Song Titles:   
Disc 1  
1) Trapped In Toyland
2) Take Cover
3) Jane Doe
4) Goin' Where The Wind Blows
5) The Chain
6) Where Do I Fit In?
7) If That's What It Takes
8) Out Of The Underground
9) Dancin Right Into The Flame
10) Mama D.
11) Fool Us Today

Y'all know Mr. Big! You know the song "To Be With You", the 1991 smash hit ballad. But, for those of you who may not know (I'm sure a lot of you, especially Japanese fans know, but...), Mr. Big had more albums after that, there was Bump Ahead (1993), Hey Man (1996), Get Over It (1999), Actual Size (2001), then sadly Mr. Big disbanded. Eric Martin has had a solo career, haven't had a chance to hear any of his solo albums yet, but I've heard some good/bad things about them. Right now though I want to talk about Mr. Big's 1996 release Hey Man.

1) Trapped In Toyland 9/10

I heard that this song was written about Rob Halford, and co-written with the guitarist who at the time, had just quit his band Fight. This song starts out like extremely mellow, with piano. Then it turns into a hard rocking rocker. Sounds like typical Mr. Big so far. One of the few 80's hard rock bands who didn't try to sound grunge in 1996. This by the way, is a heavy mid-tempo rocker.

2) Take Cover 10/10

One of my all-time favorites from Mr. Big. Semi-fast rocker. This is definetely a little mellower than "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy" though. But make no mistake, this is a Mr. Big classic. Very well written song. One of top five Mr. Big songs.

3) Jane Doe 5/10

Starts out with cymbal and hi-hat action on the drums, then gets a funk beat going. This one doesn't really do it for me.

4) Goin' Where The Wind Blows 9/10

Acoustic ballad, 'tis not your typical ballad. No, this isn't that weird, what I mean by "not your typical ballad" is this is a very good ballad. What separates Mr. Big from other 80's rock bands is they focus more on songwriting than playing 1,000 notes per minute. Reminds me somewhat of Extreme's "More Than Words."

5) The Chain 8/10

There is no doubt this is mellower than the first three albums. We've got another ballad, and it's not the best in the world. Not the worst either.

6) Where Do I Fit In? 8/10

Mid-tempo rocker, the first rocker since Track 2. It has some bluesy guitar playing that remind me something of Richie Kotzen. Kind of ironic, because after this album Paul Gilbert took off, and was replaced by Richie Kotzen. The groove will suck you in.

7) If That's What It Takes 5/10

Starts out again, with the bluesy guitar playing. Mellower song though, once again awful bluesy. Doesn't really do a lot for me.

8) Out Of The Underground 6.5/10

Bluesy song once again. I can't really say I'm apeshit over this, sorry but it doesn't do much for me.

9) Dancin' Right Into The Flame 7/10

Another mellow song with a bluesy beat with half-distorted, half-acoustic guitar. This one's okay.

10) Mama D 9/10

Kind of different from other Mr. Big tunes. Sounds like the Mr. Big you know and love though. With Eric Martin's vocals, why wouldn't it. This song is easily better than the last few.

11) Fool Us Today 8.5/10

It has a drum beat similar to Aerosmith's "Rag Doll." Matter of fact, this song is seriously influenced by Aerosmith. This is another great. Not quite as good as "Take Cover" though.

Comments

Definetely a more mellow affair than the first three albums. We've still got that classic Mr. Big sound we all know and love, it's not as rockin' as say Lean Into It, there's no fast rockers like "Addicted To That Rush", "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy", or "Colorado Bulldog." You'll still enjoy this if you're a Mr. Big fan.

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This is essential if you like...

Mr. Big

Score Key:
0: (scratches chalkboard with fingernails) ahh...I'm relieved
1-2: Weaker than weak.
3-4: Mediocre
5-6: Average
7-8: Good to Very Good
9: Great
10: Masterpiece
11+: How did I ever live without this?