Many people know of the talented Richie Kotzen based on his work with either Poison or Mr. Big and while those two are to be commended there is really a lot more to the guitar player than we would ever hope to find in either of those bands. As July got ready to close it doors for August the musician would make an appearance at the legendary B.B. King Blues Club in Times Square. We made sure to be a part of the fun in order to share this report with you about how it all went down. Just scroll past the logo below to be taken to our item. It was truly a night to remember.
Artist: Richie Kotzen Venue: B.B. King Blues Club (New York, NY) Opener: Jimmy Kunes Band Date: 7/28/2009 Label: Independent Artist
New York City is always a place with something cool to do and tonight the music fans of the region would find themselves with a choice to make based on two cool events happening in a relatively close proximity. It seemed as though eighties rockers Ratt and Extreme were playing a show at The Nokia Theatre while right around the corner a gig by guitar virtuoso Richie Kotzen was going to happen over at B.B. King Blues Club. I mused about how interesting it would have been to be a true Gemini and be at both gigs but I would be forced to choose as well and as result found myself inside the comfortable setting of B.B. King Blues Club ready to be entertained by the master axe slinger. Many fans of the band Poison might remember Richie Kotzen as being the replacement for C.C. DeVille back in 1991 and together with the band delivered one of the most musically sound recordings in the bands career with “Native Tongue”. He would move on from Poison and join Mr. Big but I must admit that I lost track of him since I never really kept up on what was happening in that band. This would not stop me from enjoying what was going to happen and I was very pleased to find that the venue had been very visibly sold out and while they had set up the tables there were plenty of people standing off to the sides of them raring to go. Continue reading Richie Kotzen @ B.B. King Blues Club (7/28/2009)→
Artist: Poison Title: “Seven Days Live” Label: Armoury Records Release Date: 8/26/2008 Genre: Glam Rock Rating: 2.5/5
Given the nature of this live release I think that I should begin in the same fashion that I did for the DVD version of this which came out about two years ago and it went something like this – “Warning to all diehard Poison fans: This CD does NOT feature guitarist C.C. DeVille.” Now for those who are coming in late to the music that Poison has been doing for over two decades let me now reiterate that at one point the Glam Rock band had continued on without one of its founding members and performed with different guitarists. Richie Kotzen stepped into the band and was a spectacular player who was less on the Glam side and more on the Soul and Blues-oriented Rock angle and with his contributions the band released the fantastic “Native Tongue” album. It was a recording that showed you that Poison were much more than lipstick and hairspray. The album and touring took place in the middle of the Grunge Rock phase of the music scene and Poison’s level of notoriety had really dropped while bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam climbed higher and higher and when the band stopped by the Hammersmith Apollo for a gig it was captured forever on audio and video. Understandably some fans dropped Poison entirely when C.C. left while newer fans who had hoped for more depth from the band welcomed the material they did with Kotzen. Since the touring was for “Native Tongue” the larger portion of material presented came from this release but this appeared to only be the case for the video of the show and not what was delivered here on the CD. Continue reading “Seven Days Live” by Poison→
Artist: Poison Title: “Greatest Video Hits” Label: Capitol Records Release Date: 6/5/2001 Genre: Glam Rock Rating: 8/10
When it comes down to the depiction of the Hard Rock scene of the eighties Poison is one of the first who comes to mind when you think of “HAIR METAL”. Whether you loved the band and found them brilliant or hated everything that they stood for and called them posers there was to be no denying that they made an impact on the music scene of the time. The band was an immediate hit on MTV and frequently held the highest positions in their top ten video countdowns; mind you this was a regular occurrence because back then MTV actually showed videos and the Hard Rock scene of the 80’s was one of the things that fostered this networks growth as a pending super power. During their heyday, this band was not on my list of favorites but even though this was the case I thought that their videos were always a lot of fun. They were young, playing hard rock music and every scenario showcased a lot of fun antics going on. They all looked like they were having a good time and they always seemed to land the best-looking girls in all of these films. These factors led to a large part of the bands appeal for it seemed like they were all living the Rock and Roll dream of stardom and success. What teenager did not long for a life like that when it came down to it. Looking back on these videos, some which I have not seen in many years made me realize the band in a different light. In today’s world the music of Poison is considered “Classic Hard Rock” and along with artists like Cinderella, and Ratt (all who still tour in some fashion) formed the larger part of the “Hair Metal” genre. The title is somewhat unfair because even though the hair was big and loaded with spray the bands could perform and always would give the audience a time they would not forget. The 17 videos featured on this DVD will bring you back in time when you begin watching. If you were one of those who grew up along with MTV and voted in those countdowns then most of these videos will be as clear as a bell to your memory and probably bring back other recollections from the time. Continue reading “Greatest Video Hits” by Poison→
Artist: Poison Title: “Seven Days Live” Label: Music Video Distributors Release Date: 3/14/2006 Genre: Glam Rock Rating: 7/10
Warning to all diehard Poison fans: This DVD does NOT feature guitarist C.C. DeVille. Yes, for a few years the group carried on without him and recorded as well as toured and to some fans the music that was created during this period was some of the bands best music ever. It was still Rock and Roll but instead of focusing on the quick and easy formula of their past the band now showed a more mature level of songwriting. Joining Brett, Rikki, and Bobby would be Richie Kotzen who really brought a tasty and bluesy style to the material the band was doing. The album that featured Richie’s debut was “Native Tongue” and the DVD film showcases six songs from this record in the set. These highly musical and interesting tracks are surrounded by the Poison classics that everyone who follows the group expects to hear in a live setting. Filmed during the “Native Tongue” tour the show is from The Hammersmith Apollo recorded on April 23rd 1993. The concert itself is pretty good and the band who are a few years into their career show a strong command of the stage and how to give their audience the very best. Brett is a very talented front man and he knows what the crowd reacts to most. It was interesting to see how tight the playing was with new guitarist Kotzen also and even more interesting to see his take on the C.C. DeVille material. To be honest he is simply a better guitar player but half of C.C.’s appeal was his showmanship and antics, Richie does not do any of that stuff and simply plays his heart out. There is also a short drum solo from Rikki Rocket that his fans will enjoy as well. Production wise the DVD is fine, but there are no bonus features to enjoy. The live concert shoot is all you get but it is at least presented in it’s entirety with no breaks to band commentary. I hate when bands do that as it ruins the performance vibe. Continue reading “Seven Days Live” (DVD) by Poison→
Artist: Poison Title: “The Best Of: 20 Years Of Rock” Label: Capitol/EMI Music Release Date: 4/6/2006 Genre: Glam Rock Rating: 8/10
20 years ago Poison made the Metal heads cringe with their lipstick and hairspray filled brand of Rock and Roll. The dividing lines were officially drawn and it was Headbanger versus Poser from then on and with this CD the band celebrates their history with an 18 song hits package. The band was an instant MTV hit with their fun-filled videos and cartoon character antics. Lead singer Brett Michaels became the girls favorite but drummer Rikki Rocket also was someone who they favored. The guitar work of C.C. DeVille was fun and never overly technical while Bobby Dall held it together on bass. Looking back on it there was more fun and catchiness to these songs than I would have expected back when they first hit the scene. During their popularity peak, I was one of the Headbangers and not the bands biggest fan. However when one looks back on this brand of Rock and Roll you can’t help but find yourself remembering the choruses or videos from these songs as they play since they had been given so much radio and television presence. Continue reading “The Best Of: 20 Years Of Rock” by Poison→
