Road to Ruin

In the recording of Lean Into It, the album that marked a turning point for Mr. Big, a particular sound piece was created: Road to Ruin. What is interesting about this song, beyond its title, is how the solo was constructed. Instead of relying solely on manual skill, unconventional tools were incorporated. The idea was for Gilbert and Sheehan to use wireless drills from the Makita brand on the strings of their guitars. This method aimed to generate a speed in the solo that would be practically impossible to achieve otherwise, creating a distinctive and very fast sound effect.

The album Lean Into It, released on March 26, 1991, was a turning point for the American band Mr. Big. It reached number 15 on the Billboard 200 charts. Within this work, the track To Be with You became their only number 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Another single, Just Take My Heart, also received positive reception, reaching position 16. The production of this album was handled by Kevin Elson, who also participated in the recording engineering alongside Chris Kupper, David Luke, Scott Ralston, Michael Semanick, Tom Size, and Andy Udoff. The final mix was done by Kevin Elson and Tom Size. Interestingly, the song Lucky This Time, written by Jeff Paris, includes a prefix called "CDFF" which is actually a reference to Addicted to That Rush, a track from the band's 1989 debut album, but played at an accelerated speed. The duration of Road to Ruin is 3:59.