Former MR. BIG guitarist Paul Gilbert has completed work on a new solo CD, entitled Burning Organ, which is due for release on June 26th in Japan. 13 songs were reportedly tracked for the album, including opener "I Like Rock", which features "one hundred guitars all playing at the same time through the entire song (including the solo!," according to Gilbert. Other cuts on the CD include "I Am Satan", "Suicide Lover", and "Burning Organ". The recording line-up for the CD consisted of Gilbert on guitar/vocals, Mike Szuter on bass, and Marco Minnemann on drums.

MR. BIG have issued a brand new Japan-only EP, entitled Arrow, featuring the title track, plus three “Live In The Studio” acoustic tracks, which were recorded at Warner Music Recording Studio Japan on August 25th, 2001. The EP also features Video-Extra footage of a film clip to the single. The full track fro the EP is as follows:

01. Arrow (album version)
02. Shine
03. Lost In America
04. Static

Bassist Billy Sheehan was fired from MR. BIG, a band he co-founded, via an answering machine message left by drummer Pat Torpey shortly after the completion of the video for "Shine", the first single from the just-released (in Asia only) Actual Size CD. According to the report, Sheehan had made no secret of the fact that he was unhappy with the band's increasingly pop direction and his lack of inclusion in the songwriting for the album, but he was prepared to promote the CD by accompanying the rest of the group on tour. In other news, Sheehan will join Steve Vai for a G3 show (with a second on hold) in Mexico City, Mexico on September 21st, to be followed by a full European tour with Vai in November. Source: Metal Edge magazine.