Open Up and Say… Ahh!, was the second and most successful album by American hair metal band Poison.
The album, which ultimately sold eight million copies worldwide, was released on May 3, 1988 on the Enigma label of Capitol Records. It spawned the major hits “Nothin’ But a Good Time”, “Your Mama Don’t Dance”, “Fallen Angel”, and the number one single “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”.
Musical style
The record is reflects a style commonly characterised as "hair metal" or "glam metal", and the influence of New York City band KISS upon the band's sound is unmistakable. Although stylistically similar to Poison’s debut album Look What the Cat Dragged In, the record contained stronger song writing and improved production.
Production and marketing
The album was recorded and mixed at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. Paul Stanley from KISS was originally selected to produce the record, but was unable to fulfil the role due to scheduling conflicts. Instead, the band worked with Tom Werman. Werman was an experienced rock producer, having worked with artists such as Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Twisted Sister, and Mötley Crüe.
The original front cover of the album, which featured model “Bambi” dressed as a luminous red demon with a protruding tongue, caused controversy amongst church and parental groups. In United States the album was released with a censored cover in which most of the model’s face was obscured (see further, censorship).
Songs
The album’s themes were partying (“Nothin’ But a Good Time”, “Your Mama Don’t Dance”), lost innocence (“Back to the Rocking Horse”, “Fallen Angel”), lost love (“Every Rose Has Its Thorn”) anti-social behaviour (“Bad to Be Good”), and, most importantly, sex (“Love on the Rocks”, “Good Love”, “Tearin’ Down the Walls”, “Look But You Can’t Touch”).
Vocalist Bret Michaels wrote the the band's most successful single, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", in response to a failed love affair with a Los Angeles stripper. Poison had been playing at a cowboy bar called The Ritz in Dallas, Texas. After the show, Michaels called the woman at her apartment and heard a man's voice in the background. Heartbroken, Michaels wrote the song with an acoustic guitar in a laundromat [1].
The song "Nothin' But a Good Time" was born from the merger of a guitar riff by C.C. DeVille and a chorus by Michaels. Michaels later explained that he was in search of a "kick ass big arena rock song" which would make him feel good about his life. The song was about "not wanting to be held back by working a job and being depressed". [2].
The track “Your Mama Don’t Dance” was a cover version of the 1972 song written by Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina.
Track Listing
1. Love on the Rocks
2. Nothin' But a Good Time
3. Back to the Rocking Horse
4. Good Love
5. Tearin' Down the Walls
6. Look But You Can't Touch
7. Fallen Angel
8. Every Rose Has Its Thorn
9. Your Mama Don't Dance
10. Bad to Be Good
References
- [3] Classic Rock Revisited, Classic Trax, Interview with Bret Michaels. Retrieved January 6, 2005.