Mr. Big should say : Mr. Gilbert thank you for giving us fame!!! - Dont get me wrong. I love this band. This is the last great Mr. Big album. Ritchie Kotsen replaces Paul Gilbert in the following album. Kotsen couldnt carry Giberts groceries to his car let alone take his place in this band. It sounds like Paul had other ideas for this album but had to settle for what the remaining members wanted. It is still a great album non the less. Im not saying Kotsen sucks but I am saying that Paul Gilbert is that good.
Phenominal masterpiece by an overlooked band!!!! - Mr. Big should ve had more success in the USA than they did, because they could ve been the next Bon Jovi, and this album (Hey Man) is their masterpiece. Not a single bad song on here. It s the band s Dark Side of the Moon, it s their Slippery When Wet, their Pyromania, their 5150, I think you get the idea. The best songs on this CD in order are:Take CoverGoin Where The Wind BlowsTrapped in ToylandDancin Right into the FlameHighly recommended album for sure. If you see it anywhere, get it.
Oh no! Sorry people it s not the best... - Well what can I say? This is one of THE bands of my lifetime but I can quite understand why they changed the line-up after this album. I think the root of the problem is clear in a lyric from the track If That s What It Takes : No use in pretending/ Ain t no pride in it at all/ A cure for indepence/ Is when you re standing out in the cold . The whole ethos behind this band is one of great individuals coming together and co-operating to make good music. Gilbert plays just like a talented guitarist would play after having argued several times and made way too many compromises. Though Trapped in Toyland and The Chain are great songs that record the psychological shrapnel people have to take in that heady time on the last track Martin s vocal seems to be alone as does PG s guitar on Out of Wonderland . This is Mr.Big without gravity-flying off to better things!
Paul Gilbert s last Hoorah! - It s Paul Gilbert s final curtain with this band and unfortunetly Hey Man is their worst album. Sure, there s some gems on this baby but it s obvious that the band is turning a corner (Let s call it maturity) and Gilbert refuses to grow up. Or perhaps he just doesn t have the skills to play guitar like a normal guy without a white bread penchent for metronomic string skipping at 260 beats per minute.If you listen to this disc then listen to the folowing CD, Get Over It starring Richie Kotzen on guitar, you can see where the band was headed and why Gilbert wasn t well suited for this new direction on Hey Man. The new direction? Great vibey pop-soul songs, less faux Van Halen boogie bombast, seamless blues based guitar with shred appeal without the guitar gimmicks. The days of complicated stunt guitar antics forced into the middle of cool tunes is over and a more grown up classic guitar (Think The Stones, Hendrix, and blues-rock.) sound is more appropriate in this evolving band. It s not a worthless disc but it obviously reflects a band in transition. I m right too because Paul left, Richie came in for two more CDs, then the party was over.Take Cover is very very cool and there s nothing like Eric Martin s acoustic ballads to remind us that he s the most underrated singer on the planet.
The Best - To anyone who is on the fence about getting this album, do it! If you like rock do it. If you are a sucker for sappy yet brilliantly done music, do it! I can easily say this is the best Mr. Big album ever, and quite possibly my favorite album of all time, seriously, you would not be dissapointed if you are a fan of light-moderate rock. This album is deeply emotional and breaks the barriers of rock music itself and puts you into a whole other world. Indulge yourself in this Mr. Big brilliance! You will not regret it. Every track is pure excellence, but some choice ones are:The chainDancing right into the flameTrapped in toylandand so on..