Recent Release:Mr. Big-What If...

Mr. Big is back with a brand new album entitled "What if...". It's a good place to start for people who may be new to the band, and is recommended for those who only are familiar with "To Be With You" and the unfortunate spandex years. For those of us who were fans back in the day, pick it up immediately and wonder what the hell took so long.

Lead single, "Undertow" eases the listener in. The song reminds us instantly of the Mr. Big sound and reminds us that melodic hard rock doesn't have to suck, while hinting at the musical prowess of the band. Then the album explodes.

Make no mistake, this is a rock album. From the riff-o-rama sounds of "American Beauty", the Zeppelin influenced "Nobody Left To Blame", ensemble show off piece "Still Ain't Enough For Me" to feel good closer "I Get The Feeling" there's a lot here to blast from the car speakers. The music is solid hard rock, with an unmistakable groove that has always set Mr. Big apart from their contemporaries. Hell, the intro to ""I Won't get In My Way" even has an almost Iron Maiden feel to it. So all doubters can now officially be silenced.

Yes, there are still some ballads here, it wouldn't be a Mr. Big record without a few. One is actually just a slow tempo contemplative song called "Stranger In My Life" which isn't great, but is an effective mood changer. The other, "All The Way Up" masquerades as a typical rock ballad, treading dangerously into "hair" territory until the chorus, when it is revealed that the song is lamenting a literal lost love, conveying more depth and feeling than one would assume. An good trick, and it works.

And for all you musos, yes, the band is in fine form here. Drummer Pat Torpey still lays down a mean groove and his technical elements have only gotten better. Eric Martin still sings with a clean, soulful voice. Though he sings in a slightly lower register (age will do that to you) it suits him. Billy Sheehan plays his ass off as one of the few "Lead bassists" out there and does nothing to tarnish his reputation here. And of course this CD marks the return of guitarist Paul Gilbert. Here is where long time fans rejoice as Gilbert's sound and songs were missed during his absence. his fingers are on fire.

Yet, for all my praising of the disc, it doesn't all work. Some songs just never really get beyond the main riff as an idea. Others are attempts to sound more current that fall short. And, as much as I love the guy, there are points in which Mr. Gilbert needs to pull back a touch. While overplaying is encouraged in this band, a few solos stand out as being too much, and that's saying something!

Still, those complaints are small when compared with the positives on this record. The band has never sounded more alive. These songs move and breathe and prove that Mr. Big is still a musical force to be reckoned with. Well done.

4 out of 5 Daves.