Mr. Big isn't a very well-known band. Obviously, they have a good number of fans, including myself, but they're not among the top 10 most popular hard rock bands. World-renowned for the ballad "To Be With You," the group made their debut with their self-titled album in 1989.
Sometimes overlooked by a segment of fans, the album is among the best, not only in the band's discography, but also in hard rock/glam metal. While the group became known for their romantic ballads, here we can see a Mr. Big much more geared towards something fast and even heavier.
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Starting with a killer track, “Addicted To That Rush,” the string duo Billy Sheehan (bass) and Paul Gilbert (guitar) deliver fast and extremely technical riffs, a small preview of what was to come. The band is one of those where all members are very talented, knowing exactly what to do and how to do it.
Eric Martin also demonstrates his vocal quality, hitting high notes and holding them throughout the track. The song exemplifies the somewhat different approach they took early in their career, with elements more geared towards glam metal, which can also be seen in the way the band dressed.
Following the same fast pace, “Wind Me Up” comes next, one of the album's highlights. With Pat Torpey and a catchy chorus, they deliver another of their well-crafted, yet melodic tracks, and that's a major distinguishing feature of the band.
The members possess high technical skill, but they perform in a way that prevents the songs from becoming boring or tedious, while also keeping them quite melodic.
“Merciless” follows the same path, with great bass lines. The track is danceable and also features well-aligned instruments, making it sound completely harmonious.
“Had Enough” is another ballad on the album. It’s powerful and poignant, with softer moments, but when the chorus kicks in, it takes on a completely different form.
“Blame It On My Youth” precedes “Take A Walk,” which is rather bland and perhaps didn’t need to be part of the album. “Big Love” is equally moving as the other ballad already mentioned. Here, Martin is the standout, with his voice at its peak and spot-on, especially in the bridge leading up to the final choruses.
Changing the direction the album had, "How Can You Do What You Do" is a track more similar to what the band would do in later years.
But now, the best ballad from Mr. Big : “Anything For You”. Beyond the lyrics, you can perceive all the pain in it, largely due to the way Martin performs it. With less elaborate elements, the track is simpler, but still maintains its power.
As the album nears its end, “Rock & Roll Over” returns to the pace it had been building, but not in the frenetic way that the first songs were. The guitars are well-executed, along with the drums.
The cover of “30 Days In The Hole”, originally by the band Humble Pie , is responsible for closing the work, in the same way it began: with high quality. One of the interesting points about the track is the backing vocals, which provide a kind of greater filling to the sound, also elevating its quality.
This first Mr. Big album is definitely among the best in their discography, but it often goes unnoticed. Compared to the band's other more "classic" records, this one was the least successful, but that doesn't make sense.
The songs possess the same quality and technique that made Mr. Big famous, and in my opinion, one of the best hard rock bands in the world. Something impressive about the band is the precision with which the instruments are played, and in this recording we can see that they don't rely on ballads for success.
Another point worth noting is how the string duo interacts with each other. The bass is clearly present in the music, not just in the background. It's a prominent element that creates a unique quality. This, combined with the drums, creates a very powerful "bass section."
Eric Martin possesses one of the most iconic and easily recognizable voices in music. He could reach very high notes and hold them with ease. Although this album doesn't feature many of these moments, it's something the group would develop further in subsequent years.
Even though it has fewer ballads than some of his other works, this is definitely a great album, and one of the best debut albums in rock history.
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