Poison's Albums

Poison began their recording career in 1986 during the era of "glam" and "hair bands." They have come a long way from that first album both musically and in appearance.

Look What the Cat Dragged In was released in 1986. This album features Talk Dirty to Me, I Want Action, Cry Tough, and the poignant ballad I Won't Forget You. This song was one of the class songs when I graduated from high school. But somehow it just doesn't sound the same with a high school choir singing it as when Poison does it.

 

Song Titles

  1. Cry Tough
  2. I Want Action
  3. I Won't Forget You
  4. Play Dirty
  5. Look What the Cat Dragged In
  6. Talk Dirty to Me
  7. Want Some, Need Some
  8. Blame It on You
  9. #1 Bad Boy
  10. Let Me Go To The Show

The orginal cover of Open Up and Say . . . Ahh! (1988) made a lot of controversy as many stores refused to carry it. So, if you can find a copy of this cover, it is a collector's item. This album was much less glam than the first one as the guys didn't wear as much makeup on stage. What this album did do was make Poison a household name and helped spawn many wannabe bands. The album featured the rock anthem Nothin' But A Good Time, the cover of Your Mama Don't Dance, the awesome Fallen Angel, and the band's first Number 1 song, Every Rose Has Its Thorn.

Song Titles

  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

 Flesh and Blood was released in 1990. The album cover art is an actual tattoo that graces Rikki Rockett's arm. It is by far the band's most successful album, and many fans believe it to be their best one to date. The album features such hits as Unskinny Bop, Ride the Wind, Life Goes On, Let It Play, (Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice, and their biggest hit to date, the #1 ballad, Something to Believe In.

Song Titles

  1. Strange Days Of Uncle Jack
  2. Valley Of Lost Souls
  3. (Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice
  4. Swampjuice (Soul-o)
  5. Unskinny Bop
  6. Let It Play
  7. Life Goes On
  8. Come Hell Or High Water
  9. Ride The Wind
  10. Don't Give Up An Inch
  11. Something To Believe In
  12. Ball And Chain
  13. Life Loves A Tragedy
  14. Poor Boy Blues

The last album made with guitarist C. C. Deville, Swallow This Live (1991) was recorded live in concert during the Flesh and Blood tour. This double-length album features all of Poison's best hits and also features four studio tracks: So Tell Me Why, Souls On Fire, No More Looking Back (Poison Jazz), and Only Time Will Tell. If you've never caught Poison live in concert, this gives you a good idea. Poison is at its absolute best when they are live.

Song Titles

  1. Intro
  2. Look What The Cat Dragged In
  3. Look But You Can't Touch
  4. Let It Play
  5. Good Love
  6. I Want Action
  7. Drum Solo
  8. Something To Believe In
  9. Poor Boy Blues
  10. Unskinny Bop
  11. Love On The Rocks
  12. Guitar Solo
  13. Every Rose Has Its Thorn
  14. Fallen Angel
  15. Your Mama Don't Dance
  16. Nothin' But A Good Time
  17. Talk Dirty To Me
  18. So Tell Me Why
  19. Souls On Fire
  20. Only Time Will Tell

 Native Tongue was released in 1993 and featured Richie Kotzen on guitar. It is quite different from all of their other albums as blues take center stage. This album didn't do as well commercially as Poison's other albums did. But the music scene had drastically changed by the release of this album. It features the songs Until You Suffer Some (Fire and Ice) and Stand. This is a great album that deserves a listen.

Song Titles

  1. Native Tongue
  2. The Scream
  3. Stand
  4. Stay Alive
  5. Until You Suffer Some (Fire and Ice)
  6. Body Talk
  7. Bring It Home
  8. 7 Days Over You
  9. Richie's Acoustic Thang
  10. Ain't That The Truth
  11. Theatre Of The Soul
  12. Strike Up The Band
  13. Ride Child Ride
  14. Blind Faith
  15. Bastard Son Of A Thousand Blues

Capital Records released Poison's Greatest Hits 1986-1996 in November, 1996. Bret Michaels wrote the liner notes for the album. But I get the impression that this was not what the band wanted, given a choice. But they were not. The album is a must-have for any Poison fan as it features many of their best songs. It also contains two new songs from the then-unreleased Crack A Smile album: Sexual Thing and Lay Your Body Down. These are kewl songs that are not typical Poison.

Song Titles

  1. Nothin' But A Good Time
  2. Talk Dirty To Me
  3. Unskinny Bop
  4. Every Rose Has Its Thorn
  5. Fallen Angel
  6. I Won't Forget You
  7. Stand
  8. Ride The Wind
  9. Look What The Cat Dragged In
  10. I Want Action
  11. Life Goes On
  12. (Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice
  13. Cry Tough
  14. Your Mama Don't Dance
  15. So Tell Me Why
  16. Something to Believe In
  17. Sexual Thing
  18. Lay Your Body Down

Crack A Smile featured new guitarist Blues Saraceno and was supposed to be released in 1996. It wasn't. After being available as a bootleg for several years on the internet, Capital finally released the album in early 2000 as Crack A Smile . . . And More! The And More part is outtakes from this album and songs from Poison's live performance on MTV Unplugged in 1990. It is a very different sounding Poison, and yet its still a Poison album as fans have come to expect. Definitely worth a listen.

Song Titles

  1. Best Thing You Ever Had
  2. Shut Up, Make Love
  3. Baby Gets Around A Bit
  4. Cover of the Rolling Stone
  5. Be the One
  6. Mr. Smiley
  7. Sexual Thing
  8. Lay Your Body Down
  9. No Ring, No Gets
  10. That's the Way I Like It
  11. Tragically Unhip
  12. Doin' As I Seen On My TV
  13. One More for the Bone (Outtake from Crack A Smile)
  14. Set You Free (Outtake from Crack A Smile)
  15. Crack A Smile Unfinished Demo
  16. Face the Hangman (Outtake from Open Up and Say . . . Ahh!)
  17. Your Mama Don't Dance (From MTV Unplugged)
  18. Every Rose Has Its Thorn (From MTV Unplugged)
  19. Unskinny Bop (From MTV Unplugged)
  20. Talk Dirty to Me (From MTV Unplugged)

Power to the People was released by Poison on Cyanide Records in May, 2000. It features 13 songs recorded live during their 1999 summer tour. This is an absolutely awesome way to remember that tour or experience it for the first time if you missed them live. The album also contains five brand-new songs from Poison: the first new material with all four original members in 8 years. The new songs live up to the reputation of vintage Poison and bring them into the new millenium. For the first time, one of the new songs features C. C. on lead vocals (I Hate Every Bone in Your Body But Mine). This album is a must-have for all Poison fans.

  1. Power to the People
  2. Can't Bring Me Down
  3. The Last Song
  4. Strange
  5. I Hate Every Bone in Your Body but Mine
  6. Intro
  7. Look What the Cat Dragged In
  8. I Want Action
  9. Something to Believe In
  10. Love on the Rocks
  11. Guitar Solo
  12. Fallen Angel
  13. Let It Play
  14. Drum Solo
  15. Every Rose Has Its Thorn
  16. Unskinny Bop
  17. Nothing but a Good Time
  18. Talk Dirty to Me

A Letter From Death Row is the soundtrack from the movie of the same name. It is the first solo album from Bret Michaels and was released in November, 1998. The music is awesome, but very different from that of Poison. C. C. and Rikki each played on one of the tracks from the album.

Song Titles

  1. Party Rock Band (featuring C. C. Deville)
  2. Human Zoo
  3. The Last Breath (featuring Rikki Rockett)
  4. I'd Die For You
  5. Times Like These
  6. Little Willy
  7. The Devil Inside
  8. A Letter From Death Row
  9. Sounds of Sex
  10. "69"
  11. Angst Mary
  12. Steel Bar Blues
  13. Violent Endings

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