Open Up and Say...Ahh!

Open Up and Say... Ahh!
Studio album by Poison
Released	May 21, 1988
Recorded	1988
Genre	Glam metal
Length	38:14
Label	Capitol Records
Producer	Tom Werman
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Poison chronology
Look What the Cat Dragged In (1986) Open Up and Say...Ahh! (1988) Flesh & Blood (1990)
Alternate cover
Original Banned cover

Open Up and Say... Ahh!, was the second and most successful album by the glam rock band Poison. The album, which ultimately sold eight million copies worldwide, was released on May 21, 1988 on the Enigma label of Capitol Records. It spawned the major hits "Nothin’ But a Good Time", "Your Mama Don’t Dance", "Fallen Angel", and the number one single "Every Rose Has Its Thorn".

Contents 1 Musical style 2 Production and marketing 3 Track information 4 Track listing 5 Singles 6 Band Members 7 Trivia 8 References

Musical style

The record reflects a style commonly characterised as glam metal, a form of heavy metal which had its genesis on the East Coast of the United States (and, in particular, the sound of New York City band KISS), but which was transplanted to the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. The west-coast influence is reflected more prominently on the record than on its predecessor, Look What the Cat Dragged In, with aspects of Van Halen styled Californian stadium rock becoming increasingly apparent.

Production and marketing

The album was recorded and mixed at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. Paul Stanley from KISS (whose song "Rock and Roll All Nite" had been covered by Poison the year before) was originally selected to produce the record, but was unable to fulfil the role due to scheduling conflicts. Instead, the band worked with Tom Werman. Werman was an experienced rock producer, having worked with artists such as Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Twisted Sister, and Mötley Crüe. The original front cover of the album, which featured model "Bambi" dressed as a luminous red demon with a protruding tongue (similar to Gene Simmons of KISS), caused controversy amongst church and parental groups. In previous U.S. releases, the album was released with a censored cover in which most of the model’s face was obscured (see further, censorship). The 2006 remastered CD release features the original cover art.

Track information

The album’s themes are partying ("Nothin’ But a Good Time", "Your Mama Don’t Dance"), lost innocence ("Back to the Rocking Horse", "Fallen Angel"), lost love ("Every Rose Has Its Thorn") anti-social behavior ("Bad to Be Good"), and, most importantly, sex ("Love on the Rocks", "Good Love", "Tearin’ Down the Walls", "Look But You Can’t Touch"). Vocalist Bret Michaels wrote the band's most successful single, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", in response to a failed love affair with a Los Angeles stripper. Poison had been playing at a cowboy bar called The Ritz in Dallas, Texas. After the show, Michaels called the woman at her apartment and heard a man's voice in the background. Heartbroken, Michaels wrote the song with an acoustic guitar in a laundromat. [1] The song "Nothin' But a Good Time" was born from the merger of a guitar riff by C. C. DeVille and a chorus by Michaels. Michaels later explained that he was in search of a "kick ass big arena rock song" which would make him feel good about his life. The song was about "not wanting to be held back by working a job and being depressed". The track "Your Mama Don’t Dance" was a cover version of the 1972 song written by Loggins and Messina from their 1972 album Loggins and Messina. Two additional songs written for the record - "Livin' For The Minute" and "Gotta Face The Hangman" were later released as B-sides (although "Hangman" was later included on Crack a Smile...and More!).

Track listing

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"

Bonus tracks available on the 20th anniversary remaster:

1. Livin For the Minute
2. World Premiere Interview (radio interview)

Singles

• "Nothin But A Good Time"
• "Fallen Angel"
• "Every Rose Has It's Thorn'
• "Your Mama Don't Dance"

Band Members

• Bret Michaels - lead vocals
• C.C. Deville - lead guitar
• Bobby Dall - bass guitar
• Rikki Rockett - drums

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• The song "Nothin' But A Good Time" featured in the following films:
  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith, when John Smith (Brad Pitt) listens to it while driving through the desert in a dune buggy. The song is also on the official soundtrack of the movie.
  • Grind, when the characters are in Sweet Lou's truck, Sweet Lou puts in a CD containing the song.
  • Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, when honoring the fallen gigolos ("Every Rose Has Its Thorn") .
  • Balls of Fury uses Nothin' But a Good Time during advertisements for the film.
  • The Heartbreak Kid uses Nothin' But a Good Time during advertisements for the film.
• "Nothin' But A Good Time" was also featured in an Xbox 360 advertisement. It is sung by little kids.
• The chorus lyrics from "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" were featured in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey as Bill & Ted's answer to the question "What is the meaning of life?", to demonstrate the pair's suitability to enter Heaven.
• The song "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" was featured in an episode of "Yes Dear" when the main characters meet Bret Michaels. They party at his house for one of the character's birthdays and at the end, Michaels sings "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" as he serves breakfast to the family as a reference to a joke made earlier about catering to the crew of "A Letter From Death Row".
• "Nothin' But A Good Time" is a playable track in the PlayStation 2 video game Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, but is listed incorrectly as "Ain't Nothin' But A Good Time".
• Two songs from this album appear in the "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge" episode from The Simpsons: first, Otto plays "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" to propose to his girlfriend Becky; later at their wedding ceremony, a Poison cover band appears playing "Nothin' But a Good Time", to which Becky reacts negatively, making Otto leave her.
• The song "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is played in the movie Beerfest, when the rest of team USA is remembering their fallen teammate Landfill.

External Links:

References

• [2] theGAZZ.com, Interview with Bret Michaels. Retrieved October 13, 2006.
• [3] Classic Rock Revisited, Classic Trax, Interview with Bret Michaels. Retrieved January 6, 2005.

This box:  •  • edit Poison
Current members
Bret Michaels | C. C. DeVille | Bobby Dall | Rikki Rockett
Former members
Blues Saraceno | Richie Kotzen | Matt Smith
Discography
Studio albums: Look What the Cat Dragged In | Open Up and Say... Ahh! | Flesh & Blood | Native Tongue | Crack a Smile... and More! | Power to the People | Hollyweird | Poison'd!
Compilations: Poison - Rock Champions | Rock Breakout Years: 1987 | Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996 | Best of Ballads & Blues | The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock
Live albums: Texxas Jam 1987 | Swallow This Live | Great Big Hits Live! Bootleg
Solo Albums
Bret Michaels: A Letter From Death Row | Country Demos | Ballads, Blues & Stories | Songs Of Life | Freedom Of Sound | Custom Built
C.C. Deville: Samantha 7
Rikki Rockett: Glitter 4 Your Soul
Ritchie Kotzen: Richie Kotzen | Fever Dream | Electric Joy | Mother Head's Family Reunion | Inner Galactic Fusion Experience | Wave of Emotion | Times Gonna Tell | Something to Say | What Is | Bipolar Blues | Break It All Down | Slow | Acoustic Cuts | Change | Get Up | The Best Of Ritchie Kotzen | Instrumental Collection: The Shrapnel Years | Aisenshi ZxR | Into The Black | Return of the Mother Head's Family Reunion | Go Faster
Blues Saraceno: Never Look Back |Plaid | Hairpick
Videography
Videos: Sight for Sore Ears | Flesh, Blood, & Videotape | 7 Days Live | Greatest Video Hits | Live in Concert | Nothing But a Good Time! Unauthorized | Video Hits | Best Of Poison, The (20 Years Of Rock/+DVD)
Singles
"Cry Tough" | "Talk Dirty to Me" | "I Want Action" | "I Won't Forget You" | "Nothin' But a Good Time" | "Fallen Angel" | "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" | "Your Mama Don't Dance" | "Unskinny Bop" | "Something to Believe In" | "Ride the Wind" | "Life Goes On" | "Flesh and Blood (Sacrifice)" | "So Tell Me Why" | "Stand"| "Until You Suffer Some (Fire and Ice)" | "Shut Up, Make Love" | "The Last Song" | "Rockstar" | "Squeeze Box" | "We're An American Band" | "What I Like About You"