Richie Kotzen Live!

It’s always fun to review new music, but when visions of the future to be come creeping in, its history being made, then you’d best hold on and jump on it. You know the Winery Dogs by now, but what you don’t know is the driving force behind them is Richie Kotzen (Guitars, Mr. Big, and Poison) has had a kick butt solo career since before the Winery Dogs went into the studio the first time out. This one’s about Richie recorded live in Japan at Akasaka Blitz. It’s a chance to hear Richie’s catalog. You won’t know a lot of these, but that’s ok.

 Richie Kotzen Live is a DVD so you get so see and hear. It opens with “War Paint”, but you don’t know this as the band is onstage and the drumbeats have started. Richie is missing for a minute. He walks up as if surprised by the turnout, checks his set list and just jumps in. There is no warm up with this guy, he’s in and killing it immediately. It’s amazing his playing is so staccato with only his fingers and frets. Immediately you notice that this is a grittier sound that is produced on the Winery Dogs work.

One of the things you notice right away is that raw energy that should be in a live show is present. The players trade looks that let you know they are having fun. “After Love is Blind”, and “Bad Situation” the band moves into “Cannibals”. Richie is just on fire by then. His talent is heavy and palatable, and could be easily compared to the talent we grew up with such as Robin Trower and Jimmy Page. “Cannibals” is a story about humanity and the glaring lack of it these days, and is represents something else great about Richie- There’s a lot of message.

“Walk with me” is a real tug at the soul, a song about what was, and would could be again. Been separated? Divorced? Broke up? You’ve been here. It’s a soulful track, and you’ll love the fact all of this is put together in such an old school way. This could be the proverbial smoke filled room in a corner basement the Guess Who sing about. Blues aren’t off the table, as Richie demonstrates with the walkup I “do what the Devil says to do.” His guitar cries as it goes into this story, and that my friend is what it is about. This is one of the DVD’s best tracks.

 Richie Kotzen Live is a great rock collection in a world that metal and hip hop seems to own nowadays. It’s perfect in every way, and it may serve to show some people how this is done, in the footsteps of the Masters. Richie Kotzen is Rocks future. And with this DVD, you have the chance to see it evolving. Ask someone for it as a Christmas present!

Chris Br, The Shop Album Rock