Description

Japan pressing with OBI-strip, Japanese booklet and a bonus track When guitarist Paul Gilbert exited Mr. Big in 1997, fans wondered if the technically high-skilled pop-metal band was over. But instead of calling it a day, Mr. Big enlisted brief Poison member Richie Kotzen to take the place of Gilbert, and issued a pair of albums — 2000s Get Over It and what turned out to be their final release, 2001s Actual Size. Despite numerous musical styles coming and going since their self-titled debut arrived in 1989, Mr. Big admirably stood their ground stylistically, as Actual Size manages to retain their early arena rock sound while also fitting in with modern-day mainstream rock. This approach is best sampled on such tracks as "Shine" (which was supposedly a hit in the land where Mr. Big continue to reign supreme — Japan) and the album opener, "Lost in America." And it just wouldn't be a Mr. Big album without a power ballad, and here it comes in the form of "Nothing Like It in the World" — a track that seems custom-made for either Meat Loaf or Michael Bolton. As evidenced by Actual Size, Mr. Big stuck to their guns till the very end. Track listing: 1. Lost in America 2. Wake Up 3. Shine 4. Arrow 5. Mary Goes Round 6. Suffocation 7. One World Away 8. I Dont Want to Be Happy 9. Crawl Over Me 10. Cheap Little Thrill 11. How Did I Give Myself Away 12. Nothing Like It in the World 13. Deep Dark Secret