Seven Days Live

The 2008 CD release of Seven Days Live is an abridged version of the 2006 DVD release, cutting down the total track number from fifteen to eleven (one track is a drum solo so there is really only ten songs). It seems to concentrate more on the C.C. DeVille era Poison songs, only containing two tracks from Native Tongue. If you already have the DVD, there is no sense in purchasing this CD. However, if you don't have the DVD and weren't a fan of Native Tongue but can tolerate a few tracks from it, then this CD version might be for you. Seven Days Live contains some excellent live renditions of such Poison classics as Talk Dirty To Me, Every Rose Has Its Thorn, Unskinny Bop and Nothin' But A Good Time as well as newer tracks from Native Tongue like Stand and Until You Suffer Some (Fire & Ice). The overall audio recording of this show is quite good. The band sounds as if they are playing in a large stadium yet it was recorded in one night at a large concert hall. Brett Michael's lead vocals sound great and the rhythm section of Bobby Dall and Rikki Rockett is tight. The guitar playing of Richie Kotzen is nothing short of flawless. The crowd also seems to be into it. It does sound like the band included some overdubs as far as some of the vocals. I'm just not sure if they were done live with pre-recorded tapes or done after the show and mixed in later. People who have the DVD might be able to answer this question just by the visuals. The one thing some die hard Poison fans might have a hard time accepting is Richie Kotzen's guitar style and personal stamp on what C.C. DeVille originally played. I've always seen Poison's music as pretty simple yet fun and party like. While Kotzen is an excellent guitar player technically, his advanced style and talent are way over qualified for Poison's music. He gives the songs much more of a bluesy feel too. I do give him credit for not trying to play C.C. DeVille's leads note for note. Kotzen totally improvises and plays within the confines of the song, making them his own. But if Poison fans are expecting a live recreation of the studio versions note for note as far as the lead guitar parts, then they might be disappointed in what they hear. For those hair metal fans from the eighties still yearning for the days of old, Seven Days Live just might be for you.