Email "Classic Rock" today!!

[David]

OK fellow Hughes fans, it's time to email the Editor of the UK magazine, Classic Rock.

They totally slammed Building The Machine, giving it a totally ridiculous review (see below).

Mick Wall, Editor is at mick.wall@futurenet.co.uk

Be sure register your complaint by emailing him and be sure and mention it's OK to print your email - do it today, so it get's in the next issue!



Here's the review, that hack Rich Wilson gave Building The Machine in the latest issue...

"Solo albums from the former Deep Purple and Trapeze man have so far been a disappointingly mixed bag, and with the exception of the superb Hughes/Thrall (recorded with Pat Thrall in 1982) they haven't matched the quality of his unmistakable and imposing voice. The main problem would appear to be Hughes' unremitting desire to flirt wildly with different styles giving his recent work a rather messy feel. Regrettably, BTM with its emphasis on funk, is no exception.

Not that there's anything wrong with funk. But the first half of this album sounds like the soundtrack to Shaft with Hughes seemingly making a concerted attempt to impersonate James Brown (and judging by the album's cover he does a fair take on Gary Glitter too). The album's imbalance is further highlighted when he turns his attention to producing a track as meticulous and exquisite as When You Fall that, along with the blues I Will Follow You brazenly enlivens the album's latter half.

On the upside, Hughes/Thrall II is currently being recorded and is set for release later this year."

Funny.....they don't seem to mind taking the $$ from SPV for a near full page ad in the last issue, so it smacks of a pissed off journalist to me

[Jon L]

Who cares if he didn't like it? Can't he have an opinion? Is he supposed to like everything GH (or any artist) does? He obviously does not like the funky stuff GH writes. Its nothing to get upset about. I like BTM a lot, but its not the greatest cd in the world. I have a few friends that don't like it and they generally like a lot of the same stuff I do. And the over-indulgent pics inside the booklet are ridiculous, so you gotta give the reviewer credit there! Besides, once the critics start liking you, you know you're doing something wrong....

[David]

With all due respect, I totally disagree with you.

What really galls me is that this rag purports to be a supporter of the Classic Rock music genre, yet it includes acts such as Emmylou Harris and Garbage!! What's that about! I guess you'd have to be a regular reader of this rag to see where I'm coming from on this point.

On top of that, when they do include performers such as Glenn in their pages, they basically out and out trash their work.

Did this reviewer really play the same CD we've been listening to?

He seems to have spent more time analyzing Glenn's wardrobe than the music that the CD contains. Has the day come when we buy CD's for the booklet and covers - I would hope not!

It also appears he seems stuck in the work Glenn pumped out in '70s and '80s and not willing to hear anything that might even break new ground here in the year 2001.

So this is why I particularly have a problem with this type of narrow minded, so called journalism. Of course, he's entitled to his opinion, and I don't expect everyone to like everything Glenn releases, but when reviews are so obviously written out of ignorance then something has to be said.

Ok, I'm off my soapbox now!!

[Jon L]

Hey, if Emmylou Harris doesn't define classic rock, then who does?

Looking through the official site's message board, you see that fans are really split on the type of music they want Glenn to play. Many people want everything to be Purple or "Addiction" or "Voodoo Hill" while others (like me) want "Feel" or "Play Me Out". I don't think the critic was ignorant in his review - he just didn't like it very much. Maybe he'll like the Hughes Turner Project better, or Hughes/Thrall II. He still gave it 3 stars, so he really did not rip the album, he merely said it was alright and and mentioned a couple songs that he liked. And he did say that Glenn is a great vocalist. So, this wasn't a totally negative review.

He's right when he says that GH's solo output has been erratic in style and quality (mostly due to trying to please his wide audience). As a big fan, I like nearly everything he does, but the casual listener probably doesn't. My dad (who never even heard of GH) loved "The Way It Is", but thought "ROCK" was a piece of crap. To me, its the casual listener whose opinions may be more true. They don't look at the name Glenn Hughes - they just hear the music. The rest of us are pretty biased. I understand your frustration that "narrow minded" people like the reviewer are keeping Glenn from doing the kind of music that he would like to do (and that many of us would like to hear), but the critic was paid to write his opinion and he gave it. I'm sure a lot of GH fans hate Garbage, while I think they are one of the best "alternative" bands around. We all have our own tastes in music.

I haven't read this magazine so I can't comment on its content or opinions in general, but like I said, its just a review. I don't agree with it (BTM is still a lot more rock than funk, its just not the hard rock some people are used to), but I don't agree with the some of the other reviews that say listening to BTM is like some wonderful orgasmic experience, either (or whatever the guy from Electric Basement was trying to say). BTM is just a really good solid cd, probably one of his best. And if you think more or less of it, that's fine, too.

OK, I'll join you off the soapbox now.

By the way, I really like this website. You guys do a good job on it.

[David]

It's a pity these magazines knock acts such as Glenn, it's no wonder they get no label support when the press are knocking them and in turn, we the fans, who inadvertently hand-over our $$ to these companies, are out of luck as far as being provided a highly produced live performance by their roster of artists. But it's nothing different than what has gone on in the past - unfortunately, payola is alive and well as it always was.

But I do hear what you're saying, so I'll leave it at that.

Thanks for the kind words on the site, it's good to hear it's appreciated from time to time.

[Tony & Mary Knight]

I'm fine with critics who don't like BTM or any other Hughes cd. It's just that paid critics can't possibly see things the same way we more-than-casual fans see them good or bad. You need far more info than the average magazine critic has to be able to write a review that satisfies the Hughes faithful. IMHO, the thing about BTM that pleases me the most is the simple nature of the melodies and melody lines sung by Glenn. Less vocal gymnastics and more catchy melodies! Big Sky, I will Follow You, Out On Me just to name a few find Glenn just singing and not proving, not trying too hard. That's my $.02

[Jarkko]

You should be happy that you can read (some kind of) reviews of Glenn's music. Here in Finland magazines haven't noticed Glenn Hughes for years. That's a pity.

[David]

Well my letter didn't get printed, but Glenn also wrote one which they included in the December issue.

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