Friday 11 November 2011

ALBUM REVIEW: RICHIE KOTZEN - 24 HOURS


Guitar virtuoso Richie Kotzen erupted onto the rock scene in 1989. His 'signature' custom fender telecaster style riffing has seen him establish his mark with hard rock heavyweights such as Poison and Mr. Big. '24 Hours' is his strongest and most self-assured solo work to date. From the exciting soul fest of the title track to the infectious pop laden 'OMG What's Your Name?' it's an absorbing blend of musical influences. Outstanding gems such as the bitter-sweet 'Get It On' and 'Bad Situation' are truly emotive, while majestic blues rocker 'Love Is Blind' (featuring Jerry Cantrell on backing vocals) and the heart-felt 'Stop Me' (with Richie's daughter August on electric piano) augment an 'inspired' collection of songs. Richie Kotzen is without a doubt one of the most 'underrated' guitarist/singer/songwriters of his generation - completely ‘Unique’!

Mark Crampton



Tuesday 1 November 2011

ALBUM REVIEW: LOU REED + METALLICA - LULU


Calling in veteran songwriter Lou Reed to flesh out their arty inclinations, 'Lulu' sounds like Metallica wanting to emulate The Who, Pink Floyd, and other sophisticated rock acts who have made successful records with narratives. Lou, for his part, has grasped the challenge to relive his überkool 1970s association with Berlin, steering this 'unlikely' project on the works of German playwright Frank Wedekind. Reed does his best to sound poetically left-field ("waggle my ass like a dog prostitute" he croons in a voice that is reminiscent of Johnny Cash’s 'Flesh And Blood') while Metallica dutifully follow-up with their trademark growling arena sized rock riffs. Despite its critics, this record does have its moments, like the rollicking, airy riff of 'Iced Honey' and Reed's powerful performance on 'The View'. Not bad just different - so the mantra goes!

Colin Liddell