Portnoy starts up ANOTHER new band...

OK it can be known that finally Ritchie Kotzen has finally created his dream line up to re-record the album he created with Poison 'Native Tongue' as a rock opera. More details to follow

manny wrote:

OK it can be known that finally Ritchie Kotzen has finally created his dream line up to re-record the album he created with Poison 'Native Tongue' as a rock opera. More details to follow

From Sykes to Kotzen

Thats like a wanting to vacation on a castle tour of Ireland and the U.K and ending up on coalmine and shack tour in West Virginia

James B. wrote:

From Sykes to Kotzen

Thats like a wanting to vacation on a castle tour of Ireland and the U.K and ending up on coalmine and shack tour in West Virginia

I would put down money that, on a sheer technical abilities level, Kotzen would smoke Sykes.

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

James B. wrote:

From Sykes to Kotzen

Thats like a wanting to vacation on a castle tour of Ireland and the U.K and ending up on coalmine and shack tour in West Virginia

I would put down money that, on a sheer technical abilities level, Kotzen would smoke Sykes.

There are homeless guys in California who have killer technical abilities but cannot write a song for the life of them. Most folks listen to music for song quality and not the technical proficiency. There are instances where that doesn't apply as with most everything.

I have a few Kotzen albums he did on Shrapnel and one of the albums he did with Howe. The bands he was in where he had to function with a vocalist, Poison and Mr. Big were average at best. (IMHDO)

I'm in agreement with James on this one. Kotzen can play, without a doubt, but the stuff I've heard from him doesn't do a thing for me. If I want a shredder that can also write memorable tunes, I'll take Paul Gilbert.

Calling Bret Michaels a vocalist is a bit of a stretch!!

Ritchie Kotzen is an excellent guitarist and his later solo albums have showed a tremendous amount of growth as a musician, no longer so self indulgent

Quote :

Ritchie Kotzen is an excellent guitarist

Never refuted his playing ability

I just don't dig on his lack of originality. He can probably emulate just about anybody who ever picked up a guitar to an extent and in most cases excel. I just think he lacks in areas that have kept him at the same level of stardom. success, influence and notoriety that he first had since Varney tossed him the studio in 1989.

His own solo material post-Shrapnel is very, very song oriented and not focused at all on guitar flash. Most of it is not really heavy or even hard rock...just soulful rock. He's actually a very good songwriter and a strong vocalist. He has a very smoky, soulful vocal tone and delivery.

I do love Sykes.

They're just very different players, so whatever Sheehan and Portnoy were going to do w/ Sykes most likely has zero to do musically with what they made w/ Kotzen.

I guess I need to catch up.

I have (post Shrapnel) the Mother Head's Family Reunion, Tilt (w/ G. Howe), Bi-Polar Blues, one of the Mr. Big albums he did and I think something more recent from a year or two back that is live in concert.

James B. wrote:

I guess I need to catch up.

I have (post Shrapnel) the Mother Head's Family Reunion, Tilt (w/ G. Howe), Bi-Polar Blues, one of the Mr. Big albums he did and I think something more recent from a year or two back that is live in concert.

His solo, "Richie Kotzen", post-Shrapnel albums all have a Motown kind of vibe, just played by a Rock band w/ Strat-styled solos, etc. Nothing overtly flashy. They don't sound like anything you already have.

The last album of his I have is "Into The Black", which is kind of a dark record...at times, his vocals remind me of Chris Cornell on that one.

Thanks Shawn

I still think my joke was funny

I can see James sitting and cackling while he types thinking, this will piss someone off.

New music from The Winery Dogs...'Elevate'



Album comes out May 15th in Japan. No US date at this time.



01. Elevate
02. Desire
03. We Are One
04. I'm No Angel
05. The Other Side
06. You Saved Me
07. Not Hopeless
08. One More Time
09. Damaged
10. Six Feet Deeper
11. Criminal
12. The Dying
13. Regret

DVD (limited edition):

01. Elevate
02. Desire
03. I'm No Angel

that was pretty meh to be honest.

I like it, very 70's.

I like it..... very blues oriented.... catchy chorus.

That's gotta be the smallest kit I have ever seen Portnoy play.

I didn't know that Kotzen used the Jeff Beck / Mark Knopfler picking style.

I love it, really surprised. Nice blues fusion and heavy as well. Helluva lot better than Mob Adrenaline...

EDIT: I mean Adrenaline Mob. Disliked the band so much I got their name wrong...

exact33 wrote:

that was pretty meh to be honest.

That's what I thought as well

corplhicks wrote:

I love it, really surprised. Nice blues fusion and heavy as well. Helluva lot better than Mob Adrenaline...

EDIT: I mean Adrenaline Mob. Disliked the band so much I got their name wrong...

That's OK, I like them enough for the both of us.

(was going to use the razz emicon, but it's missing for some reason)

DallasBlack wrote:

corplhicks wrote:

I love it, really surprised. Nice blues fusion and heavy as well. Helluva lot better than Mob Adrenaline...

EDIT: I mean Adrenaline Mob. Disliked the band so much I got their name wrong...

That's OK, I like them enough for the both of us.

(was going to use the razz emicon, but it's missing for some reason)

I think the king's and my emicons replaced it for they are tr00. A-Mob is not tr00.

thejokeriv wrote:

exact33 wrote:

that was pretty meh to be honest.

That's what I thought as well

I didn't think much of it either, but I'd probably be more inclined to listen to this moreso than Adreneline Mob. I prefer the bluesy/retro sound of WD over the modern rock stylings of AM.

corplhicks wrote:

DallasBlack wrote:

corplhicks wrote:

I love it, really surprised. Nice blues fusion and heavy as well. Helluva lot better than Mob Adrenaline...

EDIT: I mean Adrenaline Mob. Disliked the band so much I got their name wrong...

That's OK, I like them enough for the both of us.

(was going to use the razz emicon, but it's missing for some reason)

I think the king's and my emicons replaced it for they are tr00. A-Mob is not tr00.

corplhicks wrote:

DallasBlack wrote:

corplhicks wrote:

I love it, really surprised. Nice blues fusion and heavy as well. Helluva lot better than Mob Adrenaline...

EDIT: I mean Adrenaline Mob. Disliked the band so much I got their name wrong...

That's OK, I like them enough for the both of us.

(was going to use the razz emicon, but it's missing for some reason)

I think the king's and my emicons replaced it for they are tr00. A-Mob is not tr00.

Eh, I'm probably not tr00 either, if my music library is any indication.