Richie Kotzen

jmf1928

Anyone see him Saturday in London? Really drove home that I don't actually need anything more than a Tele, a Marshall, and a few pedals. Can't think of too many people that can play and sing like that! 

LionAquaLooper

Preferred his fusion shreddy stuff, esp the Tilt album. Love his voice and Mother Heads Family Reunion is my favourite album where he sings. 

I got nothing but love and respect for him but his other stuff after Mother Head just sounds all the same. But through all that it still amazes me how you can always count on him to turn up with a dazzling guitar solo that surpasses previous stuff he's done. It's like he never runs out of ideas. 

Kebabkid

@jmf1928 - Friends went and said he was superb. Adrian Smith got up and played for the encore

@LionAquaLooper - the Mother Head's stuff is great, isn't it? I love his voice

CaseOfAce

 

LionAquaLooper

StefB said:

axisus said:

I'm a massive fan, I love his playing, he writes great songs and for me he has the best voice of any guitarist who sings.

He does have a great voice but I find he sings in a very similar style to Chris Cornell, whose look he also seems to be trying to achieve!

What?? He's been singing like that way before Soundgarden burst into the music scene! 

Philly_Q

LionAquaLooper said:

StefB said:

axisus said:

I'm a massive fan, I love his playing, he writes great songs and for me he has the best voice of any guitarist who sings.

He does have a great voice but I find he sings in a very similar style to Chris Cornell, whose look he also seems to be trying to achieve!

What?? He's been singing like that way before Soundgarden burst into the music scene! 

I'm not agreeing about Kotzen copying Cornell, but his first album featuring vocals was 1990 and the first Soundgarden album was 1988.

(You're responding to a 10-year-old comment, by the way. )

LionAquaLooper

Philly_Q said:

LionAquaLooper said:

StefB said:

axisus said:

I'm a massive fan, I love his playing, he writes great songs and for me he has the best voice of any guitarist who sings.

He does have a great voice but I find he sings in a very similar style to Chris Cornell, whose look he also seems to be trying to achieve!

What?? He's been singing like that way before Soundgarden burst into the music scene! 

I'm not agreeing about Kotzen copying Cornell, but his first album featuring vocals was 1990 and the first Soundgarden album was 1988.

(You're responding to a 10-year-old comment, by the way. )

Haha, i didn't realise this was a necro thread!

Anyway reason I said that was because he did backing vocals in his first band Arthur's Museum and it's not like he changed his singing style dramatically from then to present. That's just the way he sings isn't it. Even in early Poison (straight after Arthur's Museum) you could already hear his distinctive vocal style when he did backing vox. But you're right - i also don't agree Kotzen even sounds like Cornell in the first place. Not looks-wise either for that matter. 

jmf1928

Not knowing him particularly well before going, I heard a resemblance to Cornell and. Thought some Winwood in the vocals. He doesn't seem like the type to intentionally try and cop someone's sound, so I'm going to guess it's physiological. His range has held up better than Cornell's did. Richie's voice was about as strong as it gets. 

Philly_Q

I've always thought of his vocals as his secret weapon.  I bought his first solo album, along with many other Shrapnel instrumental shred albums in that period, then Richie Kotzen's Fever Dream dream came out and it was like "holy shit, this kid can sing!".

Of course that was 35 years ago, so not such a secret any more...

Philly_Q

Interestingly he's using a pick in this new video:

Grumpyrocker

I really love the stuff he's done with Maiden's Adrian Smith.

Offset

^^ Me too!

Leiversalone

His live concert DVD is awesome - 'Bootlegged in Brazil' - I've had the DVD for ages, but you can probably watch it on youtube?