Destroy All Monsters

When Eric Martin toured Japan in January 2003 behind I'm Goin' Sane, several songs for a new album already existed, according to Yumiko Haba of BURRN!, who wrote the Japanese liner notes. The album was produced by guitarist David Simon-Baker and bassist John Wuopio, with Bill Wray co-producing "I Can Die Now". The notes add that Simon-Baker had played about half of the guitar solos on the previous album, and that at the January shows in Japan he had run the sound and sung harmonies. Eleven of the twelve songs were written by Martin with his long-time writing partner André Pessis, who here also played guitar and strings for the first time. "I Woke Up Too Late" and "Janie Won't Open" were co-written with Chris Wilson, a 17-year-old guitarist who lived nearby; "Living in Black & White" with Tony Fanucchi, a co-writer since the Eric Martin Band days who is also credited on Mr. Big's "Colorado Bulldog"; and "What If" with guitarist Pat Gilles. Two guests appear: Jeff Watson of Night Ranger plays guitar on "Where Are You?", and Harry Hess of Harem Scarem sings backing vocals on "Burnin' in My Mind", returning the favour of Martin's backing vocals on "Look Right Through Me" from Hess's solo album Just Another Day. The closing "If" is a cover of Bread's 1971 hit and was a bonus track on the Japanese edition, which Canyon International released as PCCY-01672, priced at 2,548 yen including tax; its obi announced a Japan-first release and named both guests. Frontiers Records released the album in Europe in 2004 (FR CD 174). Oricon's data describes MR.VOCALIST, released in November 2008, as the album that followed this one. Pony Canyon reissued the Japanese edition as an HQCD (PCCY-50043) on 21 January 2009.