Back in the early 90s, Mr. Big were really going somewhere. Their eponymous debut album, released in 1989 on Atlantic Records, hadn't sold many copies despite the #39 placing of single "Addicted To That Rush", but the seed was planted for 1991's sophomore effort Lean Into It.

     The first single, "Green-Tinted Sixties Mind", was an uptempo rocker, immediately recognizable by guitarist Paul Gilbert's opening riff. Its combination of Billy Sheehan's driving bass, Pat Torpey's drumming and the amazing vocal range of singer Eric Martin blazed the way for what was to come.

     Though that single only made it to #33, six spots higher than its predecessor, the next single was to be the suckerpunch. "To Be With You" was a sweet love song which became all but synonymous with the notion of the early 90s rock ballad. Driven by radio airplay and heavy rotation on MTV, the song rocketed to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, where it stayed for three full weeks as well as scoring chart placings in 13 other countries. Not bad for a song which Martin wrote as a teenager to try to impress his sister's friends.

     The album itself opens with "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy", alternatively known as the Electric Drill Song for the unorthodox way in which Gilbert played his solo, which would later be imitated by Eddie Van Halen and Adrian Belew. Swinging just as easily through more rock numbers such as "Alive And Kickin'" and power ballads such as third single "Just Take My Heart", the album is exactly what that era's hard rock was about: superb musicianship, enough rock to make your parents yell at you to turn it off, and love songs you could put on a mix tape for someone special.

     If you've got a copy of this sitting around, it's worth another listen after all these years. For 90s power-rock fans who somehow missed this one, check the bins at your local used CD store for it.