by Greg Olma & Mark Kadzielawa

Mr. Big was one of the last super-groups from the 80s. The band consisted of accomplished instrumentalists, who cut their teeth playing with Racer X, Talas, David Lee Roth, Robert Plant, and so on. Since the release of self-titled debut back in 1989, Mr. Big established a solid and dedicated fan base. Not only were their songs predictably technical, but there melody and soul. Such combination allowed Mr. Big thrive successfully at ease for several years. But as with any band, sooner or later cracks will show. Mr. Big was no exception. In 1997, guitar player Paul Gilbert left the band. Ritchie Kotzen was brought in as a replacement, and Mr. Big functioned for two more records before calling it a day in 2002.

Mr. Big is back with a new release titled "What If..." What's more, it's the four original members who made Mr. Big a success in the late 80s and the early 90s. Namely, Paul Gilbert on guitar, Billy Sheehan on bass, Pat Torpey on drums, and Eric Martin on vocals. The band came back in 2009, and played a handful of shows in Japan. The shows went great, and were documented on a live album titled "Back To Budokan." Since then, Mr. Big spent time writing and rehearsing the new material. Kevin Shirley (of Iron Maiden fame) was brought in to produce the record. Shirley captured the band perfectly. The album consists of strong material, and is getting rave reviews all over the globe.

Guitar player, Paul Gilbert, talks about reuniting the band, and describes the writing and recording process for "What If..."

How much work went into making Mr. Big work again?
Paul Gilbert: Well, we all wanted to do it, so that made things pretty easy. Fortunately the fans and the promoters welcomed us back and we had a bigger reunion tour than we expected.
Was it an easy process?
Yeah, pretty much. I had to practice the intro to “Colorado Bulldog” a few times, but most of the tunes came right back to me.
When did you realize you still have something to prove with Mr. Big?
I don’t know, if I look at it that way. I just missed playing music with my old band. It was always a good band, and it still is. We’ve got a sound that only happens when the four of us play and sing together. And of course we’ve got a lot of songs that people remember, and it’s a lot of fun to play them.
As successful as the was in the past, what factors made you quit the band in the past?
Well being in a band has it’s advantages, but so does being a solo artist. In the first 8 years of Mr. Big, I did very few outside projects, and really started itching to try some musical ideas that were a different style from Mr. Big. I think we were all worn out from being on tour constantly as well.
What was the vibe in the studio recording “What If…” compared to your last record "Hey Man"?
I really like recording “What If…” I liked Kevin Shirley, our producer. I liked the studio. I liked the location, because it was close to some good Japanese restaurants, and the band was great. “Hey Man” was a long time ago, so I barely remember it. But I think “What If…” had us working together a lot more. We basically recorded it live in the studio… even the lead vocals.



How would you compare making "What If…" to your earlier releases?
I’m really proud that it’s all original members. That’s rare for bands of our era, or maybe any era. So there is a continuity to the sound we had in the old days. But of course we’ve got new songs and new experiences to draw from. And Kevin Shirley encouraged to play more “live” than we ever have.
How did the songs come about? Did everyone bring ideas or was it a case of just jamming together until songs came out?
Some of both. Billy, Pat, and I all live close to each other, so we spend a couple months jamming and coming up with a ton of ideas. I think we had over 100 riffs and ideas recorded. Then we spent a couple weeks building them into songs. Eric brought some songs in and also helped put ours together. My friend Linus helped out too.
I have spoken to other artists who have said that you can over-tweak a song until you ruin it. When does a song tell you it’s finished?
We’ve got the ears of four band members and our producer, so if the song gets approval by the five of us, it should be ready.
"What If..." has been getting great reviews all over. Will this mean that there will be further studio albums from Mr. Big?
I rarely plan ahead more than about 3 months into the future, and I think our next 6 months will be filled with touring. After that, we’ll see what we’re in the mood for.
Was there a specific plan (for example, a 3 year plan) put in place when you re-united or are you just making it up as you go along?
My longest range plan is just to keep making music, but to plan things out for 3 years would probably make my brain explode. I put so much concentration and focus into every project that I have to limit what’s in my immediate future or I would just get overwhelmed.
You have been a successful solo artist in your own right. Will you continue to do both Mr. Big and your solo work?
I like the balance of doing different projects with different people, so I’m sure I’ll do lots of things.
Will you tour the US with this release and if so, when are you planning to tour?
We asked our manager to send us everywhere, so he’s trying to work it out.
You also toured with Mike Portnoy as part of his “cover band” groups. How did that come about?
Mike found out that I was a big Beatles fan, so he called me up for a Beatles tribute show that he was doing. It went really well, so he also asked me to play in tributes to Led Zeppelin, Rush, and The Who. We’re doing another Beatles one this week. It’s a lot of material to learn but I love the music.
Are there any album or tour plans for Racer X?
My brain is full of Beatles songs and Mr. Big tour preparation, so I have to wait until I finish these to plan whatever is next. But I recently had dinner with Jeff, John, and Scott, and we had a great time hanging out.
Is it easy to fits all of these projects in your schedule?
I love playing music, so I squeeze as much music as I can into my life. It’s working so far.
Your career touched upon three decades. What would you say was the most satisfying decade, or perhaps a defining moment?
I really liked growing up in the early 70’s. I was disappointed when the Beatles broke up, but I got to hear “Stairway to Heaven” when it was new. I got to hear the first Van Halen album when it came out. Ah, but you’re asking about my career. For that, the 80’s were a blast. And I’m having a great time now. The 90’s were a bit disappointing for rock, but there were some good girl singers then. I really liked K.D. Lang.
What is next for Paul Gilbert?
Lots of Mr. Big touring and trying to play the right notes on my guitar!

Links:
www.mrbigsite.com