Customer Reviews

Undiscovered Soul

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Richie Sambora, guitarist of the famed, New Jersey-bred melodic rock group, Bon Jovi, has once again taken a journey to embark on his second solo effort, Undiscovered Soul. Most reviewers would feel so annoyingly inclined to compare Richie Sambora with his bandmate, Jon Bon Jovi, as well as his work within the confines of the band as a unit. This reviewer, however, is not even remotely tempted to do any such thing. The band, Bon Jovi, have become an underrated band in the 90s as a result of an overly-fickle public. To make matters even more grim, the band is overlooked by radio and MTV due to the fact that these media outlets think of Bon Jovi as a "hair-band" stuck in an 80s time capsule. As a result, the members of the band have branched out to try other career avenues. Jon Bon Jovi released a solo album of his own late last year, and he's presently tweaking his newfound acting career. Richie Sambora has decided to let his wife worry about the acting while he continues to go down the road as a musical solo artist. Richie Sambora has always been one of the most underrated guitarists to hit the rock world. Unlike his technical counterpart, Eddie Van Halen, Richie is more of a guitarist of the heart. His instrument speaks to you, stirring up emotions inside you that are deep and to the core. Don't be mistaken -- the man can play a fast riff of smoking, cascading notes, but more importantly, he can pull back and create beauty. His musical roots lie in, not only rock and roll, but heavily in blues as well. Like one of his biggest influences, Eric Clapton, Richie is not only a spectacular guitar player, but he can also sing and pen some delightful ear candy -- and he does it more than well. On Richie's first solo effort, Stranger In This Town, Richie's blues influences are strong and more than evident throughout the disc. A seriously depreciated album, Stranger In This Town, fell through the cracks when the shift in musical tastes changed. Despite this, it was a highly acclaimed piece of work made by fans and media alike. This reviewer didn't think Mr. Sambora could top his first effort, but she may have been wrong. If you're looking for a hard-rock album, Undiscovered Soul isn't going to deliver. However, if you're looking for beauty and depth, you'll find plenty here. Though not as bluesy as Stranger In This Town, there's still some subtle blues influences intertwined throughout the disc. There is a heavy tendency towards pretty, acoustic numbers -- plus there's two enchanting ballads, and a few mid-tempo, pop-oriented songs on here. You have a hint of some hard-rock on here in two songs, but they're the minority. Produced by Don Was and mainly co-written with the help of Richie Supa (known for co-penning a handful of Aerosmith tunes), this disc is very personal and to-the-heart while providing an exquisite musical backdrop that's pleasing to the ear. Made In America: An auto-biographical mid-tempo filled with a mix of acoustic and electric guitars, with some symmetrical keyboards thrown in, this song leans towards the "classic rock" style of a song. The lyrics paint a picture of "growing pains" and having the dream of music in your young mind: "Made in America, nineteen-fifty nine, born down by the factory, cross the Jersey City line. Raised on the radio, just a jukebox kid -- I was alright."

Hard Times Come Easy: Up-tempo and catchy, this song is the first single and the most pop-oriented (as in, Top 40 music) on the disc. With a harmonious chorus full of hooks and a beat that causes you to tap your foot whether you want to or not, this one is about the ups and downs of life: "It's amazing, we go through changes, when times get crazy; it's up and down it's hot and cold. These complications just keep on coming, there ain't no running; when it comes to life that's how it goes. Round and round we go, sometimes it feels like we're on a roller-coaster ride. Baby, don't you know, it could eat you up if you try to keep it all inside."

Fallen From Graceland: Co-written with Bon Jovi bandmate, David Bryan, as well as Richie Supa, this song is a real stand-out. The beat is easy and searching, the guitars bewitching and hypnotizing. This song swings like a lullaby as Richie croons softly through your speakers, hitting you somewhere in your soul. The lyrics are beautiful and deep, touching the soul of even the most cold-hearted: "There's a line that you cross, when you find out that you're lost. When you world is closing in, and it crawls under your skin. And the heart's always blind, when it's in this state of mind. There's a burning light in this town for every heart that's broken down tonight -- here tonight. You're stranded out there in the rain and you can't see past the pain -- tonight. You've fallen from Graceland."

If God Was A Woman: A total blues, good ol' rock n' roll fest of a song chock-full of both tongue and cheek, this song is another major highlight. Full of bluesy and jamming riffs, a dynamic drum beat, and all-out rhythmically smoking harmonica bits (played by none other than the Demon of Screamin', the Big-Lipped Blues Master himself -- Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, yours truly and this jam-fest of a song became instant best friends. With David Bryan and Richie Supa once again assisting Mr. Sambora with the penned words, this song is about just what the title suggests -- If God was a woman . . . : "If God was a woman, would you be impressed, if she showed up in high heels and a pretty red dress. Would you make a donation or would you draw the line? Would you yield to temptation or savor her wine? If God was a woman, she'd come like an angel or a devil in disguise. When she left in the morning, would you lose your religion or kiss your faith good-bye?"

All That Really Matters: Another stand-out, this is an aesthetic ballad filled with grand, lovely piano and ethereal guitars. Richie's voice is filled with unabashed passion, proving this song to be heartfelt and a possible future wedding song contender. Lyrically, it's about that one emotion we're all still obsessed with understanding: LOVE. With love comes the search for a soul mate, and with those of us lucky enough to find that person, and even for those who are still hoping to find, this song will pull at your heart-strings: "There comes a time in someone's life, when you find the things that matter. And every time we touch, the love runs deep, we realize it's ours to keep, and that's all that really matters. You'll always be my sweet addiction; in this life, my saving grace. You're all that really matters. You know it's true -- ain't no me without you."

You're Not Alone: This is another favorite because of the very unique style and approach to it. With distorted vocals, soaring guitars, and a heavy-hitting beat, this song is one of the heavier on the album. Richie wrote this song around the time his daughter was born. The subject matter is about unconditional love and support: "You can be a million miles away; I will always love you. You can be a thousand thoughts away; I'll always be thinking of you. No matter where you try to hide, you are always going to find me; right where I belong -- I've been beside you all along. Like some ancient star, forever we'll remain; even if the sky should ever fall from grace. If I die or fade away, in the end you'll always know -- you're not alone."

In It For Love: A pretty but simple acoustic number, this is a fine song, but not a standout. On the contrary, it borders a bit on the bland side. The lyrics are written well, and the melody is nice, but it falls flat in comparison to the other tunes on the disc: "Life is a road, forever winding, where it leads us I don't know. In it together, for better or worse, searching for our pot of gold."

Chained: A tune which starts out slightly bluesy and then kicks into a more pop-oriented tune, this one is another likable song, but more so for the lyrics than the actual music. Musically, it's good but not outstanding. There are some scorching guitar solos and flavorful riffs in there, and the beat is up, but not spectacular. Lyrically, you can very well relate, which is the song's strong point: "Hey, what's this feeling; I've never been down this far before. I was scared of believing that love would never find my door. I was chained -- chained to my broken dreams. I never knew who I was suppose to be; waiting for someone to come and rescue me."

Harlem Rain: Another slow, acoustic number with pretty-sounding melodies, this song has a melancholy, searching feel to it -- much like Fallen From Graceland. However, while this song is pretty, it's no way half as beautiful as the aforementioned. It only scratches the surface of raw emotions, and like In It For Love, it doesn't stand out in comparison to some of the other material. It does have a charming appeal to it, however, and is far from being a "bad" song. The subject matter is about tough times experienced by the common folk: "The old man down the corner is drowning in his pain. I can see the sorrow in his eyes, his tears they leave a stain. The str

You've heard him rock with Bon Jovi, perhaps heard Stranger in this Town but this is Richie Sambora at his best. Soul is the force behind this album. It has Richie's trademark guitar solos, All that Really Matters is just beautiful. It has powerful lyrics - more mature than Stranger in this Town- and out from the shadow of backing vocals, a strong voice that makes you wonder why this is only his second solo album. If God was a Woman is the only real rock song on the album - and it rocks! There are love songs - In It For Love and All That Really Matters, songs that will make you cry - Harlem Rain, Fallen from Graceland, songs that will make you think, Who I am, Chained and the title track - Undiscovered Soul is the master piece. Richie blends soul, guitar and powerful song writing with an ease that will make this album a permanent feature on your stereo. As Sambora said for Stranger in this Town - turn down the lights, light a candle, welcome...

This is an extremely reflective and personal album for Richie. The 80's glam/anthem rock guitar legend has given way to a simpler, acoustic-driven stroll through the wheat fields, and it works. Sure, there are some rockers on this one, but he's already proven on previous Bon Jovi records that he can make a Fender Strat or a Gibson Les Paul scream in any stadium or arena. His musical evolution and love of the acoustic 6 and 12-string shine through on this record, particularly on "Harlem Rain" and "In It For Love." Kudos to a great musician and a great album. If it weren't for me seeing him in concert 10 years ago in Biloxi, Mississippi, I wouldn't be playing guitar today.

Richie Sambora has "discovered" his soul on his second solo outing! I was curious about this cd and listened to the sound samples on Amazon.com. I was so impressed with what I heard on those five little 30-second sound bytes that I rushed right out and bought the cd. Rarely do I listen to a cd and want to hear it again right away. I played this one and immediately played it again. Richie truly sings and plays from the heart on this one and covers everything from ballads to rockers to blues to mid-tempo numbers. His musical style seems to have matured beyond his Bon Jovi days (only a few riffs here and there will remind of that time) and he seems settled and happy with his life and it shows. Buy this cd! It is jewel among the ruins of the music world today!

There is no arena bombast to be found on Richie Sambora's 'Undiscovered Soul.' Even the upbeat songs are practically acoustic jaunts that thrive on creative vigor more than amplified exuberance. It's easy to get the impression that Richie Sambora's just a really nice guy, this album shows a songwriter who really doesn't have a lot of problems and who's content to share with us his content and his committment to his world. It's a gentle record, something you can play in the background instead of blasting down the street.

The standout tunes are 'Hard Times Come Easy' an upbeat rocker and 'All That Really Matters' an unabashed dedication from Sambora to his wife.

Lots of artists claim to be writing albums for themselves first, with 'Undiscovered Soul,' I can believe Richie Sambora wrote an album for himself, that we, the listeners, can't help but enjoy. It's just a really nice record.

I imagine nobody would buy this album without knowing of Richie's work in Bon Jovi. That fact alone saddens me for a few reasons. For one, this album sounds SO little like Bon Jovi's work (it's calm, bluesy, beautiful, and introspective rather than big, catchy, dynamic, and hook-filled) that I can imagine many fans listening to this album - expecting Richie's guitar-oriented take on Bon Jovi's sound - and being thoroughly disappointed by how little it sounds like their expectations.

Two, this album is easily as good - if not better - than anything Bon Jovi's ever done. And while I might get grief for that statement alone, I say that being a HUGE Bon Jovi fan myself who owns every album and would proudly say that I enjoy their post-90's music perhaps even better than their glory day music. But the fact (or rather my strong belief) is that this is one of the best journeyman albums ever, and vastly underrated. Somewhere in the vein of GOOD classic Clapton without the overdone, tired blues scales and Bruce Springsteen without the lyrical/storytelling density.

This album also shows Richie's wide ranging influences and effortlessly shifts moods and styles throughout. Made In America is a very strong acoustic opening. Sounding somewhat like Springsteen lite (not in a bad way) with strong, story-telling verses and chorus and subtle, twangy, chiming Telecaster (Richie's main guitar on this album) accompanying him in the background. Hard Times Come Easy is one of the most bluesy songs on the album. But bluesy in a very upbeat, catchy way with alot of short, sweet Telecaster licks and an excellent, catchy chorus.

Fallen From Graceland is one of the beauties of the album. A slow, calm introspective ballad featuring a lovely sustained organ (I think) in the background and some great, subtle guitar and drum work over Richie's hypnotizing vocals. Richie does something very smart on this album which is vary the tempo from song to song. Going from the slow crooning of Graceland we head right into the upbeat, tongue-in-cheek If God Was a Woman. Featuring some more cool Tele strumming from Richie with a harmonica taking the lead and some of Richie's best lyrical work on the album (if you're in the mood for something kinda funny). This is also probably the most classic blues sounding song on the album.

All That Really Matters is in the same vein as Graceland. A ballad like love song. It's a good song, but not the best on the album. In fact, the album only bogs down a bit at this point with a string of decent to mediocre songs. You're Not Alone is different and quirky, with a cool sounding vocal effect and an effects laden guitar. It's catchy and different, but doesn't fit with the rest of the album. It It For Love and Chained are perhaps the two most mediocre songs on the album. Actually, both are pretty good songs, and it's surprising that songs this good represent the WORST of an album.

But then comes the supreme beauty of the album. Perhaps my favorite song ever written by anyone with Harlem Rain. This song is just a stunningly beautiful piece of music and song-writing featuring some exquisitely gorgeous acoustic guitar work by Richie with another sustained keyboard/organ sound in the background. This is also perhaps the darkest song (from a lyrical/tone perspective) on the album. Talking about the pain of being beaten down by life:

"In your search for tender mercy, no one seemed to care,
The faith that used to be your crutch, is now your cross to bear.
You lost yourself so long ago, you don't know who to blame,

Harlem rain, coming down.
Another shattered soul in the lost and found.
One more night on the streets of pain,
getting washed away, by the Harlem rain."

This is actually one of the few songs that have ever made me cry. And even today after hearing it a ton of times I can't help but get chills listening to it.

Going from the saddest, most beautiful song on the album right into the heaviest, hardest rocking and perhaps most self-affirming in Who I Am. This is a 7 minute behemoth of a song showcasing Richie's excellent electric guitar work. The song builds and builds perfectly through calm verses, tension building bridges, and an excellent chorus into Richie's best solo breakout of the album.

If "If God Was a Woman" is the most classic blues song in an upbeat sense, Downside of Love is the most classic blues song in a downbeat sense. It has some love and heartbreak lyrics, some cool, bluesy licks with soulful vocals and delivery into perhaps a slightly bland chorus, but it's still a really good song.

The title track closes the album in an superb way. Starting out with Richie muting and up-down picking the E string on his Tele in a really cool, building rhythm until the drums start coming in to build up to the verse. The opening guitar lick/melody to the song is one of Richie's best ever. A subtle string of notes so telling in detail they're practically a lyrical verse themselves. The drumming continues through the verses where Richie tells one of his best stories on the album until diving into perhaps the best chorus on the album. This is an anthematic song that walks the line between upbeat and downbeat perfectly (not just with the music, but the lyrics too): "When you walk that road. You walk alone, just an undiscovered soul in the great unknown."

More than anything I think this album leaves the listener with a sense that they've just been through one of life's little journeys. Through good and bad times, Richie takes you through it on the album. Musically, it's much more diverse than most of Bon Jovi's stuff. Even though it's NOT original in any way, it doesn't have to be when the songs are THIS good and album is THIS consistently strong.

It's kind of a shame Richie released his two solo albums (this one and Stranger - which is also excellent) at the time he did. Had he released these in the 70s, 80s, or even now when people are getting back to wanting something new and different and retro rock is coming back in style, this might've been more of a success. The 90s when it was released was just an awful time for anyone NOT wearing flannel and practicing their angst ridden poses and lyrics in the mirror. Anything even remotely upbeat, with different styles and flavors and influences was doomed to be a failure in this "It's either black or black" time.

It's telling that Bon Jovi finally shot back into the mainstream post-90s with songs from Crush and Have a Nice Day. Had either Richie or Jon (who's solo album is also very good but VERY different) released their solo work now I believe it would've worked more.

On a side note, I can't recommend Richie's other solo album, Stranger in this Town, enough. It actually has several stand out songs which equal his best on this album (the title track, Ballad of Youth, and One Light Burning especially). While Stranger is more directly blues oriented and features better guitar work than Soul, it also bogs down toward the end while Soul is consistently strong and more varied.

In closing I can't do anything but wholeheartedly recommend this album enough. I know it won't change the fact that it was pretty much a commercial failure and only a handful of folks will ever really listen to this album and love it and enjoy it like I have, I hope anyone who reads this can be convinced to give it a try.

I bought this album because I liked Richie's guitar work with Bon Jovi, and I wanted to hear more of it. I got more than I bargained for. The songs on this album are beautiful and introspective. My favorites are "Made in America" and "Harlem Rain." This is a wonderfully, relaxing CD. I enjoy it more every time I listen to it.

"Falling from Graceland" on "Undiscovered Soul," is one of the most healing songs I have ever heard. The cd itselef is a variety of styles, some Americana, some R&B, some blues, ballads, love songs and more. A real montage of feeling. Sambora is much more than a handsome man, much more than what he looks like, much more than the guitarist for Bon Jovi, much more than one of the greatest guitarists in music history. He is an excellent vocalist. He is an excellent songwriter. Richie Sambora, will I hope, get the real credit he deserves one day.

This album is so good, its an album that make you feel good at the end of a stressful day, open a bottle of wine and listen to this album and it will make the days hassel go away.
This album shows off richie's vocal range that bon jovi hasn't seen, richie proves that he is more than a back up singer. The feeling in this album is awersome and sometimes you feel like he is singing right to you, there is a lot of passion in some of the song like "fallen from graceland". This album is like Richie telling you a story from the first song on the album "made in America" to the last song "undiscovered soul", at the end of the album you feel like you have learn't a little bit about him that you might not have known before. open your heart, your mind and your ears, who knows he just might change your view on music.

I didn't think i would find an album better than Stranger in this town, I was wrong. This Album is my all time favourite. It shows great songwriting skills, maybe Richie's greatest gift. His voice is great we all know that. His guitar playing is passionate and incredible, but with only one real rock song on this album what i noticed was the songwriting. This is a very mature album, it is an album which makes you think about your life and ultimatly makes you feel good about it. or at least makes you do something positive about it. This album is the soundtrack to my life.

What more can i say.....