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Glenn Hughes - "Songs In The Key Of Rock"
Frontiers Records 2003

First voice of rock and roll doesn't changes. But in some way it does, it gets better and better through years, and this album confirms that. Glenn Hughes turns impossible always into possible. What about his new music style? Glenn returned to his hard rock roots of seventies. Sound spectre is fulfilled with Hammond dashes, pulsating eroticism of carefully crafted guitar riffage, with pivotal moody vocals that summon extreme stormy powers! This is a guarantee for you to rock from the first touch with "Songs In The Key Of Rock"

Guy named Glenn shouts and screams like devilish alive again. As loud as he can! Skin through the bones, shivering effect is present through entire record. Songs like Gasoline and Standing On The Rock for example are direct venture back in the middle of seventies, with nice charge of Purple's flavoured touches of Lady Double Dealer or High Ball Shooter. What a breathtaking roars! Riffs are easy structured, straight with heads on, one by one capture high power voltage. Glenn invited two axemen Jeff Kollman (in same vein producer of Glenn's new effort) and J.J. March, who also works with Glenn under HTP flag. Glenn didn't take any risk here. He chose experienced men, who know exactly what to do, when swimming through hard rock waters.

Even before I read the title of the fourth song and it's dedication, I've got excited: "I'll be damned, this sounds like Zepp's Kashmir!" High Places is dedicated to Bonzo. Well, I know only one person with that nick name. John "Bonzo" Bonham. Song even opens through heavier snare drum splashing that somehow calls Bonzo's spirit back to life, not to mention main guitar riff, driven close to Kashmir. It wasn't intend to sound as Led Zeppelin, and it doesn't. Glenn did exactly what he wanted. To touch the spirit of great old ones!

Get You Stoned is a real turnover. Song with groovy, funky platform and special guest on drums Chad Smith (Red Hot Chilli Peppers). Actually Glenn who never was a top of the tops bass player, approached with great care to all the bass lines, that are sounding very alive and making nice contrast to whole sound picture of a record. His bass playing is outstanding especially within Get You Stoned. Get You Stoned contains guitars with a bit dirtier new aged sound. And Glenn kills with his grand feel for improvisation! In one moment he turns subtler and soft, in next he screams out by blowing the roof of. Unpredictable, yet adapting to the structure of songs al the time. Soulful in a way, as only Glenn can be. Glenn Hughes is phenomena of a singer capable of singing convincible just anything you wish. From the blackest blues, soul, gospel, pop to real heavy metal (remember underrated Black Sabbath's "Seventh Star" from 1986). This makes Glenn one of the biggest singer that ever crawled the rock scene.

Atmosphere is taken on a higher level via mid tempo Written All Over Your Face. Here outstands Glenn's vocal versatility that catches diverse moods in every moment of a song. This piece contains also tasty background vocal multi layers (this concerns also for Courageous and last song Wherever You Go), and impressive guitar soloing that fits supremely to it. Special digipack limited edition contains one bonus track called Secret Life, which is nothing but a straight fusion of Glenn's hard rock roots and his everlasting love called funk. It presents just another acrobatic high roller. So I recommend you to try to get limited edition. You'll be highly awarded.

Compact songs with heads and tails are diverse; album's set list is tastefully mixed and offers different moods of high intensity that are constantly waving through entire record. This resulted in high dynamics of Glenn's new record, that doesn't fade even for a moment. Lovers of straight hard rock with dominating vocal centre positioned, welcome home! Glenn's singing brings all illusions always to reality! Magnetic with demonic charm and unbeatable in all senses!

Author:   Aleš



   
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