Mr. Big's tenth studio album Ten features eleven new original tracks and pays tribute to late drummer Pat Torpey.
In a tribute to their late drummer Pat Torpey, Martin, Gilbert, and bassist Billy Sheehan have enlisted the exceptional talents of Nick D'Virgilio on drums for Ten, which was produced by Jay Ruston and MR. BIG.
In the midst of their final tour - The BIG Finish - Mr. Big, inspired by the legions of fans that shared in their goodbye over the past year, wanted to say a final farewell with the undertaking of a brand-new studio album. Culminating over three decades of musical partnership, Martin, Gilbert, and Sheehan, with the help of D’Virgilio, ignite their spark once more and take a new form with the forthcoming 'Ten'. The first single and accompanying video fromTen, "Good Luck Trying", is a loud, raw, ‘70s blues rocker that pulls influence from Mr. Big’s earliest musical inspirations.
Eric Martin comments on Ten:
“This new album doesn't copy anything from the 9 previous studio records its all new stuff from scratch.. this is raw, unadulterated riff rock and blues with all the Mr. Big trimmings.”
Paul Gilbert explains the meaning behind the lyrics:
“Overall, it’s about being overwhelmed with life, and realizing that you won’t win many of the battles, but still fighting to the end. And keeping a sense of humor about it by saying to anyone nearby, 'Wish me good luck trying!'"
As a session musician and touring artist, Nick has worked with many different kinds of artists and bands, from Tears for Fears, Sheryl Crow, and Kevin Gilbert to Peter Gabriel and Eric Burdon and the ANIMALS. In 1996, Nick took Phil Collins's place in GENESIS and played on their 'Calling All Stations' album. He has also carved out a major presence in the progressive rock world with his bands, Spock's Beard and Big Big Train. Before joining the Sweetwater team, Nick spent almost five years touring with Cirque Du Soleil's "Totem" as a drummer, vocalist, and assistant bandleader.
The entirety of the album, recorded both live in the studio and on the tour bus, showcases the band's unique ability to compose homegrown hard rock ‘n’ roll and their consistent success in climbing new musical heights.
MR. BIG recently completed the South American leg of its farewell tour, dubbed The BIG Finish, which sees the veteran band performing MR. BIG's 1991 album, 'Lean Into It', in full and other cuts from the group's history.
When MR. BIG announced The BIG Finish tour last year, the band members said that it was "time to mark the end of this chapter of their legacy" after Torpey lost his battle with Parkinson's disease in 2018. The first leg kicked off in Japan and Southeast Asia in July and August 2023, where the band performed for hundreds of thousands of loyal fans at 11 sold-out shows including Budokan in Tokyo, Japan.
The band continues its tour in the US throughout the month of May before wrapping up in Buffalo on June 6. Additional European dates kick off on July 13 in Bulgaria.
For more information, please visit mrbigsite.com.
Mr. Big "Good Luck Trying" - Official Lyric Video
A vastly underrated overdrive gets even more rating worthy.
Great capacity for balanced detail across gain range. Sweet growl in low mids. Silky smooth. Useful EQ section.
20 bucks more than the original—but who's countin'?
$79
TC Electronic MojoMojo Paul Gilbert Overdrive
tcelectronic.com
Were TC Electronic stomps not already abundant in our Killer Pedals Under $100 feature, the original MojoMojo would have been a shoo-in. I've had one for years, used it in recording situations, and watched other artists select it in place of more exotic and expensive overdrive fare. In general, the original MojoMojo's flexibility, liveliness, capacity for detail, balance, and organic amp-ish gain textures made it a hit. All of those qualities live on in the new Paul Gilbert version, but with more available gain, higher headroom, and a robust low-mid bump that impressively adds airiness rather than flab.
The Gilbert edition retains its silkiness and capacity for detail at the most saturated settings too.
- TC Paul Gilbert Mojo Mojo: all controls at noon for rhythm track, progressively advanced gain, treble and bass settings as lead track develops.
Played side-by-side and at equivalent settings, the original MojoMojo sounds comparatively boxy and thinner. But the Paul Gilbert version's extra low mids don't just add mass. They make the output sound more full-spectrum and a lot silkier—a tone picture that really flatters single coils but is just as detailed with all but the muddiest humbuckers. The Gilbert edition retains its silkiness and capacity for detail at the most saturated settings too—even with the toggle in extra-gain "11" mode and the gain knob up high. Predictably, such settings make solos sing, but it's easy to dial in acerbic early-Jimmy Page tones with enough treble. Full chords sound balanced and sparkling across the gain range too—exhibiting a deep growl in the low-mids and lots of assertive top end.
The Mr. Big shred hero vividly recalls "the best day of his guitar existence" and illustrates how the whole body needs to work in unison to match Pagey's vibrato.