𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…
August 2, 1986 — Poison released their debut full-length studio album, Look What the Cat Dragged In via Enigma Records. (Apple Music or Spotify)
Though not a success at first, it steadily built momentum and peaked at No. 3 on the US Billboard 200 on May 23, 1987.
The album spawned three successful singles: Talk Dirty to Me, I Want Action, and I Won't Forget You.
(𝚃𝚊𝚕𝚔 𝙳𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝙼𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎)
(𝙸 𝚆𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝙰𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎)
(𝙸 𝚆𝚘𝚗‘𝚝 𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎)
Production & Marketing:
The record was described by vocalist Bret Michaels as a "𝚐𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚘". It was recorded in twelve days at Los Angeles' Music Grinder Studios with producer Ric Browde, for a cost of US $23,000, part of which was funded from the pockets of the band members and their families.
The front cover of the album featured the members of Poison at their most "𝙶𝚕𝚊𝚖", with each sporting excessive make-up, thick girlish hair, and the pouting "𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚜" pose which was to become a Poison trademark.
The cover is often compared to the alternate cover of Mötley Crüe's 1983 album Shout at the Devil due to both featuring the band members' faces in heavy makeup, but it also may or may not have represented a loose parody of the cover of The Beatles' Let It Be, or perhaps more likely, Van Halen's debut album.
(𝙼ö𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚢 𝙲𝚛ü𝚎‘𝚜 𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚕, 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟹)
(𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚜‘ 𝙻𝚎𝚝 𝙸𝚝 𝙱𝚎, 𝟷𝟿𝟽𝟶)
(𝚅𝚊𝚗 𝙷𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚗‘𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏-𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚍𝚎𝚋𝚞𝚝, 𝟷𝟿𝟽𝟾)
Background:
It originally included only one single, Cry Tough; however, Look What the Cat Dragged In became a surprise success and subsequently spawned three more charting hits: Talk Dirty to Me, I Want Action, and I Won't Forget You, The record became the biggest-selling-album in Enigma's history.
(𝙲𝚛𝚢 𝚃𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎)
With music videos for all four singles receiving heavy rotation on MTV, their debut earned the band tours with fellow Glam Rockers RATT, Cinderella, and Quiet Riot, as well as a coveted slot in the Texxas Jam in Dallas.
(𝙿𝚘𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚃𝚎𝚡𝚡𝚊𝚜 𝙹𝚊𝚖, 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟽)
The album ultimately sold 4 million copies worldwide.
Watch the official Music video for Cry Tough: https://youtu.be/fOzdT_sAeDE
Watch the official Music video for I Want Action: https://youtu.be/GHcDX1C-J30
Watch the official Music video for Talk Dirty To Me: https://youtu.be/xCChxBSRo1Y
Watch the official Music video for I Won’t Forget You: https://youtu.be/BJJ_HJ-9JNM
Commercial & Critical Reception:
Look What the Cat Dragged In was certified gold in 1987 and 3x multi-platinum in 1990 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It has also been certified silver by the BPI, and platinum in Canada.
In 2007, it was ranked No. 7 on the list Chuck Klosterman's Favorite Hair Metal Albums in the LA Weekly. It was also ranked No. 6 in L.A. Weekly’s Top 20 Hair Metal Albums of All Time in 2011.
In 2008, it was among Guitar World’s Top 20 Hair Metal Albums of the Eighties.
In 2014 REVOLVER Magazine added the album to their list of 6 Glam-Metal Albums You Need To Own.
In 2016, Loudwire ranked the album No. 10 on their list Top 30 Hair Metal Albums and No. 80 on their list Top 80 Hard Rock + Metal Albums of the 1980s.
In 2019, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the album No. 2 in their 50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time.
In 2021, Loudersound.com included the album in their list of The 10 Best Glam Metal Albums.
In 2021 it was included in the 10 Essential Glam Metal Albums list by PopMatters.
In 2021, it was ranked No. 16 in Ultimate Classic Rock’s Top 30 Glam Metal Albums.
Reissues:
In 2006, a 20th Anniversary edition was released by Capitol, with the original title. This version added single versions of two of the album's tracks and a cover of Jim Croce's You Don't Mess Around with Jim as bonus tracks.
Notice: Any reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
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