Bret Michaels - Songs of Life

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Music reviews of Songs of Life

Music Review: Songs of Life truely Bret's finest work.
Rating: 4 Stars

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!

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