The Winery Dogs - Hot Streak: My Review

[Hey Man]

The Winery Dogs - Hot Streak

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It really kills me to say this, but I am incredibly disappointed with this album. For the most part, the songs are not just there and if there is any complaint about this band just trying to show off as musicians, this album would support that compared to the debut.

I am convinced that the first WD album were songs mostly written by Kotzen with minimal input from Sheehan and Portnoy. On Hot Streak, this was a much more collaborative effort in terms of songwriting and it shows - Sheehan and Portnoy are not good songwriters.

My biggest problem is that there is just no groove here. Some of my favorite songs on the debut like Elevate, One More Time, Desire, Time Machine and Criminal had killer groove. The blues based hard rock factor is also missing from this album and it's replaced with what seems like a ton of fast rockers - Oblivion, Hot Streak, How Long, Empire, Ghost Town, War Machine, The Devil You Know, The Lamb.

It's not unlike an album full of songs like Sheehan's Shy Boy and Addicted To The Rush.



I want this:



I have always preferred the killer riff or groove rock song over the fast rocker - which this album is full of.

Now I have a problem with Kotzen as well. I thought the point of his solo album Cannibals, was to have a creative outlet for a style of music or songs that are not really appropriate for The Winery Dogs - a band that Portnoy called a classic rock type band Zeppelin and Grand Funk Railroad meets The Black Crowes and Soundgarden, so songs like Spiral (which I hate) and Fire (which I love) are really Richie Kotzen solo album songs.

Yes I know that the debut had the song Regret, but that was after a bunch of songs that fit Portnoy's description of The Winery Dogs. In this regard, I fucking love Think It Over on Hot Streak.

I just think that Kotzen needs to further separate his solo material styles from The Winery Dogs - not unlike Bonamassa playing 70's classic rock in Black Country Communion compared to the white boy blues with his solo career. For myself, I would just prefer that The Winery Dogs BE Zeppelin and Grand Funk meets The Black Crowes and Soundgarden and stick to that. Everyone in WD certainly have other avenues to be creative musically in other genres of music.

Now Hot Streak sounds great per the production and of course Kotzen, Sheehan and Portnoy are brilliant musically. These are the songs that I like, but even then - they are not GREAT or reach the potential of what Kotzen is truly capable of as a songwriter and I really think that has a lot to do with being in a band with two other guys - who are not really songwriters and having to work with them more on this album as opposed to the debut for more of a band effort.

Oblivion
Captain Love
Empire
Fire
The Bridge
Devil You Know
Think It Over

My favorite songs are probably Think It Over, The Bridge, Fire and Oblivion. While Captain Love is musically great - I wish the lyrics weren't She Calls Me Captain Love, but I do dig the song overall.

For album #3 - which yes, I do think will happen...I would like to see The Winery Dogs define their sound more and for Kotzen to leave his kitchen sink of musical styles to his solo albums, so his fans can get the best of both worlds.

Now who knows - Hot Streak may grow on me, but for now - it just wasn't the kind of album that I had hoped that they were making.

[DWF]

I agree with so many of your points BUT I think you are selling it short too quickly due to the difference in approach. (Clearly not as hook oriented as the debut and bleeds a lot more of RK's current solo style into the band, as you mentioned.)

I really enjoy the first 7 cuts and the last two. (Of them, my favorites are "Fire" (stunning), "Think It Over" (retro grit; love it), "Captain Love" (AC/DC with Chris Cornell singing and Jeff Beck on guitar lol), "The Lamb" (major grower; tremendous playing),"Oblivion" (Elevate II), & "How Long" (great vocal and chorus by RK).

Yes, the album is bit overkill in extended display of chops on a handful of songs
(especially the title cut) but I actually hold RK accountable as the primary songwriter/arranger. I truly believe Billy and Mike bring fragments and flesh out ideas
but RK is the heart & soul of developing the melody lines & lyrics...

I have beat it to death at home and in my car the last 2 days and it's a major grower
hearing it on a great home system and car system as opposed to when I first listened to the stream... and was also a bit let down.

Overall I'm pleased but would like album #3 to lean a bit closer to the style of debut tracks ala "Regret", "Time Machine", "Other Side", "The Dying", etc. Miss some of the hooks and feel of that damn near perfect record.

[Hey Man]

Oct 2, 2015 15:20:26 GMT -5 DWF said:

I agree with so many of your points BUT I think you are selling it short too quickly due to the difference in approach. (Clearly not as hook oriented as the debut and bleeds a lot more of RK's current solo style into the band, as you mentioned.)

I really enjoy the first 7 cuts and the last two. (Of them, my favorites are "Fire" (stunning), "Think It Over" (retro grit; love it), "Captain Love" (AC/DC with Chris Cornell singing and Jeff Beck on guitar lol), "The Lamb" (major grower; tremendous playing),"Oblivion" (Elevate II), & "How Long" (great vocal and chorus by RK).

Yes, the album is bit overkill in extended display of chops on a handful of songs
(especially the title cut) but I actually hold RK accountable as the primary songwriter/arranger. I truly believe Billy and Mike bring fragments and flesh out ideas
but RK is the heart & soul of developing the melody lines & lyrics...

I have beat it to death at home and in my car the last 2 days and it's a major grower
hearing it on a great home system and car system as opposed to when I first listened to the stream... and was also a bit let down.

Overall I'm pleased but would like album #3 to lean a bit closer to the style of debut tracks ala "Regret", "Time Machine", "Other Side", "The Dying", etc. Miss some of the hooks and feel of that damn near perfect record.

I guess that's the thing - the debut is so awesome, that it's impossible to not have high expectations. Especially considering how brilliant Kotzen is overall.

Do you agree with my position that there are too many Shy Boy/Addicted To The Rush type songs on here - Sheehan seems to love the fast rocker. Typically his name would appear on Mr. Big song credits if it was a fast rocker song - Colorado Bulldog being another.

I do think there was more of a collaborative effort when it came to songwriting on this album. If I recall correctly, they essentially went into the studio and just jammed and songs were built from there as opposed to Kotzen bringing unfinished songs to the table that Portnoy and Sheehan helped complete.

[DWF]

Oct 2, 2015 15:41:05 GMT -5 Hey Man said:

Do you agree with my position that there are too many Shy Boy/Addicted To The Rush type songs on here - Sheehan seems to love the fast rocker. Typically his name would appear on Mr. Big song credits if it was a fast rocker song - Colorado Bulldog being another.

Well, I like stuff like that but never cared for SHYBOY... ever...(no chorus hook and a blur)

On the TWD debut they actually had many more: "Elevate", "We Are One", "The Other Side", "Not Hopeless" and "Six Feet Deeper" and everything else is basically a groove rocker or a ballad. (Loved all of them.)

The new album has "Oblivion" & "Hot Streak" as the full tilt stompers with BOTH "Ghost Town" and "The Devil You Know" starting
out as that way before merging in another direction at choruses. The rest are mid tempo songs and the two ballads "Fire" and
"Think It Over". (The only thing I can't get into is "Spiral"...I've tried...) Looking forward to getting to hear the bonus cuts: Love Is Alive and Solid Ground...

I think you need to play it front to back a few times and let it gel.... major grower and Kotzen's voice and playing shine throughout. No denying it's a bit different stylistically but I think in the long run it could be a good thing.

[Hey Man]

Oct 2, 2015 17:49:15 GMT -5 DWF said:

Oct 2, 2015 15:41:05 GMT -5 Hey Man said:

Do you agree with my position that there are too many Shy Boy/Addicted To The Rush type songs on here - Sheehan seems to love the fast rocker. Typically his name would appear on Mr. Big song credits if it was a fast rocker song - Colorado Bulldog being another.

Well, I like stuff like that but never cared for SHYBOY... ever...(no chorus hook and a blur)

On the TWD debut they actually had many more: "Elevate", "We Are One", "The Other Side", "Not Hopeless" and "Six Feet Deeper" and everything else is basically a groove rocker or a ballad. (Loved all of them.)

The new album has "Oblivion" & "Hot Streak" as the full tilt stompers with BOTH "Ghost Town" and "The Devil You Know" starting
out as that way before merging in another direction at choruses. The rest are mid tempo songs and the two ballads "Fire" and
"Think It Over". (The only thing I can't get into is "Spiral"...I've tried...) Looking forward to getting to hear the bonus cuts: Love Is Alive and Solid Ground...

I think you need to play it front to back a few times and let it gel.... major grower and Kotzen's voice and playing shine throughout. No denying it's a bit different stylistically but I think in the long run it could be a good thing.

Elevate is different - there is a groove thing sort of Black Dog-ish kind of flavor there with the start/stop.

I am sure it will grow on me, but was just hoping for more of a riff heavy groove monster kind of album. To clarify, my disappointment in the album isn't to say that the album is bad or the songs suck. It's just not the aspects of Kotzen/WD that I prefer even with his own solo albums. I am not surprised by the great reviews the album is getting so far.

Love Is Alive is a cover and I am sure that I will love Solid Ground like I did Criminal and wondered why they didn't have it on the official album.

[DWF]

Last night was opening night...what a set list in CT:

Oblivion
Captain Love
We Are One
How Long
Time Machine
Empire
Fire
Think it Over
The Other Side
(Bass Solo)
Not Hopeless
Ghost Town
Hot Streak
I'm No Angel
Desire

Encore:
Regret
Elevate

[DWF]

I got the bulk of album tracks I love from BOTH albums in the damn set-list and was supposed to drive to PA
to see them and BOTH the Mrs and I are sick with a bad cold bug... UGH

[DWF]

[DWF]

You better be diggin into this album properly or I'm disowning your ass !

Loving this record more with each listen....