"Flashback 1988. Those were the good ol' days of Rock n' Roll. Poison's "Hollyweird" is a throwback to those good ol' days. They stay true to their sound here, not following any current trends or fads, thank god! The production is rather raw sounding as well - not too polished or over produced. Some may like this, others may not. I do like it. More of a live feel to it and what you will here when seeing them live, I believe. The title track is an instant Poison classic and would fit nicely on "Open Up and Say Ahh.." or "Flesh and Blood" as most of this recod would. "Squeeze Box" (first single) is a Poisonized version of The Who classic. "Shooting Star" could be Fallen Angel - Part 2. The next couple are kinda cheesy lyric wise by have the typical Poison sound musically. Still very catchy and quite listenable. C.C. has lead vocal duties on three tracks and are the only songs on here that really vary from that familiar Poison sound. The record finishes very strong, with some of "Hollyweird"'s best material here at the end. "Devil Woman" and "Wasteland" are two of the best songs Poison has recorded to date with great solos by C.C. and Bret on harmonica. "Stupid, Stoned & Dumb" is very creative and another highlight. "Home", both Bret's and C.C's versions are hilarious! I love 'em! And the bonus song "Rockstar" gets it's official release here. Yet another instant Poison classic. I love this record. Great guitar work by C.C. throughout! Will it go platinum? Unfortunately, probably not, but it's true Poison through and through. If your a fan of their first three releases this one is definitely for you. Recommended."
It's Actually Very Good
HeadbangerDuh | Los Angeles, CA | 05/04/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is not the best album Poison has recorded, but it's not the worst, either. The attitude is the same, but it sounds a little too new for my tastes. The high points are Bret and CC's Stories, but why did'nt Bobby and Rikki get one? The songs are very good (almost all of them, anyway), and so is the production. Shooting Star is pretty much a Fallen Angel clone, but its one of the album's best. Of course, all you die hard Poison fans already own this, but to a casual fan, I'd tell you to get Greatest Hits or Look What The Cat Dragged In, because this is not true Poison."
THE GUTTERCATS FROM HOLLYWEIRD RETURN
Robert L. Swoffer | Port Huron MI USA | 05/06/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I'll make it simple, the original 4 back at it again!! Lead-off
track Hollyweird ("just call me pimp daddy, I'll roll ya one big fatty") gets the CD off to a great start!! Next Squeeze Box again Poison does justice to another cover tune! Wishful Thinkin and Shooting Star both cool tunes, cool hooks in 'em, wish they would of played Shooting Star Live, hopefully they will in '03.
Get Ya some is well you know what its about, its Poison being themselves, it'd be a nice tune live also!! Emperor's New Clothes, personally one of my faves, C.C. has his own style, plus this is much better than his SaMantha 7 outfit! Next, Devil Woman and Wasteland, stand-out tracks by far the best on the album. Bret and the gang wail on Devil Woman, harmonica and all; Wasteland, turn it up and hit the road on your HOG! Livin in the know wasn't crazy about it but C.C.'s style is unique. Stupid, Stoned and Dumb, hmm well this POISON, gang vocals make you wanna sing along and believe me child I do!! HOME- Bret and C.C.'s Stories love the concept, I personally like Brets version better, actually it is better also Bret mentions the Late Dave Williams from Drowning Pool, who would of imagine he wouldn't be with us now. R.I.P. Dave. Last but not least, OK first off I could of wrote the lyrics to Rockstar but I didn't and thats the point. This song kicks A$$ Live! Definitely 2 thumbs up live, great riff, great hook, and catchy as hell!! Poison is back so purchase this album Hey I own 3(1 for the house, 1 for the car, 1 for the van) Poison rocks and also buy Bret's Songs of Life, he's at his best. bretmichaels.com great website lots of info"
Not the greatest Poison album...but it's ok
SanityQueen | Manassas, Virginia | 09/10/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I know many people expected something better than this from Poison, hearing CC was back in the band. To much of Poison's fan base, this was their long awaited reunion album. And to much of their disappointment, it was loaded with clichés and rehashes. For instance, "Shooting Star" and "Wishful Thinkin'" sound like Fallen Angel rewrites. There was one Fallen Angel, and that was great. But does there need to be 2 more, that aren't as good? Also, "Wasteland" vaguely represents "Ride the Wind", "Get Ya Some" reminds me of "Unskinny Bop, and "Devil Woman" has some of the same progressions as "Nothin But A Good Time". While saying that, Hollyweird isn't all bad. Even though most of these songs are things we have already heard before, it is still a decent album. It does include some catchy, interesting songs like "Hollyweird", "Stupid Stoned and Dumb", and the 2 "Home" songs. This album combines the 80s Poison with a more raw , modern sound. The songs are not as catchy as some Poison songs, but once you've heard them a few times, they become so. You might not love the songs right away, but they really do have a growing appeal. The more I listened to these songs on Hollyweird, the more I loved them. They are good, straight up, hard rockin' tunes. I still enjoy listening to this album time after time, and I'll never get tired of it. I like every song on here, and can appreciate this disc for what it is."
Vintage Poison With An Edge
Steven Synnott | North Dakota, USA | 05/22/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is an excellent album. C.C. hits the guitar hard, so many songs have a little more edge than some of Poison's earlier music. But the tone and overall sound is unmistakably that of Poison. Most important to me however, is that these four guys stayed true to their musical roots. They didn't try to change their style. This album is vintage 80s guitar rock."