Richie Kotzen - Into The Black (2006)Frontiers Records

Do you long for self-titled Richie's debut solo release recorded for Shrapnel Records in 1989? Do you feel a nostalgia? An american guitarist, hailing from Pennsylvania (USA), released that album with Stuart Hamm (bass guitar; Joe Satriani, Steve Vai) and Steve Smith (drums; Journey), but it was long time ago and many things changed to the present.

You can remind his name of the bands like Poison, Vertu and Mr. Big, so he isn't an anonymous musician at all. No guitar shows. No technically advanced parts. But only a respectable rock music backed up by a great experience and skills. Obviously, here are a few "economical" guitar solos, but it is a far cry from "Richie Kotzen" album. Much more important are soul and blues influences than showing the proficiency superiority over others. It is a light rock as regards instrumental, but razor-sharp at some fragments as regards lyrical. Since Richie is responsible for all instruments including his vocal cords, I'd like to mention that he sings with a moderate anger keeping distinct melodious lines.

This album isn't an evidence that Richie Kotzen ran out of steam after the debut. If you listened to his first solo CD, "Into The Black" can seem to be a confusing stuff and I am aware of it. I think that he simply topped off that chapter and moved to another musical area. Does it mean that Richie, converted to play an unsophisticated rock, can't be still considered a guitar virtuoso? Of course, it was a rhetorical question. I realize that some people can characterize "Into The Black" as the album with contemporary mainstream rock music, but I don't see any reason for writing Richie off. An artist should have a chance to present his new stuff to a wider group of listeners. On the other hand, there are many human beings who are convinced that virtuosic guitar music is out of fashion, but with such opinions they give voice to their ignorance on this subject matter, since virtuoso kinds of music have never been very popular (except for the eighties), and they have always been directed to the practised hearers who don't pay attention to trends which come and go with time. I respect both groups, because some of them are entitled to listen to the music that appeared on "Into The Black". We should identify with an artist's role and realize that he has also the right to jump ahead and try something new in music. Beyond all distinctness, we ought always to take two important things into consideration: a human free will should always go hand in hand with a freedom in music! Let the people listen to "Richie Kotzen" and "Into The Black" to everyone's joy and keep the harmony between them. Both groups can only take advantage of it, and it is probably the best solution, haha.