Bret Michaels, 'What I Got' - Just Plain Awful

Have you heard the new Bret Michaels cover of "What I Got?" The song was a big hit for Sublime back in 1996. Bret recorded the song for his solo album Custom Built. Now, admittedly, I'm not a Sublime fan but I have no bias against the song. I know every word to "What I Got" because it was played nonstop when I was in high school. Still, bias or not, I can't sugarcoat this one: I think both the song and the video are horrid. Have you seen the video. Here, watch and I'll wait:

See what I mean? I fully support Bret using fans and other "real people" in his videos - that's not my beef here. The final product just doesn't look smooth or something and the sync is intentionally off (or at least I think it was an intentional decision) but whatever the case, it is distracting. Plus did I mention the song is horrid? The mix is not good. Oh my. Yes, Bret can do whatever he wants but I think this was definitely a career miss. Or maybe I'm just confused but Glam and Ska don't usually mix. Agree?

Comments

[Jack]

I like Poison but I have not liked a single thing Bret has done as a solo "artist", he really just pretty much sucks nowadays.

[Farce the Music]

The video is comically bad, but the song isn't as terrible as I expected. It sounds like something that would be fine in concert, though not necessarily worthy of a single release.

[Brian C.]

Awful version of the song, and awful AWFUL video. Just terrible all around....but still better than anything PBF ever did :-)

[glamrockerarchie]

not bad i have def heard worse covers i agree bret hasnt done much in terms of solo but the song raine was great check it out couldve been a good poison song. i think its high time poison starts recording original material n stop with the covers im getting tired of album after album of covers these days if was cool when one was on a cd and done up to fit whatever band recorded it there were some great ones done too many to mention

[Kenny Ozz]

This song is awful to begin with. Sublime was one of those bands nobody would of gave a rats ass about if the singer hadnt of died "See: Nirvana, Blind Melon, etc". Bret's version is even worse than the original. This video is downright horrendous as well. I used to love Bret, but after the whole fake 'I almost died' BS and the reality show BS and now shit like this? Who can even defend the direction his career is taking??? LAME!!

[Mike]

I wonder with all the extra attention and popularity Bret is receiving these days why he would release a cover song for a single? And the style doesn't seem to fit him (but maybe that was the point?) Yet he doesn't even do the original justice. Sublime had this cool laid back vibe in those types of songs and Bret comes off a little stiff in comparison. Plus the song is still so active on radio I just think it was a bad choice to cover.

[Gary]

I find it hilarious that Bret grew up about 60 miles South of me, yet has this accent where he pronounces words like morning/mowning, heart/howt, etc. Lol. Dude, your from Mechanicsburg Pa.....

[Bryon]

I don't think it's as bad as everybody's saying, but it's not great by any standard. As for the video, I think it's fun -- it's obviously meant to have an amateurish feel to it.

[AngryGeekGirl]

Most of Bret's solo stuff hasn't been very good, but this is poor even by those standards. He needs to get with the other guys in Poison and write some new stuff. This cover is just embarrassing.

[Ken]

The rhythm guitar is crystal clear and Bret sounds fine. The only thing I don't like is the lead guitar. Overall, I enjoyed it. Most of Bret's solo stuff has been unlistenable, so this is a big improvement in my book...

[Sweet Lou]

Maybe, just MAYBE, ol' Bret should STOP covering other people's music just to get his voice heard and START sitting down with a couple of guys named DeVille, Rockett, and Dall, then put the pen to the paper and write SOME NEW STUFF! THEN maybe get a REAL PRODUCER and lay the tracks! Artists are supposed to CREATE not RE-create! And don't say people don't care about new music, if they didn't why would THIS country/ska garbage need to see the light of day?!

[Metalboy!]

Huh-uh-lo-oh!

This frickin' SUXX!

And Brian C! What the hell?! I hope this is another one of your prank statements: "Better than anything PBF ever did"...

FYI! Pretty Boy Floyd, "Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz" is my second fave Glam Metal album (Accept, "Metal Heart" being my fave -- don't care what anyone says, it's Glam Metal! Then Crue's "Too Fast For Love" and after that, Poison's "Look What The Cat Dragged In").

I don't even know what the hell this latest Brett Michaels thing is... no, wait, my Mother (may she rest in peace) had a term for it: LCD -- Lowest Common Denominator).

The biggest problem with it is that it's dang stoopid and just plain FLAT. From the half-a*sed, half-hearted rendition of a kinda cool song, if you like that sort of thing, to the visual content, every inch of video, every edit, every scene...

B-O-R-I-N-G !!!!

I mean, like why even bother...

This clown and the boyz gotta get back in the studio, in earnest, like Sweet Lou sez, and put out something to rival "Look What The Cat Dragged In"...

Everything and Everybody in this dumba*s Brett Michaels vehicle just look PLAIN STOOPID!

LCD!

p.s. And Kenny O, what the hell?! You gotta face it -- Nirvana, Blind Melon and Sublime were all great. I actually like all that stuff, particularly, Nirvana. I just couldn't listen to 'em after each tragedy happened and haven't really since unless it's Musak or on the radio in someone else's car or somethin' like that.

[Wayne]

I honestly thought I was prepared for how bad this was going to be just from reading the post, but I clearly had no idea what a turd it was truly going to be...

[longhairedrocker]

Wow, this is musically a train wreck. The lead guitarist needs to take some lessons some of his little over dubed solos are terrible. There are some very poor note choices in his solos. The rhythm track sways in and out of time and Bret is very pitchy in places. Whomever produced this cd should be fired the entire thing sounds like it was recorded in a basement by someone who just bought Pro Tools and thought I can do this.....Producing and recording your own cd is like reading Web Md and thinking you can do surgery.

[Shadow]

Wow, I just can't get through the first minute and a half. Please make it stop!!!!

[Bob]

the first thing that struck me is just how old Bret sounds now. I agree with the commenter who says it sounds like it was thrown together with pro Tools. It doesn't have any of the cool laid-back groove of the original, and Bret doesn't have the vocal ability to throw in that slight bit of ska sensibility that gave what is an otherwise very basic song its unique edge. In short, it's not the vomit-inducing experience that I was expect, but it is very very boring and lacking in any substance.

[SCOTT]

Horendous !!!!!!

[will]

its awful. Its a great song by Sublime and he just butchered it. The only thing that could make it worse is for Vince Neil to skate to the song on Skating With the Stars. its worse than words can explain.