Poison drummer Rikki Rockett recently addressed the band’s fourth album, “Native Tongue,” in an interview with 101 WRIF. The 1993 record, which is the only Poison LP to feature Richie Kotzen on lead guitar following the departure of C.C. DeVille in late 1991, turned out to be a relative commercial disappointment despite debuting strongly.
“The thing is that during the early part of the whole grunge thing, we were so consumed with trying to kind of reinvent Poison and fill C.C.’s shoes in some way, shape or form, and we realized we’re not gonna be able to do that, so we made a little bit of a left turn,” Rockett said.
“And it’s funny ’cause I just listened to that record, ‘Native Tongue’, yesterday. And I haven’t listened to it for a while, except for one song that I do in my drum clinic. But I love the way I played on that record. I think it’s a great record. Richie was great to work with, and I’m very, very proud of that record. I feel like we went, ‘We’re not gonna try to be grunge ’cause that’s not our jam. We’re not gonna try to be what we were with C.C. We’re going to turn the page and do a new chapter, and we’re gonna do it really well,'” he continued.
“And I think we did all those things. Was it as successful as [1988’s] ‘Open Up And Say… Ahh!’, and stuff like that? No, it wasn’t. People had grown to understand Poison a certain way, and then there were other types of music that were, obviously out there. And so there was a lot of ingredients for why [it wasn’t as successful],” the drummer explained.
“Sometimes it’s just perception and timing and all that kind of stuff. But we had a great producer. Richie Zito was fantastic to work with. And I think everybody was playing, and Bret was singing — we were at our prime, I feel like. And [we made a] great video. The ‘Stand’ video’s incredible. I look back at that and I go, ‘Wow.’ We shot it on film. It looked fricking like a movie. It was so good. But it just didn’t resonate with core Poison fans — most of them anyway,” Rockett added.
Released in February 1993, “Native Tongue” arrived at a turbulent time for the band. After C.C. DeVille was fired in late 1991 following increasing tensions within the group, Poison brought in Kotzen, a virtuoso guitarist known for his blues-rock style and previous work with the band Mr. Big. The album marked a clear departure from the band’s signature glam metal sound, incorporating elements of funk, blues, and soul into the songwriting.
Despite the mixed reaction from longtime fans, “Native Tongue” still managed to reach No. 16 on the Billboard 200 chart. The lead single “Stand” became a significant hit, topping the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and becoming one of the band’s most-played songs on rock radio. The album was eventually certified Gold by the RIAA, adding another plaque to the band’s collection.
The working relationship between Kotzen and the rest of Poison proved to be short-lived. Following the tour in support of “Native Tongue,” Kotzen was fired from the band in 1993 amid a personal controversy involving Bret Michaels’ then-girlfriend. The incident effectively ended Kotzen’s tenure with Poison and soured relations between the two camps for years to come.
Poison ultimately reunited with C.C. DeVille in 1996 and returned to their classic lineup for the hit compilation “Greatest Hits 1986–1996,” which featured two new songs. The band would go on to tour extensively throughout the following decades, cementing their status as one of the biggest acts of the glam metal era.
In hindsight, “Native Tongue” stands as a unique and somewhat misunderstood chapter in Poison’s catalog. While it may not have matched the multi-platinum success of “Open Up And Say… Ahh!” or “Flesh & Blood,” it remains a bold artistic statement from a band that refused to chase trends or simply repeat itself.
