Review | Mr. Big ‘What If…’

What If...

Mr. Big, the band formed by bass player extraordinaire Billy Sheehan in 1988 right at the tail end of the era of spandex and hair spray called ‘Hair Metal’ which mostly supported bands with no substance and all look. Mr. Big was one of the exceptions to the rule, the rule of ‘Pop Metal’ these guys could play, these guys could sing, these guys could write and these guys could shred, remember ‘Addicted To That Rush‘ or ‘Shy Boy‘? Although mostly known as ballad masters on the radio at the time with hits like ‘To Be With You‘ and ‘Green Tinted Sixties Mind‘ Mr. Big was loaded with talent.

Along with Sheehan, singer Eric Martin had just enough grit to rock and with range to spare he could sing his ass off. Guitarist Paul Gilbert, what did you think Sheehan was going to bring in anybody that couldn’t absolutely tear it up on the guitar? Enough said. And drummer Pat Torpey rounded out the band with precession, rock solid chops. Mr. Big had a somewhat brief run in the U.S. due to shifting trends in music, so the boys carved out a career over seas, primarily Japan and other Asian markets. Gilbert left the band in 1997 and Ritchie Kotzen (no stranger to shredding himself) was brought to replace Gilbert. Mr. Big broke up in 2002.

I will admit that I was not much of a fan of Mr. Big back in the day (not really into to many ballads) but as I sit here writing this review listening to their new record ‘What If…‘ I am a fan now. There is so much uninspiring, cookie cutter, sound alike music out there these days that ‘What If…‘ is a breath of fresh air in the Hard Rock genre. Mr. Big did not forget how to play, write or sing, they just got better. ‘What If…‘ is the first Mr. Big record with the original members in fifteen years, their last studio record ‘Hey Man‘ was released in 1996. Loaded with rich vocal harmonies, infectious melodies, catchy riffs, shredding bass and guitars and of course a few ballads, ‘What If…‘ has it all.

Eric Martin’s voice is powerful and still has a youthfulness to it that comes through load and clear, he hasn’t lost a thing. The song writing is a bit more mature and thought out but still has an edge to it, especially on the heavier tunes. Billy Sheehan…wow, just listen to what he his doing on this record, he is still one of the top bassist playing today, but somehow doesn’t come across as pretentious or play like “listen to me”, everything he does fits in the scope of the songs but elevates them at the same time. Guitarist Paul Gilbert plays with sophistication and taste. His solo’s shred but it’s nothing to over the top. It’s not all about how fast he can move up and down the neck or how many notes he can play, it’s about quality of playing the instrument he has mastered. He and Sheehan tear it up on a duel of skills on the song ‘Around The World.’

‘What If…‘ will be released in North America on February 15. The first single from the album, ‘Undertow‘ (see the video below) is the opening track on the record. ‘What If…‘ will be available in a special edition CD + DVD in digipak, regular CD, vinyl and digital download and in a limited edition luxury box including the CD, DVD, LP and exclusive memorabilia. The DVD includes videos of “Undertow” and “All The Way Up” plus a documentary “making of” the album, including interviews and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the four band members.

‘What If…‘ was produced by Kevin Shirley (Aerosmith, RUSH, Iron Maiden) and the release will be followed by a world tour which will kick off in South America in March and will hit Europe in early summer.

Rating: 4 out 5 Stars
Favorite Track: Around The World

What If… Track Listing:
1. Undertow – 4:49
2. American Beauty – 3:44
3. Stranger In My Life – 4:26
4. Nobody Left To Blame – 4:20
5. Still Ain’t Enough for Me – 3:04
6. Once Upon a Time – 4:03
7. As Far as I Can See – 3:55
8. All The Way Up – 5:12
9. I Won’t Get In My Way – 4:40
10. Around the World – 3:51
11. I Get the Feeling – 4:34