Look What the Cat Dragged In (CD - 1986)

Recorded at Music Grinder Studios, Hollywood, California.

Poison: Bret Michaels (vocals); C.C. DeVille (guitar); Bobby Dall (bass guitar); Rikki Rockett (drums).

Poison's glam-metal benchmark LOOK WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN was reissued in 2006, 20 years after its original release. With three bonus tracks tacked on for good measure (including the early demo "Don't Mess Around With Jim") the album sounds as gloriously sleazy as ever.

Poison's debut album took its cues from the big, anthemic pop hooks of Def Leppard and the rebellious street-tough posturing of Mötley Crüe, as well as a raunchy, adolescent obsession with sex. But Poison really carved out their niche as the ultimate glam metal band, using tight-assed boogie and over-the-top visual extravagance -- costumes, makeup, teased hair, and so on -- to an even greater extent than most of their contemporaries. It was derivative and formulaic, to be sure, but Poison wholeheartedly embraced that formula from the beginning with a conviction often missing in their peers, and it's that ridiculous, good-time excess that keeps Look What the Cat Dragged In's catchiest songs, especially the party anthems "Talk Dirty to Me" and "I Want Action," just as much fun today, if not more so. ~ Steve Huey

Apparently disappointed with critical hatred of their previous work, Poison made a bid to be taken seriously after the massive success of Open Up and Say...Ahh! Even the title of Flesh & Blood indicates a desire for more substance and reality in their music, as do darker songs like "Valley of Lost Souls," "(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice," "Life Loves a Tragedy," and a more reflective power ballad, "Life Goes On." There's still the adolescent sleaze of the Top Five hit "Unskinny Bop," but for the most part, Poison shies away from party anthems in favor of Bret Michaels' toughness-in-the-face-of-tribulation philosophizing. Sometimes it works surprisingly well, aided by the band's most consistent songwriting and a wider musical range that occasionally veers into swampy blues-rock. At other times, though, Michaels comes off as well intentioned but too self-consciously proud of his own ambition to recognize when he oversteps his bounds, as on parts of the hit ballad "Something to Believe In." Compared to their earlier output, Flesh & Blood is by no means a bad album (especially with the presence of one of their best songs, "Ride the Wind," an ode to motorcycles and their surrounding lifestyle). It's just not what Poison does best. ~ Steve Huey

On their third album, vocalist Bret Michaels puts in his best performance. "Unskinny Bop" and the anthemic "Something to Believe In" were both Top Ten hits. ~ John Book

Poison's debut album takes cues from Kiss and Def Leppard, combining anthemic pop hooks and rebellious street-tough posturing to create a distinctive sound and image. These rowdy rockers have taken glam metal to the next level and produced a masterpiece for reckless youth the world over. While the band members have taken much flack for their girlish looks, it's their music that ultimately tells the tale. And it is the band's conviction that gives this album its enduring appeal.

"Cry Tough" proclaims the sheer desire and will needed to make your dreams come true. "I Want Action" and "Talk Dirty To Me" are prime head-banging singalongs that sailed straight into the Top 10. "I Won't Forget You" is a classic power ballad. "Let Me Go To The Show" tells of a teenager's desire to attend his first (Poison?) concert, while the title track is a tale of excessive partying and the consequences the day after. Poison's penchant for good time party music paid off. CAT has sold over three million copies. minimize