Poison (band)Poison is an American hair metal band which achieved popular success
in the late 1980s and early 1990s. With more than
15 million albums sold in the United States alone, the band is one of the most commercially successful rock acts in
history. MusicThe music of Poison reflects the band's heritage. Formed by a group of aspiring rock musicians from the Eastern United States who moved to Los Angeles, California in search of fame, Poison became the most prominent exponent of the colourful hair metal music scene, which gained popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s. Hair metal's roots lay on America's East Coast, and in the sounds and images associated with New York's KISS and Boston's Aerosmith. These influences mutated following Van Halen's debut in 1978, which started a scene in their hometown of Los Angeles, on the Sunset Strip. Poison's music, (and that of hair metal in general,) was characterised by anthemic, loud guitar riffs, flamoyant special effects, costumes, hair and make-up, and a preoccupation with hedonism. Early yearsPoison began life in 1984 as Paris, a band from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania comprising vocalist Bret Michaels, bassist Bobby Dall, guitarist Matt Smith and drummer Rikki Rockett. The band moved to Los Angeles, California in 1985 to begin playing in clubs there. Smith, who was about to father a child and was concerned about the band's future, returned to Pennsylvania shortly after. The band auditioned for a replacement guitarist, eventually narrowing the field down to three candidates: Slash, who would later join Guns 'N Roses, Steve Silva from the The Joe Perry Project, and Brooklyn expatriate C.C. DeVille. Although Michaels and Dall did not initially get along with DeVille, the band eventually agreed that DeVille's "fire" made him the most appropriate candidate [1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Poison_(band)). The band began to gain notoreity for its theatrical live shows striking "glam" image. Without money for effects, they would fill the stage with old Harley Davidson and car parts, blow up car fuses and pour confetti onto themselves from boxes in the ceiling. The band's efforts eventually paid off and Michaels, Dall, Rockett and DeVille signed to Enigma Records in 1986 (see 1986 in music). Their debut album, Look What the Cat Dragged In was released on August 2, 1986. It included three hits, "Talk Dirty to Me", "I Want Action" and "I Won't Forget You". In 1987 the band also recorded a cover of the KISS song "Rock And Roll All Nite" for the Less Than Zero movie soundtrack. Popular successPoison's second album, Open Up And Say...Ahh!, which was released on May 21, 1988 (see 1988 in music) would ultimately go on to sell 8 million copies worldwide. The record included the band's biggest hit, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", along with other top 10 hits, "Nothin' But A Good Time" and the Loggins and Messina cover "Your Mama Don't Dance". By the time the band toured with David Lee Roth (in 1988 on the Skyscraper Tour,) it was apparent that they had become a major live act. Subsequent headlining shows in support of Open Up and Say... Ahh! would ultimately place the band alongside Metallica as one of the largest-grossing touring acts of the late 1980s. Poison's third album, Flesh & Blood (1990), was also highly successful. The record went multi-platinum, spawning three gold singles: "Unskinny Bop", "Ride the Wind" and the ballad "Something To Believe In". Flesh & Blood reached #2 on the American charts, providing the impetus for a further World Tour. Poison recorded a number of performances during its 1990/1991 "Flesh & Blood" tour which were released in November 1991 as their fourth album, Swallow This Live. Later yearsDespite Poison's success, DeVille's cocaine and alcohol addictions had begun to cause strife in the band. Conflict between Michaels and DeVille cluminated in a fistfight at the MTV Music Awards in 1991, provoked by Deville's inept live performance. Deville was fired and replaced by Pennsylvanian guitar virtuoso Richie Kotzen. Poison's fifth album, Native Tongue was released on August 14, 1993. It was a fiery, bluesy rock record, strongly influenced by Kotzen's fresh songwriting contributions and guitar performances. The record received generally positive reviews, but sales were sluggish. Kotzen's future in the band was sealed when it was discovered that he was romantically involved with Rockett's fiance. Kotzen was promptly fired, and replaced by Blues Saraceno. Poison began recording its sixth album, Crack a Smile, in 1994. Recording was brought to an abrupt halt in May 1994, when Michaels was involved in an accident in which he lost control of his Ferrari. Michaels suffered a broken nose, ribs, jaw, and fingers and lost four teeth. After his recovery in 1995, the band continued recording. However, Capitol Records had by this time decided to put the album on the back burner and instead decided to release a Greatest Hits record. The record was released in 1996, and went platinum, despite Poison having been out of the spotlight for a number of years. The band's supporting tour was equally successful, with its show at Pine Knob Amphitheater in Detroit drawing a sell-out crowd of 18,000. Crack a Smile was finally released in on March 14, 2000. The album, a bright and raunchy series of party anthems, contained few traces of the seriousness of Native Tongue. Later in the same year Poison also released Power to the People marking the return of DeVille to the band. The record contained five new studio songs: "Power to the People", "Can't Bring Me Down", "Last Song", "Strange", and "I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine". The remainder of the album featured live performances from tours in 1999 and 2000. Poison's most recent record, Hollyweird, was released on May 21 2002. Discography
References
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Poison's most recent record, Hollyweird, was released on May 21 2002. The only known performance of any Tapeworm material was of Keenan's other band, A Perfect Circle performing the song "Vacant" on tour in 2001. "Vacant" appears on A Perfect Circle's third album eMOTIVe, reworked and retitled "Passive". The remainder of the album featured live performances from tours in 1999 and 2000. A collaboration with Danny Lohner, Maynard James Keenan of Tool, and Atticus Ross of 12 Rounds known as Tapeworm was in production for almost ten years, but an update on the official Nine Inch Nails website has declared that the project has been terminated. The record contained five new studio songs: "Power to the People", "Can't Bring Me Down", "Last Song", "Strange", and "I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine". He has also worked with David Bowie, Pigface, Marilyn Manson, The Neptunes, 1000 Homo DJs, and Peter Gabriel. Later in the same year Poison also released Power to the People marking the return of DeVille to the band. Trent has collaborated with such artists as Tori Amos, adding backing vocals to "Past the Mission" from Under the Pink. The album, a bright and raunchy series of party anthems, contained few traces of the seriousness of Native Tongue. Or get your shit together.'". Crack a Smile was finally released in on March 14, 2000. I had to slap myself in the face: 'If you want to kill yourself, do it, save everybody the fucking hassle. The band's supporting tour was equally successful, with its show at Pine Knob Amphitheater in Detroit drawing a sell-out crowd of 18,000. In a 1999 interview for Rolling Stone magazine, he said that "It just took me time to sit down and change my head and my life around. The record was released in 1996, and went platinum, despite Poison having been out of the spotlight for a number of years. It was reported that Reznor had considered committing suicide during this period. However, Capitol Records had by this time decided to put the album on the back burner and instead decided to release a Greatest Hits record. He has been reported to be suffering from bipolar disorder. After his recovery in 1995, the band continued recording. During the five years between his albums The Downward Spiral (1994) and The Fragile (1999), Trent Reznor struggled with depression, writer's block, and the death of his grandmother. Michaels suffered a broken nose, ribs, jaw, and fingers and lost four teeth. Chris Vrenna, former drummer for Nine Inch Nails, produced the music for Doom 3 with his partner Clint Walsh. Recording was brought to an abrupt halt in May 1994, when Michaels was involved in an accident in which he lost control of his Ferrari. The original audio files can be found on the internet, although they are not officially endorsed by Reznor or id software. Poison began recording its sixth album, Crack a Smile, in 1994. However, due to "time, money, and bad management" he had to abandon this project, and his audio work did not make it into the game's release. Kotzen's future in the band was sealed when it was discovered that he was romantically involved with Rockett's fiance. Kotzen was promptly fired, and replaced by Blues Saraceno. Trent returned to work with id Software in 2003 as the sound engineer for video game Doom 3. The record received generally positive reviews, but sales were sluggish. (As a side-note, the NIN logo also appears on the nailgun ammo boxes in Quake). It was a fiery, bluesy rock record, strongly influenced by Kotzen's fresh songwriting contributions and guitar performances. He also created the soundtrack for id Software's hit Quake. Poison's fifth album, Native Tongue was released on August 14, 1993. Reznor likes video games, most notably Doom by id Software, which he has said he played in the Nine Inch Nails tour bus after doing shows. Conflict between Michaels and DeVille cluminated in a fistfight at the MTV Music Awards in 1991, provoked by Deville's inept live performance. Deville was fired and replaced by Pennsylvanian guitar virtuoso Richie Kotzen. Reznor was the credited producer for Marilyn Manson's albums Portrait of an American Family (1994), Smells Like Children (1995), and Antichrist Superstar (1996), as well as the soundtrack for the film Natural Born Killers. Despite Poison's success, DeVille's cocaine and alcohol addictions had begun to cause strife in the band. His latest album, "With Teeth", is expected to be released on 3 May 2005. Poison recorded a number of performances during its 1990/1991 "Flesh & Blood" tour which were released in November 1991 as their fourth album, Swallow This Live. Subsequent works include 1992's eight song EP "Broken", 1994's "The Downward Spiral" and 1999's "The Fragile". Flesh & Blood reached #2 on the American charts, providing the impetus for a further World Tour. TVT Records signed Trent Reznor, and in 1989 he released "Pretty Hate Machine", Nine Inch Nails' first album. The record went multi-platinum, spawning three gold singles: "Unskinny Bop", "Ride the Wind" and the ballad "Something To Believe In". Until recently, he had lived in New Orleans, Louisiana. Poison's third album, Flesh & Blood (1990), was also highly successful. In 2004, he stated he will have nothing more to do with the label. Ahh! would ultimately place the band alongside Metallica as one of the largest-grossing touring acts of the late 1980s. He released most of his work under his former record label, Nothing Records. Subsequent headlining shows in support of Open Up and Say.. Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965 in Mercer, Pennsylvania), better known as Trent Reznor, is the creative force behind the band Nine Inch Nails. By the time the band toured with David Lee Roth (in 1988 on the Skyscraper Tour,) it was apparent that they had become a major live act. The record included the band's biggest hit, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", along with other top 10 hits, "Nothin' But A Good Time" and the Loggins and Messina cover "Your Mama Don't Dance". Poison's second album, Open Up And Say...Ahh!, which was released on May 21, 1988 (see 1988 in music) would ultimately go on to sell 8 million copies worldwide. In 1987 the band also recorded a cover of the KISS song "Rock And Roll All Nite" for the Less Than Zero movie soundtrack. It included three hits, "Talk Dirty to Me", "I Want Action" and "I Won't Forget You". Their debut album, Look What the Cat Dragged In was released on August 2, 1986. The band's efforts eventually paid off and Michaels, Dall, Rockett and DeVille signed to Enigma Records in 1986 (see 1986 in music). The band began to gain notoreity for its theatrical live shows striking "glam" image. Without money for effects, they would fill the stage with old Harley Davidson and car parts, blow up car fuses and pour confetti onto themselves from boxes in the ceiling. DeVille. Although Michaels and Dall did not initially get along with DeVille, the band eventually agreed that DeVille's "fire" made him the most appropriate candidate [1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Poison_(band)). The band auditioned for a replacement guitarist, eventually narrowing the field down to three candidates: Slash, who would later join Guns 'N Roses, Steve Silva from the The Joe Perry Project, and Brooklyn expatriate C.C. Smith, who was about to father a child and was concerned about the band's future, returned to Pennsylvania shortly after. The band moved to Los Angeles, California in 1985 to begin playing in clubs there. Poison began life in 1984 as Paris, a band from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania comprising vocalist Bret Michaels, bassist Bobby Dall, guitarist Matt Smith and drummer Rikki Rockett. Poison's music, (and that of hair metal in general,) was characterised by anthemic, loud guitar riffs, flamoyant special effects, costumes, hair and make-up, and a preoccupation with hedonism. These influences mutated following Van Halen's debut in 1978, which started a scene in their hometown of Los Angeles, on the Sunset Strip. Hair metal's roots lay on America's East Coast, and in the
sounds and images associated with New York's KISS and Boston's Aerosmith. Formed by a group of aspiring rock musicians from the Eastern United States
who moved to Los Angeles, California in search of
fame, Poison became the most prominent exponent of the colourful hair metal
music scene, which gained popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s. The music of Poison reflects the band's heritage. With more than
15 million albums sold in the United States alone, the band is one of the most commercially successful rock acts in
history. 2000: Power to the People. 2000: Crack a Smile. 1996: Poison's Greatest Hits. 1993: Native Tongue. 1991: Swallow This Live. 1990: Flesh & Blood. 1988: Open Up And Say...Ahh!. 1986: Look What the Cat Dragged In. |