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""Mr Big" is a debut album that combines all the ingredients to make this young band a benchmark in melodic heavy/rock from the 80s and 90s."
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4/5
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The genesis of Mr Big is directly rooted in the musical effervescence of the late '80s. This was the blessed era of guitar virtuosos and of bands making albums that seem unimaginable today. At the end of 1988, under the impetus of Mike Varney, a quartet was formed with four musicians already well experienced in their respective styles. Billy Sheehan and Paul Gilbert for guitar and bass virtuosity, Pat Torpey on drums and singer Eric Martin. Mr Big was born and went on to compete directly with million-selling American heavy/hard FM bands such as Extreme, White Lion and Van Halen.
Although the production has evolved somewhat since Mr. Big's first album in 1989, Sheehan's distinctive bass and Gilbert's twirling guitar are immediately recognizable. The eleven tracks on Mr Big are all catchy, immediate heavy anthems with a simple verse-chorus-solo structure that harbors plenty of melody. 'Addicted To That Rush' lays the foundations of Mr Big's style, with the two guitarists making a strong impression, each of them responding to the other with extravagant soli, Billy Sheehan in his own unique style (listen to the intro to "Had Enough") and Paul Gilbert with his playing strongly influenced by the master Eddy Van Halen (especially on this album).
You can clearly hear the Van Halen reference in "Wind Me Up" with its backing vocals, but Mr Big already knows how to impose his trademark with three musicians and a singer who all participate in writing the songs. The mood of "Mr Big" is clearly driven by the four Americans' ardour, and only the power ballads "Had Enough" and "Anything For You" temper the whole. No track really stands out, and for a debut album, the band shines with inspiration and consistency.
"Mr Big" is a debut album that combines all the ingredients to make this young band a benchmark in 80s/90s melodic heavy metal. Strangely enough, it's in the land of the rising sun that the cult for this band is most intense. The album that followed, "Lean Into It", consecrated Mr Big as an icon, making the four musicians benchmarks in their respective disciplines. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Addicted To That Rush - 04:46
02. Wind Me Up - 04:11
03. Merciless - 03:57
04. Had Enough - 04:57
05. Blame It On My Youth - 04:14
06. Take A Walk - 03:57
07. Big Love - 04:49
08. How Can You Do What You Do - 03:58
09. Anything For You - 04:37
10. Rock & Roll Over - 03:50
11. 30 Days In The Hole - 04:12
LINEUP:
Billy Sheehan: Basse
Eric Martin: Chant
Pat Torpey: Batterie
Paul Gilbert: Guitares
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READERS
4/5 (1 view(s))
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STAFF:
3.6/5 (5 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH MR BIG
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