Poison: Seven Days Live

Come with us now as we harken back to the halcyon days of big hair metal, when men were men (as long as their makeup was perfect and their perms perky), power ballads ruled, and band members used names like Rikki Rockett with a straight face. Fronted by singer Bret Michaels, who would later gain fame as the second dude to make a hardcore home movie with Pamela Anderson, Poison were no better or worse than countless others of their ilk (Cinderella, anyone? Warrant, Ratt, W.A.S.P., or Dokken?): in other words, very much a band of its time, capable of providing an evening of dumb, energetic fun. The punters who crowded into London's Hammersmith Apollo for this 1993 concert certainly thought so, as they rock 'n' roared throughout the 15-song, 82-minute show. The songs fall into two categories: riff-based rockers, replete with tuneless "melodies," fist-pumping, anthemic choruses, ridiculous lyrics ("Ride the wind, never comin' back until we touch the midnight sun…") and wailing guitar solos (by bare-chested pretty boy Richie Kotzen); or power ballads like the hit "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." Combine that with the usual sexual braggadocio, macho posturing, and Michaels' "How ya doin', London!" frontman jive, and what you've got is a purely pedestrian brew that bands like Bon Jovi and Aerosmith (not to mention the Rolling Stones, the inspiration for all of them) do a whole lot better. But hey, that Dolby Digital 5.1 surround audio sure makes it sound cool. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (S. Graham)