Poison — Stupid, Stoned & Dumb
It must be great to be in a rock band like Poison in 2002, no need to worry about respect from your peers, appealing to the kids or finding new musical directions. You can just concentrate on making party records and rocking out on your annual greatest hits tour, and go home to the good life. Poison have made it to that stage in their careers where it just doesn’t matter anymore, but that does not dent their sense of fun and enthusiasm in any way, Brett looks the same as ever (shirt open and bandana), Bobby looks sensible, Rikki looks more and more like Nick Rhodes, and CC would make a very convincing Doctor Who.
This song from their latest album ‘Hollyweird’ (a concept album about the sleaziness of LA, and the false promises of fame), takes the piss out of the whole rock’n’roll lifestyle. We’re losers is the vide, going out with and getting dumped by ‘dancers’ and writing sad songs about it, ‘You’re a natural born loser don’t you understand, that’s why you’re born to sing in a rock’n’roll band’. You know it how sounds, sing along chorus and guitar solo.
The thing about Poison is that they mix pathos with humour, it’s as if they always understood that the trappings of fame weren’t all they were cracked up to be, but they carried on regardless. But now they seem to have a weight taken of their shoulders, none of that ‘for real’ earnestness of nu-metal and old thrash metal is present here. Have fun, but don’t take it to heart, rock stars aren’t cool. The world’s premier party rock band is here to stay, I hope.