Unless you have been living under a rock for the last 50+ years you will know exactly who Glenn Hughes is, why Stevie Wonder call him his favourite white singer, and why he is known as ‘The Voice of Rock’. The man’s soulful approach and huge range are the reasons why he was asked to join Purple as there was no way that Coverdale could hit the high notes of Gillan. Here he is, now in his mid-seventies, showing no sign whatsoever of slowing down and putting plenty of other musicians to shame. In the last decade he has been spending a lot of time in different bands, but here he is with his first solo album since 2016’s ‘Resonate’.
Glenn of course provides vocals and bass, and here he is joined by Soren Andersen (guitar), Ash Sheehan (drums) and Bob Fridzema (keyboards). When I come across a new Glenn Hughes album I expect certain things, namely melodic hard rock which is firmly rooted in the Seventies, soaring vocals with a huge dose of soul, and a hard-hitting bass and the rest of the band close in behind, and that is exactly what we have here. The issue I have with this album is not that Glenn’s vocals are failing given his age (as they appear as strong and powerful as ever), but rather that the songs feel as if they are a vehicle for him to be able to demonstrate just what an amazing talent he still is. The result is an album which I enjoy while playing it, but as soon as it is over I have forgotten everything I have just heard, which means there is little in the way of incentive to put it on again. Mind you, it did make me go and dig out Purple’s performance of “Burn” recorded at the California Jam. He was a monster then, and amazingly so still is one today, it is just that the material does not always live up to that.
