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SLOW
I will say this flat out, Richie Kotzen should be as big as Lenny Kravitz,
yet he is grossly overlooked here in the States. In Japan, he is a god. So
why is that??
Needless to say that with every album he puts out, Kotzen keeps getting
better. This album is no exception. Kotzen, who is mainly known as "that
other guitar
guy who played in Poisen and was booted out", has always been a step above
and ahead of the others. He continuelly releases albums in Japan and Europe
and with the good graces of Spitfire Records here in the states, his back
catalog was released last year (all his albums are HIGHLY recommended). What
makes 'Slow' so damn good is the songwriting and the level at which these
songs were produced at. Kotzen does everything, from writing, arranging,
recording, and performing every single thing on his albums and manages to
avoid the 'over-indulgence' factor. Each track is brilliantly executed and
the hooks are so good, you can't keep from humming them minutes after you
listened to them. 'Slow' opens with 'Ohio', which is just a slight intro of
rotary-guitar chords and swirling melodies before slamming into "Scared of
You". Kotzen's voice, which is a combination of Stevie Wonder, Terrance
Trent D'Arby, Lenny, and Sly and the Family Stone, belts this track with all
his might, actually allowing you to feel his anger and frustration with the
subject at hand without resorting to cheap vocal effects so commonly used in
many of today's 'artists' (sarcasm). "Gold Digger" continues in the same
vein and Kotzen is once again lashing out at lovers with alterior motives.
The track, which has a slamming back beat and terrific hook really catches
fire during the solo break where Kotzen displays some of the killer chops he
is known for. The title track "Slow" and "I Don't Want To Lie" are terrific
melodic funk numbers with "...Lie" being more laid back of the two, only in
showing Kotzen's subtle nuances of his writing and playing styles. The
standout tracks on this album actually occur towards the end of the disc,
which so many other artists putting the 'filler' material towards the end of
albums, but Kotzen gives you his best with the hypnotic, funkgroove "Come
Back (Swear To God)" and "Rely On Me", both of which could be radio staples
if given the right opportunity. Kotzen not only shows how well he can handle
the vocals, but the underlying instrumentation and melodies are total
ear-grabbing gems. This album is simply one of the better discs to come out
in a while and it still puzzles this reviewer how Kotzen is still relatively
unknown. Spread the word, and enjoy this disc at any time. Guitarist: You
could learn alot from this guy, so take my advice and check out what
Kotzen's got going, because it is rare to find such an all-around gifted
musician in these times.
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