If you are a fan of guitar-based rock or funk music, chances are you have heard Richie Kotzen’s licks and riffs at some point. He held down guitar duties with Poison and Mr. Big, before setting off on a solo career that has seen his name on 22 albums to date. Richie Kotzen is part of The Winery Dogs as well as one half of Smith / Kotzen, featuring Iron Maiden axeman Adrian Smith. Nomad is Kotzen’s 23rd solo album and is pretty much the sum of his career to date, delving into classic rock, funk, acoustic ballads and loads in between.
Richie Kotzen – Nomad (BMG)
Release Date: 27 September 2024
Words: Robert Adams
Cheap Shots opens proceedings with a glorious classic rock groove and Kotzen’s vocals sound amazing. Think Chris Cornel mixed with a touch of Rod Stewart and a dash of Prince and you are almost there. These Doors has a ridiculously funky bass line with what sounds like a clavinet added. The finger-picked riff is a joyous funky groove, and Kotzen even makes his guitar solo sound like a Hammond organ.
I forgot to mention that pretty much everything you hear on the Nomad album was played by Kotzen himself. Do not think for a second that this is some up his own arse vanity project. It is far from that. The last artist I heard do the “written, recorded and produced by” thing this good was Prince.
Insomnia is a slow burner that sneaks up on you before setting you on fire with a ridiculously fast, finger-picked guitar solo. “I’m gonna make you work for me,” sings Kotzen and boy does he make it work for him.
Nomad is a musical journey through clean picking, funky grooves, jazz fusion and even a touch of African rhythms. It sounds like it shouldn’t work, but Kotzen weaves it together effortlessly.
Escape takes us back to a languid rock groove and will have your head nodding in approval. “I’m more of a conversational writer,” Kotzen says. “I don’t write about aliens and spaceships. It’s more about what I’m thinking and what I’m feeling. Here’s the thing – I wait. I wait until I have something to say – and usually, that’s when it all comes together.
“When something strikes me, I’ll sing it into my phone, and then it’ll either live there and wait until another day, or I’ll work on it, and it’ll end up on an album. That’s my process.”
He makes it sound easy but trust me, what Richie Kotzen does isn’t easy at all. That is talent and years of honing his craft you are listening to.
Fans of The Winery Dogs should adore On The Table. This could easily have been found on a Dogs album. Kotzen probably thought the same, then said to himself, “nope, this one is for me!” Whatever happened, On The Table is one of the many highlights to be found on the Nomad album.
This Is A Test has Kotzen swapping his trusty Telecaster for an acoustic guitar. This track sounds like a prime Whitesnake acoustic ballad from back when Sir David of Coverdale could actually sing. It is a thing of real beauty.
Nihilist closes out the album with an almost prog / jazz workout. Your challenge is to try and dance to this! It’s a proper musical acid trip but without the freaking out or massive comedown. Don’t do drugs kids. It’s not big, and it’s not clever.
The only real complaint I have about Nomad is that we only get eight tracks.
Granted, those Eight tracks are all of the highest quality – all killer, no filler. Do yourselves a favour and get this album around your ears.
Twenty-three albums in, and Richie Kotzen is still delivering music of the highest quality. Nomad is available from here.
