Native Tongue

Native Tongue is a work of change, on which Poison added the texture of blues, funk and soul to their glamorous hooks, greatly widening their playing. In 1991 C.C. DeVille departed, and Richie Kotzen, known for extraordinary technique, joined on guitar as his successor. With Kotzen added to Bret Michaels (vocals), Bobby Dall (bass) and Rikki Rockett (drums), they steered toward a more serious musicality. Kotzen's guitar emphasizes not only flashy riffs but fine nuance and the way it weaves into the rhythm. On "Stand," a Los Angeles church choir took part with gospel vocals, showing the band's first blues-rock approach. The power of "Until You Suffer Some (Fire and Ice)" is also striking. Amid the rise of grunge it struggled commercially, but earned Gold. An unusual yet rewarding record that shed its past image.