Artist: Poison
Album: Open Up and Say ... Ahh!
Label: Capitol
Label: Capitol
Catalog: C1 48439
Year: 1988
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Quantity: 1
Year: 1988
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Quantity: 1
Cover Designer: Poison
Photographer: Neil Zlozower
Grade: *** stars
Photographer: Neil Zlozower
Grade: *** stars
Since I was given this album as a Christmas present, it seemed like a fitting debut entry for the blog.
The mid-1980s were prime time for Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC). With a goal of increasing parental control over the access of children to music deemed to be violent, have drug use, or be sexual via labeling albums attracting considerable attention, the media began paying attention to the group's message. In turn American retailers began to pay attention. One of the victims was Poison's sophomore album "Open Up and Say ... Ahh!".
Looking back you have to wonder what the excitement was all about. The cover featured a female model supposedly named of Bambi (great choice). With her "big" hair, lots of face paint, large fingernails, demon teeth, and a massive Gene Simmons-styled tongue, the cover was apparently meant to look dark and threatening. Unless you were five, it really wasn't. In fact, looking at the cover, you were hard pressed to explain why Poison decided to feature a reject from the Cats musical on the album cover. You almost felt sorry for Bambi being subjected to the face paint and teased hair ...
Anyhow, the long, sharp tongue was apparently too much for business and Walmart and some other retailers decided not to stock the album. That quickly brought Poison and their label Capitol begging for forgiveness with a non-offensive alternative cover. Looking at the replacement you can see the company spent about 30 seconds working on the project, but it was enough and the album went on to sell mega copies.
The mid-1980s were prime time for Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC). With a goal of increasing parental control over the access of children to music deemed to be violent, have drug use, or be sexual via labeling albums attracting considerable attention, the media began paying attention to the group's message. In turn American retailers began to pay attention. One of the victims was Poison's sophomore album "Open Up and Say ... Ahh!".
Looking back you have to wonder what the excitement was all about. The cover featured a female model supposedly named of Bambi (great choice). With her "big" hair, lots of face paint, large fingernails, demon teeth, and a massive Gene Simmons-styled tongue, the cover was apparently meant to look dark and threatening. Unless you were five, it really wasn't. In fact, looking at the cover, you were hard pressed to explain why Poison decided to feature a reject from the Cats musical on the album cover. You almost felt sorry for Bambi being subjected to the face paint and teased hair ...
Anyhow, the long, sharp tongue was apparently too much for business and Walmart and some other retailers decided not to stock the album. That quickly brought Poison and their label Capitol begging for forgiveness with a non-offensive alternative cover. Looking at the replacement you can see the company spent about 30 seconds working on the project, but it was enough and the album went on to sell mega copies.
