Dear Poison: We Want New Music, Not Another Rehash
Friday, October 8, 2010 at 12:01AM So Poison will release a box set November 9. The box set, called Nothin’ But a Good Time: The Poison Collection will feature “34 studio hits and concert recordings, plus an exclusive, limited edition ‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’ bandana.”
Seriously.
A bandana? Oh my.
Why, oh why, do these bands we love keep doing this to us? Must we have another rehash? The box set will have the songs on 2 CDs. I’d say this would be worth buying if there was a rarities disc, too but as it stands, who needs this? It’s all music we already have.
Songs included in the box set include "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," "Unskinny Bop," and "Something To Believe In," among others. The cool part is that the box set includes a full-color booklet with photos.
But seriously, we need some new music. Or some rarities. Or a DVD…something rare or new. Rehash, repackage, re-scam-the-loyal-fans-who-love-you. Whatever. Poison will soon celebrate 25 years of Glam. If that doesn’t call for new music, I don’t know what does. Sure, we’ll all still want to hear “Look What the Cat Dragged In” when we see Poison in concert. But we’ll take a couple new tunes, too.
Nothin’ But a Good Time: The Poison Collection will be released via Capitol/EMI.
Here's Bret Michaels' new video, too. "Riding Against the Wind"
Reader Comments (27)
A nice rarities, or live, or even demo disc in that box set would be so much more valuable to me as a fan than a bandana.
I really enjoyed the last new music which I think was Hollyweird...was a great cd. Would love to see the boys pull together for something like that for the anniversary.
I love all the guys in Poison for the fact that they've given me so much joy over the years, but at this stage they really owe me nothing. If they never feel inclined to write together ever again, then I'm okay with that. It doesn't mean I love the band any less. It's sad to lose that sort of magic, but all artistic collaborations (eg. bands) are inevitably fleeting. We can't expect a group of men to stay 22 forever. People change and go in different directions. Sometimes they come back together and sometimes they don't. I don't feel aggrieved about it because I know that, realistically, it's not aimed at hurting me. They didn't write those albums for my sake in the first place, and they're not going to stop writing for my sake either. It's not apathy or a sign that I don't care about them: it's just that I don't think they have any kind of debt to me.
And no, I don't need an Every Rose bandanna either. But if the guys in Poison want my money... well... I might just have to send them a postal order or something. :) Heaven knows, I can't see them back in New Zealand again anytime soon!
In other news though, the members of Poison are still releasing new music. CC occasionally guests on other artists albums, Rikki released his solo album, and Bret is regularly releasing new material. And just a couple of years ago, Poison released their live DVD Live, Raw, and Uncut.
Paid for fourth row tickets at his recent show here in NW Arkansas...
Was suprised when the lights dropped and over the PA Welcome to the Jungle is blasting and the spot light/strobe lights start going off..
I felt like it was kinda lame to open your show with another bands song especially GNR.
Then he played 9 songs and called it a night. All Poison except for the rock of love song and a sweet home alabama cover...
Enjoyed the show for the most part..
He promised to come back net summer and do a better show.
Felt like he sold out a little..
However, I think they actually put out a work of art with "Look What The Cat Dragged In" quite by accident despite their single minded goal to rake in the cash.
As far as their forthcoming greatest hits package, why don't they use Aerosmith's "Pandora's Box " as a template? It included mostly previously unreleased stuff but also remastered "essentials".
It opens with a previously unreleased Steven Tyler pre-Aerosmith cut, "When I Needed You" from his time in The Strangeurs, his first band.
Then it gets into alternate demo and live versions of their various hits interspersed with original hit recordings. Songs from all of the other members various solo projects are also represented including a cut from Whitford/St. Holmes and The Joe Perry Project.
This is how Poison should roll. They should include all of the Paris stuff, the first permutation of the band from back in the very beginning when they were in Pennsylvania.
They should include some solo stuff from everybody.
Maybe a DVD of Rare Previously unreleased early live performances including the black and white Paris stuff and their very first club and arena performances.
Then this thing would be worth springin' for. If it's basically just rereleases of the hits why bother. At least put out mini-replicas of the original LP releases from '86 forward....
And conclude the set with a live version of "I Wanna Rock And Roll All Nite", their cover of Kiss.
Look at the greatest hits album Capitol put out in the mid-90s... instead of releasing Crack a Smile (which had already been recorded, mostly at the band's expense, and was ready to go). Capitol don't care that Poison have a handful of devoted followers (like us) who already have all these songs. They smell money in all the 12-year-olds who see Bret on VH1 and think he's super-hot! :D
And, you know what? If they hadn't smelled money in THIS 12-year-old a long time ago, then Poison probably wouldn't have had a career in the first place. I'm sorry, but that's just how the music business works. You can think that's unfair if you like, but it's quite simple: there are more of those new VH1 teeny boppers than there are of us. It's supply and demand.
I'll reiterate my first point: Jeesh! I don't understand why anyone would get so upset about this! None of us OWN Poison (or their back catalog) and so why is it somehow defiant/ungrateful/evil of their old label to put out a greatest hits package? Buying a few albums does not mean that the band members become our slaves, who must obey our every desire. I bought their music, I didn't buy their souls!