a little too close for comfort to the beginning of Bon Jovi's "Lay Your Hands On Me" for my liking, and the lyrics are lost in the mix. "It's My Party," sounds very similar in places to another party song, the Beastie Boys "You Gotta Fight (For Your Right To Party). Both didn't do anything for me, but are still better then half the songs on Poison's previous CD.
War Machine is a raw; grab you by the balls rocker that's never lets up from beginning to end. It, like the opening track begins to grow on you after a few spins.
The punk tinged "Party Rock Band" (From Bret's 1996 movie "Letter From Death Row) had me howling the first time I heard it. It has all that made Poison huge: a big chorus; sing along lyrics, catchy guitar work and it shows of Bret's quirky sense of humor. Hopefully he'll throw this in set list when Poison hits the road this summer.
"Stay With Me" is simply the BEST song Bret Michaels has ever written. This soul touching ballad is a touching reminder of how just precious life is and how we should cherish every moment we have, because it could be gone in an instant. Not only are the lyrics powerful, the song's simple arrangement of just a piano and string section enhances the song's message.
It is refreshing to hear all the different musical styles on this disc; I'd forgotten how dynamic and diverse Bret Michaels is as a songwriter. "Songs Of Life" has it all: 1) Well-written songs, 2) Solid song arrangement/flow, and 3) Good production throughout. It's of course a must for all Poison fans, but it's also a must for anyone who likes melodic hard rock in general. It will be on my Top 10 list of 2003!
Free Music Review: Better than Hollyweird
Hit: 4 Stars
I was skeptical of this one, since I didn't think much of "A Letter from Death Row." But, being the Poison fan I am, I thought I should give it a shot.The good stuff:
1. Better recording quality than the abysmal "Hollyweird."
2. Songs like "Menace to Society," "Bittersweet," and "War Machine" are good songs, and a bit of a change from typical Poison.
The not-so-good stuff:
1. Some embarrassingly goofy, '80s-ish lyrics. Like in "Loaded Gun"-- "My love is a loaded gun/Set my sights on you/My love is a loaded gun/Put my bullet in you."
2. "Raine" is a decent song, but it's yet another by-the-numbers Poison ballad. Nothing new. It's "Every Rose 2003."
3. This has nothing to do with the record, but if you go to Michaels' website, you can watch the video for "Raine" and see him in what has to be one of the worst rock wigs I've ever seen. Hey Bret, Jennifer Aniston wants her hair back!!! Kevin DuBrow's hair looks more real than this.
All in all, this CD was much better than I expected. I'd recommend it.
Free Music Review: Bret's True Passion
Hit: 4 Stars
If you are a fan of Poisons softer songs (Every Rose, Something to believe in) this is a great CD. Brett Michaels is truly a great songwriter when is comes to ballads. Raine is a moving song written about the Poison frontman's daughter Raine Elizabeth and is well written and lovingly sung. The title track had a little Mellencamp feel to it and the bonus track Stay with Me is heavy on the piano and well sung. Tracks Forgiveness and One more Day are great songs. It almost sounds like you could hear it on a "Young Country" radio station with a singer like Trace Adkins singing it. The Upbeat songs on the disc are a little goofy at times and the lyrics are a little weak. Songs like Menace to Society and Bittersweet seemed to try barrow from Pop Punk and doesn't really work too well. The only heavy song on the CD with that vintage 80's hair rock feel to it, is War Machine. It's a pretty good rock song, but the strength of this disc is the deep ballads. You can really tell where Bret's true passion is. This is a great listen.Free Music Review: Saved Best Material For Solo Record
Hit: 4 Stars
This is an excellent record from start to finish. Its very apparent that Bret's best material was saved for this solo effort. Been a die hard Poison fan since 86 and was only dissappointed with their last album Hollyweird. This is a much more solid effort lyrically, musically and production wise. It really more of a progression from Crack a Smile, rather then Hollyweird which I personally feel was a step back. I can only hope that Poison will release new material in the years to come and that as a band they will challenge themselves much as Bret has on this album.Free Music Review: Songs of life, back to the basic...
Hit: 4 Stars
it's really an amazing surprise for me, when i bought hollyweird i tought that finally the end of the carrer of poison was there, i don't care if bret keep material for his solo record, but listening raine, one more day, songs of life or the chant makes me remember that's is all about a good time.