If you’re just the slightest interested in hard rock and guitar players and still don’t know who Richie Kotzen is, you have probably been living under a rock somewhere. He once made Poison listenable by writing the bulk of their Native Tongue album when he replaced the useless C.C. DeVille and then he went on to replace Paul Gilbert in Mr Big for a while.
However, Kotzen started out as one of Mike Varney’s flash speeders on his Shrapnel Records and released a few instrumental guitar masturbation records before turning into the passionate, soulful and heartfelt player he is today, and has been since the early 90’s. Not only is Kotzen a brilliant guitar player and songwriter, he is also a marvelous singer. He sings like he plays, with lots of heart and soul. He also keeps on spitting out records in an extremely high speed without giving in on the quality of the songs. How he manages that, is really beyond me, but I’m glad that he does, because every year we get a new killer album to sink our teeth into!
His last album Peace Sign, however was a bit of a disappointment. Not that it was bad, but we’re getting so used to be handed such quality that if just a couple songs don’t match up you get disappointed. With this album though, you won’t find anything to be disappointed about. The album’s title track is a brilliant, bluesy rocker, ”OMG” is a killer mix of funk, rock and blues and ”Get It On” is Come Taste The Band era Deep Purple influenced. Brilliant. Then there is ”Love Is Blind”. A fantastic song that sounds like it’s lifted off one of his Mother Head’s Family Reunion albums, but there’s more to name drop here. ”Stop Me” is a brilliant pop song, catchy as hell, ”Tell Me That It’s Easy” is a great bluesy ballad and ”Twist Of Fate”, also a ballad, runs in the vein of 70’s Rolling Stones.
This is a fantastic album that should be owned by anybody with a musical taste at all. Fact is, that Kotzen isn’t a huge rock god is sacrilege. This is Kotzen’s finest album along with his two Mother Head’s Family Reunion albums (the second one has Return Of The… first) and if classic, groovy rock n’ roll is your thing then this is one album you can buy unheard.
Jon Wilmenius (9/10)
Tracklist:
1. 24 Hours
2. Help Me
3. OMG (What’s Your Name?)
4. Get It On
5. Love Is Blind
6. Stop Me
7. Bad Situation
8. I Don’t Know Why
9. Tell Me That It’s Easy
10. Twist Of Fate
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