Richie Kotzen continues his insane amount of output with his most bold project to date. ’50 for 50′ is a celebration of all things Kotzen. 50 songs for 50 years of life. It’s a dense collection of new material that covers all of the different eras of Kotzen’s storied career. From his beginnings as an instrumentalist, to joining Poison, to Mr. Big, to finding his own voice and solo career. All the vibes are there and they’re all good.
Honestly, there’s so much material to cover I’m just going to mention the highlights. Or else we’ll be here all day. The album clocks in at three hours and twenty-five minutes. Many of the songs exceed the four minute mark and have extended jams. It’s safe to say that this three disc adventure is fully loaded. Funky hard rockers, heartfelt ballads, solos that combine technical ability and feel seamlessly and soulful soaring vocals. Plus, the production is impressively clean and crisp.
The album kicks off with one of Kotzen’s best openers in years, ‘Stick the Knife.’ Coming right out of the gate with a total face melting solo. Similar to how he started his 2003 album ‘Slow.’ Then the band comes in before an acapella soaring vocal melody slams the listener. Then, the groove kicks in. The blues rock riff is yet another killer from the master. And the album just kind of grows from there. ‘As You Are’ is a perfect follow up to the excellent opener. Another bluesy, kick ass track to get your groove on to. The first ballad on the album, ‘Dogs,’ recalls Kotzen’s 2005 album ‘Into The Black.’ With tracks like ‘Doing What The Devil Says to Do.’ ‘More Than This’ kicks up the balladry another notch. Then it morphs into jam gear with the mega catchy ‘Dirty Tricks.’ Containing a major jam band vibe, it’s hard not to get up and dance. The trumpet solo and horn melody are particularly choice. ‘Nickel Hustler’ continues the funky, hard rock vibe. There’s a lot of Prince influence in the album and ‘Nickel Hustler’ is a prime example.
The second disc continues where the first left off. The focus on heavy, blues oriented tracks is prominent throughout. But what Kotzen does so well is somehow make each song sound different; despite the formula. ‘Radar’ and ‘Freeze’ both deliver on the quality in spades. With the latter being a pinch stronger. ‘Warrior’ is an excellent mid-tempo ballad with reflective, introspective lyrics. ‘Who I Am’ kicks the ballad mood up a notch. While ‘Last Laugh’ is one of the strongest Prince influenced tracks on the album. It’s a major funker that could fit on a Chili Peppers album. ‘Taking the Pain’ brings back the mid-tempo ballad feel with a commanding rhythmic beat. ‘Feather Weights’ is simply one of the most catchy, original and inventive funk rock riffs ever written. It demands your attention in the intro. Yet another ‘up on your feet and dance’ track. Which seems to dominate the entire album. The instrumental song brings back the memories of Kotzen’s earliest works. But with more of a timeless groove rock vibe. The back end of the disc is very ballad dominant. With the exception of ‘Circus Song.’ And they’re all good. Attracting and retaining the listeners attention. ‘Trophy’ is straight up baby making music. While tracks like ‘I Am the Clown’ and ‘Delux’ maintain a sensitive feel.
The third and final disc focuses on more of the same. And we can’t get enough of it honestly. ‘Play the Field’ and ‘Wide Open’ start things off in high gear. ‘Dark Places’ keeps the train rolling with it’s groovy, Soundgarden oriented mood. ‘Miss My Girl’ really kicks the blues up into the stratosphere. The third collection of songs is less ballad oriented than the previous disc. With the funk element turned up even more than the previous two installments. ‘July 14th’ is a prime example. The instrumental is reminiscent of ‘Feather Weights.’ With that classic Kotzen ‘shred’ element mixed perfectly with yet another catchy, Prince influenced funk rock riff. ‘She’s The Man’ also follows the formula, but with low, sexy lyrics added to the mix. The album ends with four, strong ballads: ‘Hide From Me,’ ‘Let It Slide,’ ‘Breaking Off’ and ‘This House.’ With the final track ending the record in a calming, fading manner.
The album as a whole is a true triumph. A defining testament to just how underrated Richie Kotzen really is. He’s always released material that deserved to be more recognized, but ’50 for 50′ takes the cake. It really is the definitive Richie Kotzen album. Probably his best. And that’s a major statement considering the guy has an endless amount of material to his name. ’50 for 50′ is just everything that you want out of Kotzen. And then more. A true five star album.
