Native Tongue (album)

Native Tongue
Studio album by Poison
Released	February 8, 1993
Recorded	1992 at A&M Studios in Hollywood, California and Rumbo Recorders in Canoga Park, California
Genre	Blues rock[1] glam metal[2]
Length	56:20
Label	Capitol
Producer	Richie Zito
Poison chronology
Swallow This Live (1991) Native Tongue (1993) Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996 (1996)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	C+[1]
Q	[3]
Rolling Stone	[4]

Native Tongue is the fourth studio album by American hard rock band Poison, released in 1993 through Capitol Records. It peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200,^[5] #20 on the UK Albums Chart^[6] and was certified Gold by the RIAA on April 21, 1993.^[7] It has also been certified by CAN platinum. The album features new lead guitarist Richie Kotzen. Kotzen was hired as the band's guitarist following the firing of C.C. DeVille in late 1991. The album features the singles "Stand" which featured the Los Angeles First A.M.E. Church Choir on backing vocals, "Until You Suffer Some (Fire And Ice)" and "Body Talk".

Musical style

On this album Poison stepped back from their glam metal style, and leaned closer to traditional heavy metal, mixing it up with funk and blues elements. Richie Kotzen's influence upon the sound of the album is unmistakable. In songs such as "The Scream", the band's traditional sustaining power chords were jettisoned in favor of more complex, funky palm-muted heavy metal riffs.

Production and marketing

Admitted as a full-fledged member of the band rather than a "hired gun", Kotzen was given considerable creative freedom. Resultingly, Kotzen's writing and performing contributions dominated the album.

Kotzen would later be expelled from the band following the world tour, after it was discovered that he had been romantically involved with the fiance of drummer Rikki Rockett. Recollections of the album, while no doubt soured by these events, nonetheless appear to faithfully reflect the basic clash between Kotzen's style and that of the band's founding members. Kotzen would later claim that "being in Poison helped me forget I was a musician"^[8] while Rockett would lament the loss of the band's original "attitude" ^[9]

The album was recorded and mixed at A&M Studios in Hollywood, California, and Rumbo Recorders in Canoga Park, California with producer Richie Zito. It was dedicated to Van Halen tour manager Scotty Ross and former Poison guitarist DeVille. The album peaked at #16 on the Billboard chart.

The first two singles "Stand" and "Until You Suffer Some (Fire And Ice)" featured music videos and charted in the US and the UK. "Stand" reached number 15 on the Mainstream rock chart, #35 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart and #50 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[10] The song also charted at number 25 on the UK Singles chart and "Until You Suffer Some (Fire And Ice)" peaked at number 32 on the UK Singles chart.^[11]

Following the album the band released a video/DVD titled Seven Days Live which featured a concert from the Native Tongue world tour.

Songs

Lyrically, the band continued on the growing sophistication that began in Flesh and Blood. The album's themes include battles against injustice ("Scream", "Stand"), heartbreak ("Until You Suffer Some", "7 Days Over You", "Theatre of the Soul"), and inner demons ("Stay Alive").

"When The Whip Comes Down" is a track not included on the album but used as a b side for the singles.

Track listing

All songs written by Bret Michaels, Richie Kotzen, Bobby Dall and Rikki Rockett

1. "Native Tongue" – 1:03
2. "The Scream" – 3:51
3. "Stand" – 5:17
4. "Stay Alive" – 4:25
5. "Until You Suffer Some (Fire and Ice)" – 4:16
6. "Body Talk" – 4:03
7. "Bring It Home" – 3:57
8. "7 Days over You" – 4:15
9. "Richie's Acoustic Thang" – 0:58
10. "Ain't That the Truth" – 3:27
11. "Theatre of the Soul" – 4:43
12. "Strike Up the Band" – 4:17
13. "Ride Child Ride" – 3:55
14. "Blind Faith" – 3:34
15. "Bastard Son of a Thousand Blues" – 4:57

Singles

• "Stand" - #50 Billboard Hot 100
• "Until You Suffer Some (Fire And Ice)" - #32 UK Singles chart
• "Body Talk"

Band members

• Bret Michaels - Lead Vocals; Rhythm/Acoustic Guitars; Harmonica
• Richie Kotzen - Lead Guitar; Piano; Mandolin; Dobro; Backing Vocals
• Bobby Dall - Bass Guitars; Backing Vocals
• Rikki Rockett - Drums; Percussion

With:

• Jai Winding - Piano (Tracks 3 & 11)
• Billy Powell - Piano (8 & 15)
• Mike Finnegan - Organ (5)
• 'Tower of Power' Horn Section (8)
• Timothy B. Schmit - Backing Vocals
• Tommy Funderburk - Backing Vocals
• First AME Church Choir (3)
• Shelia E. - Percussion (1 & 2)

References