Though perhaps not the best sounding live album you'll hear this year, Mr. Big's Live in Milan serves as not only a 'greatest hits performed live' set, but also a nice tribute to their late drummer Pat Torpey, who appears on parts of this set as he was unable to perform full shows due to his suffering from Parkinson's disease, which ultimately took his life in early 2018. These are his last recorded performances. Playing most of the drums during the show was Matt Starr, who joined founding members Paul Gilbert (guitar), Billy Sheehan (bass), and Eric Martin (vocals).
If you've been following the band since their debut in 1988, you know they've amassed quite a repertoire of hits and solid album cuts, sparked by Martin's bluesy swagger and the dynamic instrumental might of both Gilbert & Sheehan. Performance wise, the band are completely cooking here, tearing into many of their most well known songs from their initial albums as well as some gems from their more recent releases. More well known cuts like "Just Take My Heart", "To Be With You", "Green Tinted Sixties Mind", and the furious "Addicted to That Rush" mix in with more recent fare such as "1992", "Unertow", and "Take Cover", all expertly crafted bluesy hard rock tunes with more than a touch of pop thrown in. Of course, both Gilbert & Sheehan get their solo spotlights, so be prepared for some 6 & 4 string pyrotechnics from these virtuosos.
The overall mix, especially at the beginning of the show, is very vocal heavy, so Martin is out front and center with the guitars, bass, and drums taking somewhat of a back seat. It starts to get more balanced as you make your way through the recording, which is great, as even though Martin still sounds very strong, he's not as able to hit those high notes as well as he did 20 years ago, so leaving him so far out in front doesn't do him any favors. The backing vocals from the rest of the band are also kind of buried throughout. Despite that, this is still a torrid love set that shows Mr. Big still really kicking ass in a live setting, and Live in Milan is a worthy 2CD live set that you'll want to add to your collection. RIP Pat Torpey.
Track Listing
CD1 01 Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy 4:06
CD1 02 American Beauty 3:58
CD1 03 Undertow 5:18
CD1 04 Alive and Kickin’ 5:34
CD1 05 Temperamental 5:25
CD1 06 Just Take My Heart 4:36
CD1 07 Take Cover 5:00
CD1 08 Green-Tinted Sixties Mind 3:55
CD1 09 Everybody Needs A Little Trouble 3:58
CD1 10 Price You Gotta Pay 4:45
CD1 11 Paul’s Solo 7:32
CD1 12 Open Your Eyes 5:33
CD1 13 Wild World 3:50
CD1 14 Damn I’m In Love Again 3:00
CD2 01 Rock And Roll Over 4:22
CD2 02 Around The World 3:48
CD2 03 Billy’s Solo 5:01
CD2 04 Addicted To That Rush 10:00
CD2 05 To Be With You 4:21
CD2 06 1992 5:16
CD2 07 Colorado Bulldog 5:03
CD2 08 Defying Gravity 7:38
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