Well, well, well its official Mr. Big are back together in their best and original formation with the best guitarist on planet earth next to Steve Vai on guitar. Paul Gilbert returns to his former band along with Billy Sheehan who's stint with DLR made him a household name the underrated Pat Torpey on drums and Eric Martin on Vocals. This band has always been one of those rare groups that all of its parts were just a tad better standing alone than they were as a group. The debut album was good but not exactly what one would expect from such a talented supergroup. The follow-up though was a much more coheesive album even though it seemed to be controlled by Eric's vision and less of a musicians show piece.
This time What If... pulls it all together in a nice tight package allowing all the groups strongest attributes to shine brightly. The big production fuels the albums intensity as well as allows the more heartfelt emotional moments come through especially sweet. After many years of loving Paul Gilbert as a solo artist having him take a backseat on vocals is a little disappointing because I actually enjoy his quirky voice. Eric gets to be a little much sometimes but admittedly much less on this album. When the band drops the hammer down they prove that all the praise is deserved.
Song Highlights: Kill Me With A Kiss, Undertow, I Get The Feeling, Around The World & American Beauty
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