REVIEW: Richie Sambora, Undiscovered Soul (Mercury)
- Linda Scott
Richie Sambora is best known as the long time lead guitarist for Bon Jovi and his marriage to actress Heather Locklear. More than just a respected guitar player, Sambora has co-written Bon Jovi lyrics, produced the songs, and helped manage the band's extensive business dealings. He and Jon Bon Jovi took the New Jersey bar band and piloted it to world wide success. Under their guidance, the band has evolved from big hair glam, to metal, to hard rock, to rock/pop.
With prosperity insured, Sambora is going the solo route, using the downtime following Bon Jovi's world stadium tour in support of These Days (1995). He's soloed before - see 1991s Stranger In This Town - which netted decent reviews but not producing the big sales figures.
Given Sambora's lead guitar status in Bon Jovi, Undiscovered Soul is a surprise. Expectations of a Jeff Beck-style guitar solo album will be quickly put aside. The showcase here is not Sambora on guitar but Sambora as song writer, vocalist and guitarist - which sounds much like the work of Bon Jovi, but sans Jon's lead vocals. Sambora has an above average voice in which there are echoes of Jon Bon Jovi, especially in the phrasing. And with heavy hitter contributions ranging from Kenny Aronoff to Don Was, there's no lack of fellow musicians.
Sambora is given guitar credit, of course, but there are no endless guitar solos or show stopping riffs. The guitar playing on Undiscovered Soul is a spare, clean, Clapton-like sound - which shouldn't come as a surprise, since Richie cites the guitar legend as one of his major influences.
If you like Bon Jovi - or even Def Leppard or Extreme - chances are you'll like Undiscovered Soul.
