Flesh and Blood (Poison album)
Encyclopedia
Flesh & Blood is the third studio album by American
glam metal
band Poison
, released in 1990 through the Enigma label of Capitol Records
. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts
and it sold over 7.2 million copies worldwide.
The album spawned two top 10 singles: "Unskinny Bop
" and "Something to Believe In", as well as three other hit singles: "Ride The Wind", "Life Goes On", and "(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice
".
Flesh & Blood was certified Platinum
in 1990 and Triple Platinum in 1991 by the RIAA
.
It has also been certified by CAN 4x platinum and by BPI gold.
, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
, with Canadian producer Bruce Fairbairn
and mixer Mike Fraser
.
The front cover of the album featured the Poison logo
and album title as a tattoo
on Rikki Rockett
's arm. The cover was originally planned to have a slightly different version of the tattoo cover that featured the tattoo after being freshly inked. This showed the skin as red and inflamed with dripping ink or blood. This cover was pulled though and instead a cleaned up tattoo was shown. The original cover was released for the initial pressing in Japan
but was subsequently removed from all later pressings (including those in Japan). The record’s marketing reflected the end of the more extreme elements in Poison’s "glam" image, including its excessive make-up and teased, girlish hair (see Look What the Cat Dragged In), featuring a look similar to Guns 'n Roses.
The meaning of "Unskinny Bop", one of the band's most popular songs, has always been shrouded in obscurity. DeVille later confessed that the phrase "unskinny bop" has no particular meaning. He invented it as a temporary measure while writing the song, before vocalist Bret Michaels
had begun working on the lyrics. The phrase was used on the basis that it was phonetically
suited to the music. The song was later played to producer Fairbairn, who stated that although he did not know what an "unskinny bop" was, the phrase was perfect.
Bonus tracks on the 20th anniversary remaster:
is the second video compilation released by Poison
, featuring the music videos from Flesh & Blood.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
band Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
, released in 1990 through the Enigma label of Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts
and it sold over 7.2 million copies worldwide.
The album spawned two top 10 singles: "Unskinny Bop
Unskinny Bop
"Unskinny Bop" is a song by American glam metal band Poison, which was released as the first single from their 1990 Flesh & Blood album.The song peaked at #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100, #5 on the Mainstream rock charts, #15 in the UK and #7 on the Australian charts. This made it the band's second...
" and "Something to Believe In", as well as three other hit singles: "Ride The Wind", "Life Goes On", and "(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice
(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice
" Sacrifice" is a song by American hard rock band Poison. It is the fifth single and title track from their 1990 album, Flesh & Blood. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts....
".
Flesh & Blood was certified Platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
in 1990 and Triple Platinum in 1991 by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
.
It has also been certified by CAN 4x platinum and by BPI gold.
Production and marketing
The album was recorded and mixed at Little Mountain Sound StudiosLittle Mountain Sound Studios
Little Mountain Sound Studios was a music recording facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia. In its day, it was the most successful recording studio in Western Canada and was the home for many years to producers Bruce Fairbairn and Bob Rock...
, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, with Canadian producer Bruce Fairbairn
Bruce Fairbairn
Bruce Earl Fairbairn was a Canadian musician and international record producer from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was active as a producer from 1976 to 1999 and is considered one of the best of his era...
and mixer Mike Fraser
Mike Fraser
Mike Fraser is a Canadian record producer, engineer, and mixer. Mike is best known for his work with AC/DC, Metallica, Aerosmith and Joe Satriani...
.
The front cover of the album featured the Poison logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
and album title as a tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
on Rikki Rockett
Rikki Rockett
Richard Allan Ream , better known by the stage name Rikki Rockett, is an American drummer best known for his work with the glam metal band, Poison.-Biography:...
's arm. The cover was originally planned to have a slightly different version of the tattoo cover that featured the tattoo after being freshly inked. This showed the skin as red and inflamed with dripping ink or blood. This cover was pulled though and instead a cleaned up tattoo was shown. The original cover was released for the initial pressing in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
but was subsequently removed from all later pressings (including those in Japan). The record’s marketing reflected the end of the more extreme elements in Poison’s "glam" image, including its excessive make-up and teased, girlish hair (see Look What the Cat Dragged In), featuring a look similar to Guns 'n Roses.
Songs
Parts of the album reflected a darker, more serious side to the band, touching themes such as hard times and overcoming them ("Valley of Lost Souls", "Life Loves A Tragedy", "Come Hell Or High Water"), missing loved ones ("Life Goes On"), long-term relationships ("Don’t Give Up an Inch", "Ball and Chain"), and disillusionment ("Something to Believe In"). The fun side of the band remained intact, however, in tracks dealing with sex ("(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice", "Unskinny Bop"), exhilaration from music or motorbikes ("Let It Play", "Ride the Wind"), and tongue-in-cheek poverty ("Poor Boy Blues").The meaning of "Unskinny Bop", one of the band's most popular songs, has always been shrouded in obscurity. DeVille later confessed that the phrase "unskinny bop" has no particular meaning. He invented it as a temporary measure while writing the song, before vocalist Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single...
had begun working on the lyrics. The phrase was used on the basis that it was phonetically
Phonetics
Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech, or—in the case of sign languages—the equivalent aspects of sign. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds or signs : their physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory...
suited to the music. The song was later played to producer Fairbairn, who stated that although he did not know what an "unskinny bop" was, the phrase was perfect.
Track listing
All songs written & arranged by Poison.- "Strange Days of Uncle Jack" - 1:40
- "Valley of Lost Souls" - 3:58
- "(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice" Sacrifice" is a song by American hard rock band Poison. It is the fifth single and title track from their 1990 album, Flesh & Blood. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts....
" - 4:41 - "Swampjuice (Soul-O)" - 1:26
- "Unskinny BopUnskinny Bop"Unskinny Bop" is a song by American glam metal band Poison, which was released as the first single from their 1990 Flesh & Blood album.The song peaked at #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100, #5 on the Mainstream rock charts, #15 in the UK and #7 on the Australian charts. This made it the band's second...
" - 3:48 - "Let It Play" - 4:21
- "Life Goes On" - 4:46
- "Come Hell or High Water" - 5:01
- "Ride the Wind" - 3:51
- "Don't Give up an Inch" - 3:43
- "Something to Believe In" - 5:29
- "Ball and Chain" - 4:22
- "Life Loves a Tragedy" - 5:13
- "Poor Boy Blues" - 5:18
Bonus tracks on the 20th anniversary remaster:
- "Something to Believe In" # 2 (acoustic with new lyrics).
- "God Save the QueenGod Save the Queen (Sex Pistols song)"God Save the Queen" is a song by the English punk rock band The Sex Pistols. It was released as the band's second single and was featured on their only album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. The song was released during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977...
" (Instrumental, Sex PistolsSex PistolsThe Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
cover)
Singles
- "Unskinny BopUnskinny Bop"Unskinny Bop" is a song by American glam metal band Poison, which was released as the first single from their 1990 Flesh & Blood album.The song peaked at #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100, #5 on the Mainstream rock charts, #15 in the UK and #7 on the Australian charts. This made it the band's second...
" - #3 Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... - "Something to Believe InSomething to Believe In (Poison song)"Something to Believe In" is a power ballad by American Glam metal band Poison, it's the 2nd single from their 1990 album Flesh & Blood...
" - #4 Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... - "Ride the Wind" - #38 Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
- "Life Goes On" - #35 Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
- "(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice" Sacrifice" is a song by American hard rock band Poison. It is the fifth single and title track from their 1990 album, Flesh & Blood. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts....
"
Video album
Flesh, Blood, & VideotapeFlesh, Blood, & Videotape
Flesh, Blood, & Videotape is the 2nd video album from the rock band Poison, featuring the singles / music video's from Poison's 3rd studio album Flesh & Blood and also features behind the scenes footage and in depth interviews....
is the second video compilation released by Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
, featuring the music videos from Flesh & Blood.
- Let It Play (Montage clip)
- Unskinny BopUnskinny Bop"Unskinny Bop" is a song by American glam metal band Poison, which was released as the first single from their 1990 Flesh & Blood album.The song peaked at #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100, #5 on the Mainstream rock charts, #15 in the UK and #7 on the Australian charts. This made it the band's second...
- Ride the WindRide the Wind (song)"Ride the Wind" is a song by American Glam metal band Poison. It was the third single from their 1990 album Flesh & Blood and reached number 25 on the Mainstream rock charts and 38 on the Billboard Hot 100....
- Poor Boy Blues (Montage clip)
- Something to Believe InSomething to Believe In (Poison song)"Something to Believe In" is a power ballad by American Glam metal band Poison, it's the 2nd single from their 1990 album Flesh & Blood...
- Life Goes OnLife Goes On (Poison song)"Life Goes On" is a song by American glam metal band Poison. It was the fourth single from their 1990 album Flesh & Blood.The song reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.-Albums:"Life Goes On" is on the following albums.* Flesh & Blood...
- (Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice" Sacrifice" is a song by American hard rock band Poison. It is the fifth single and title track from their 1990 album, Flesh & Blood. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts....
(Uncensored version)
Personnel
- Bret MichaelsBret MichaelsBret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single...
- lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - C.C. DeVille - leadLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
& rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Bobby DallBobby DallRobert Harry Kuykendall also known as Bobby Dall is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist for Poison. Dall is the youngest of three children...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Rikki RockettRikki RockettRichard Allan Ream , better known by the stage name Rikki Rockett, is an American drummer best known for his work with the glam metal band, Poison.-Biography:...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - With John Webster - keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
& pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...