SMITH / KOTZEN: Smith / Kotzen (HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

"You should try writing something together." Adrian Smith's wife once pitched that to her husband and longtime pal Richie Kotzen. To paraphrase the well-known adage that behind every great project is a woman, it's just a step that the two guitarists happily took, to the point of writing an entire album. And frankly, the marriage of their two very different styles works wonderfully on this first album which smells good classic rock and old school hard rock. If for Kotzen, it seems an obvious choice considering his collaborations with Mr. Big and The Winery Dogs, for Smith it's a little less so. However, the oldest among us will remember that it is indeed with hard rock that the Iron Maiden guitarist started his career with Urchin and that it is still towards hard rock that he took refuge when he created Psycho Motel, during his eviction from the Iron Maiden's line up in the 90s.

It is thus on the ground of Whitesnake and Deep Purple (Glenn Hughes period) that walks this first album of Smith / Kotzen and it is an understatement to say that their association works perfectly. If you want to hear what the work of two great professionals who play without pressure and only for fun sounds like, this is the album you need. First of all because the compositions are all particularly successful and own devastating riffs and catchy choruses ('Taking My Chances', 'Running'). Then because, inevitably, the level of the guitar solos is more than once at its peak ('You Don't Know Me', 'Til Tomorrow'). Besides the fact that the two guitarists take a not dissimulated pleasure to play together, they succeed in moreover the tour de force to put constantly their beautiful complementarity at the service of their music, so that the osmosis is perfect throughout the album, what participates greatly in the pleasure of listening.

But this complementarity doesn't stop at their guitar playing, because Adrian Smith and Ritchie Kotzen can also sing and take turns at the microphone. And there too, their two voices complement each other wonderfully, in a blues register for one ('Scars') and more rock for the other, as on the excellent 'Solar Fire', a rare track on which Richie Kotzen (who has all the talents) does not intervene on the drums, preferring here to leave the sticks to Nicko McBrain.

This Smith / Kotzen is a success from all points of view: quality of the compositions, power of the arrangements and excellence of the interpretation. This album is the testimony of two artists in total symbiosis, in perfect possession of their numerous talents, with nothing to prove except that rock will never die as long as it is played with such faith, mastery and sincerity. - Official website

SMITH / KOTZEN

SMITH / KOTZEN

BMG

HARD ROCK