Mr. Big – What If…

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Mr. Big only really found notoriety in the UK with 1991 mega-hit To Be With You and often left fans of harder rock wondering why a band including Paul Gilbert, one of the principle shred guitarists in the world, and Billy Sheehan, one of the best bass players of all time, made less-than-interesting rock songs. Ten years after their last album Actual Size, the second to feature Richie Kotzen in place of Gilbert, they have finally made the album that appropriately reflects the muscianship they’ve always had at their disposal. And they’ve done it without sacrificing the melodic rock style that made them popular to begin with. There are still some slightly-sickly ballads for Eric Martin to wail (usually rescued by a Gilbert solo or two), but aside from those the rock tracks here finally exhibit Gilbert and Sheehan’s talents with grooving riffs and plenty of intricate of bass lines, all ably backed by Pat Torpey’s drums. There’s a little early Bon Jovi here and there, on I Get The Feeling in particular, but everything else sounds like the great riffs and melodies Gilbert has put into his solo music for so long and has always lacked a voice to turn them into fully-fledged songs. And neither he or Sheehan are shackled on the flare front either. Martin has lost nothing compared to the earlier albums and above all the songs they’ve produced this time are instantly amongst their best. Lead single and opener Undertow, Nobody Left To Blame, Once Upon A Time and As Far As I Can See are all heavy, clever and catchy – every member provides an essential contribution – and nearly every track here could comfortably last a while on repeat for any hard rock fan.

Written by Andy Lye
More: 2011, Albums, Hard Rock, Quick.Play Reviews, Mr. Big