Classic Rock stuck in 70's rut!!

[m.dowson]

Hi All,

'Too Much Funky Business' ??? (Classic Rock Review 6/10)

Classic Rock do not seem to want to let Glenn be free of his Deep Purple past.

They just don't get it!!

Although high praise in parts ('voice is as powerful and emotive as ever' , 'when this record is good it's very good') the review is critical of F.U.N.K.s/GH's 'wholesale revisionism' and 'disownment of one's past'.

It beggars belief that they criticise the track 'Where's There's A Will'). This for me is a standout track and one that would have not been out of place on 'Play Me Out' (they DEFINITELY would not GET THAT ONE!!)

Glenn is a relevant modern artist making new 'classics' not rehashing and/or touring on the back of albums made 30 plus years ago.

Like 'FEEL' and 'PMO' I believe 'FUNK' will be an album that will be revisited and will be seen as a classic 'GLENN HUGHES' album that will form a cornerstone of an already impressive body (of SOLO!!!) work.

Mikey 'the bass it don't lie'

(I think this is the longest post I've ever done - I'm now gonna put on Play Me Out and chill)

[David]

I dunno'....Glenn could make whatever Classic Rock consider the perfect record and they'd still give it a low score.

If I still had a subscription with them, this would make yet another reason to cancel it!! Hmmm, perhaps I should start a subscription to Kerrang, as even they found the F U N K and gave it a reasonable and unbiased review!

[captmidnite1962]

If Glenn's past consisted solely of Deep Purple they would have a point. But we all know that to be untrue, right?

I concur with David; Glenn could make a rock record that makes the invention of the wheel pale by comparison and they would still find something to pick at.....

Remember what I said in the piece I wrote about Mel....Critics don't buy records....We do!!

Just remember what the magazine's name is....

[chutsler]

I think you guys are giving Classic Rock a bad rap....it's one of the only magazines on the newstands these days that features my idols....Glenn and Paul Rodgers...............

[David]

Originally Posted by chutsler

I think you guys are giving Classic Rock a bad rap....it's one of the only magazines on the newstands these days that features my idols....Glenn and Paul Rodgers...............

It's lucky I understand your sense of humour Chuck

[Paul J]

Hey all.

F..U.N.K. IS Glenn's greatest solo album

Classic Rock can F.U.C.K. O.F.F.

Where There's A Will and Imperfection are brilliant.

Paul

[IAIN]

Classic rock in the past few years has really gone down hill and has actually become more like Old Heavy Metal and has adopted the Q approach of best of lists every month as a cheap and easy/lazy way of filling space. The sad result though is that their sales have actually risen and each issues sells more than the NME.

I have lost track of the endless articles on the rock and roll excess of groups like Velvet Revolver, Guns and Roses, Led Zepplin, etc. With little real coverage of anything new in the world of rock. Two great British groups Porcupine Tree and Mostly Autumn have received virtually no coverage as they dont conform to Classic Rocks house style of living in the past and celebrating wild living.

We all know that FUNK is right up there with the very best of Glenns solo albums and is a great record that deserves to sell in vast numbers if there was any justice in this world. If Classic Rock cannot see that it says a lot more about their approach to journalism than Glenns music.

I think we are all happy with Glenn making the music that he wants to and keeps pushing himself creatively. I would much rather enjoy a creative artist than a cliche ridden caberet rock act such as the latest Whitesnake album that classic rock loved!

[Keith Thompson]

Paul that's a beaut Yeah they are not on my Christmas card list after their incompetence of not placing our tour ad in. And they come up with that. Cheers lads. And when the next free Iron Maiden Eddie promo mugs appear along with the copy of the Live DVD from their only date in the UK, the five star reviews will abound from the same journos. Way of the world I'm afraid

[David]

Just for the record, here is the review from Cla$$ic cRock

Quote:

6 out of 10 TOO MUCH FUNKY BUSINESS? On his funkiest album yet, The Voice of Rock may just have souled out. It's no accident that the title's initials form the word FUNK, as Hughes continues on his path of fusing all manner of musical styles into a hard rock template. Bold adventurer he might be, but his way of working doesn't always reap the richest of rewards. As he has on every studio album since 2005's Soul Mover, Chili Pepper Chad Smith again sits straight and proud on the drum stool. And while elements of.......Nuclear Kitchen compare favourably with the more dance-inclined vibes of the Chilis' back catalogue, Hughes is occasionally guilty of stumbling towards the clumsiness of, say, Living Colour or Lenny Kravitz: i.e. the relentless pursuit of the groove at the expense of a cohesive song. Similarly, Hughes' attempts at social awareness, such as Oil And Water and Too Late To Save The World, may aim for the classicism of Stevie Wonder or Curtis Mayfield, but they have a tendency to fall into the leaden cliches of Jamiroquai. There is no denying Hughes's understanding of soul music (his review of Otis Redding's landmark Otis Blue in this reviews section demonstrates that), but what you know in your heart can often be difficult to translate onto record. His voice is as powerful and emotive as ever, especially on the soaring falsetto passages of We Shall Be Free or the subdued reflection of Satellite, and the rasps of brass on Love Communion (the first single taken from the album) bring a vibrant urgency to proceedings. In other words, when this record is good it's very good indeed. The underlying impression, however, is one of a focused and confident project that ran out of steam about two-thirds of the way through. Any musician should be applauded for trying to stretch themselves, for testing how far they can go from their personal musical Square One, but an intermittent nod to one's roots wouldn't be a crime. In a long and distinguished career Hughes made telling contributions to some great Deep purple records (Burn, Stormbringer), but you wouldn't be aware of that from listening to limp balladry like Where There's A Will. By all means don't get stuck in a rut of your own 70's, but at least acknowledge they happened. Wholesale revisionism suggests a near disownment of one's past. Terry Staunton / Classic Rock Magazine

If you feel compelled as I was, please send an email to this rag in response, to classicrock@futurenet.co.uk with a subject of "Communication Breakdown, CLASSIC ROCK : Glenn Hughes, First Underground Nuclear Kitchen review", and to take it one step further, send the same, to it's editor, Scott Rowley scott.rowley@futurenet.co.uk and deputy editor, Sian Llewellyn at sian.llewellyn@futurenet.co.uk. Time is of the essence, in order to have any chance of having them show up in the next issue (assuming they do the right thing)!

[Paul J]

Oi Iain!

Leave the Whitesnake album alone. I think its good, and i've said it before. Some bands repeat the same formula rigidly such as AC/DC and are treated as gods, bands like ws stick fairly close to their formula and get slated You can't say that you can put GTBB next to Come And Get It and say its the same old stuff.

Will have to be pistols at dawn if you carry on

Paul

[Paul]

Originally Posted by David

If you feel compelled as I was, please send an email to this rag in response, to classicrock@futurenet.co.uk with a subject of "Communication Breakdown, CLASSIC ROCK : Glenn Hughes, First Underground Nuclear Kitchen review", and to take it one step further, send the same, to it's editor, Scott Rowley scott.rowley@futurenet.co.uk and deputy editor, Sian Llewellyn at sian.llewellyn@futurenet.co.uk. Time is of the essence, in order to have any chance of having them show up in the next issue (assuming they do the right thing)!

Emails sent

[ststewart]

I stopped buying Classic Rock years ago, it seemed every issue had Led Zep or Guns n Roses (yawn) on the cover! That said, everyone's entitled to their opinion; this guy doesn't like F.U.N.K. but he's the only person I've heard who doesn't think this is one of Glenn's very best releases. He obviously doesn't like having a funky element to rock music(I think Living Colour are great) but he's only one negative in what has been overwhelmingly positive coverage for F.U.N.K. so far. It's best to ignore him and leave him to listen to his Led Zep and Pink Floyd vinyls while the rest of the world moves on.

[MISTREATED]

Originally Posted by Paul J

Oi Iain! Leave the Whitesnake album alone. I think its good, and i've said it before. Some bands repeat the same formula rigidly such as AC/DC and are treated as gods, bands like ws stick fairly close to their formula and get slated You can't say that you can put GTBB next to Come And Get It and say its the same old stuff. Will have to be pistols at dawn if you carry on Paul

I don't think GTBB is next to CAGI,it's a great album next to all his classics.Many people here compares Glenn and David careers',why? I love Glenn solo albums,he is my favourite singer but I also love the snakes ones.They took different ways,that´s all.

[purplemusic]

Originally Posted by Paul J

Oi Iain! Leave the Whitesnake album alone. I think its good, You can't say that you can put GTBB next to Come And Get It and say its the same old stuff. Will have to be pistols at dawn if you carry on Paul

lot of stuff going on in this thread, so let me start here, as far as i'm concerned, i'm drawing my guns now. GTBB wishes that it was as good as CAGI, or any whitesnake recore from the pre-blonde days, but at least david is still trying. i give him credit for that, but he doesnt even sound like the same singer anymore.

as for the review in the "rag" i agree that they ought to just go on and FUNK themselves. e-mail to the editor is on the way. anyway, if history is any indication, i'd be scared if they actualy liked it. how does one get that job anyway, by flunking out of rock journalism school?
peace,

[toadsterama]

Folks, don't lose sight of the fact that an album review is still just someone's opinion. I don't think the author of the review should be raked over the coals simply because he didn't agree with the majority of positive reviews by other publications. The review seemed well thought out, and I don't have a problem with it, even if it doesn't agree with my own perspective of the album.

And hey, he didn't mention Glenn's hair or scarf or anything else non-music related like another reviewer did not too awfully long ago.

Cheers...Todd

[David]

Originally Posted by toadsterama

I don't think the author of the review should be raked over the coals simply because he didn't agree with the majority of positive reviews by other publications.

He's not being "raked over the coals" because of his opinion so much, but rather for his complete ignorance and the insults he hurls at Glenn for such gems as 'wholesale revisionism' and 'disownment of one's past' - WTF, he obviously has no clue that Deep Purple wasn't the first band Glenn was ever involved with although from the sounds of it, it was Black Sabbath or H/T that came first, right? Jeez....if you're going to call yourself a music journalist, at least bone up on the subject at hand

Anyway, like you say, we all have our own opinions and mine was expressed, just as eloquently, back to Mr. Rowley and his rag

[chutsler]

David, Therein lies the problem.....many fans ONLY know of Glenn as the ex-bassist/co-vocalist of Deep Purple (or they just plain refuse to accept the fact that Glenn has always had a leaning towards the soul/funky side). I've been with Glenn since the beginning with my purchase of the first Trapeze album (wasn't anything really funky on it but that 'voice' grabbed me!) Medusa gaves us a hint of things to come with the rock/funk of "Your Love Is Alright" but Glenn really affirmed himself with You Are The Music....We're Just The Band album.....the BRILLIANT pairing of 'white soul/rockin' black'!!!!!

[m.dowson]

BOTH emails sent

Mikey D

[toadsterama]

Chutsler brings up a valid point - Glenn is known most for his tenure with Deep Purple. Nowhere in the review did the author say that Glenn got his start with Deep Purple, he simply stated the fact that Deep Purple is most peoples' point of reference when it comes to Glenn. And if you know Glenn from his past with Deep Purple, and pick up the FUNK album, you may well be perplexed / surprised / disappointed / fill in the blank . Especially given the fact that the CD slip case touts the album as the latest release by the Voice Of ROCK.

Cheers...Todd

[chutsler]

"....Glenn is known most for his tenure with Deep Purple."

Thank you, Toddster.......my point exactly!!!!

[Keith Thompson]

I'd have to agree with David here. This guy should not have been given the review to do. He is not familiar with Glenn's career nor his past. Dave Ling or Geoff Barton are far better journalists. Having reviewed on many occasions for a variety of publications, you set your context out in the first couple of paragraphs so if you talk through your ass in those, then the review falls down immediately. It doesn't matter how well written your review is if you are simply going to sit there and hammer out some clever innuendoes. His back handed compliment about Glenn's competence in writing a review of Otis Blue is patronising.

Sorry to go on about this but futurenet have no place to stand on any high ground of publishing integrity with their recent gaffs which COST people like me, Chris at the Astoria and Mike at The Robin money. OK advertising and editorial are two separate departments and always should be....But hell do the thing properly then and don't staff your rag with people who 1) don't do the research 2) just can't be arsed. Fact.

On a general point, "Classic Rock" as a label isn't such a bad one but correct me if I am wrong, the intriguing thing about this genre is that it aint just about striding around in some ridiculous leather strides with your bollox on show singing about the Number of the Beast when you reach the big 50. Yes that has had its place but the reason this whole ****ing bandwagon still rolls is that it welcomes other genres. Jethro Tull did folk, jazz, blues. Zeppelin did folk, blues, country mystical on 1,2,3 ZOSO and PG. Floyd created a sound of their own via the blues and psychedlia route.

Yes ok there's a template to rock. I'll give him that but within that template, you are allowed to roam. Glenn Hughes does rock, blues, pop and FUNK so what's the problem if he decides he is going to get into the groove he's happy with? No problem unless you come across guys like this who try and catch him out with some half baked notion that two tracks are not funk. Oh I see so the chorus on Oil and Water doesn't have echoes of Stevie's Higher Ground? Uh huh? And so to make a funk album you have to stick to a formula then? Glenn is not allowed to take funk to new boundaries of experimentation? Are all "classic rock" artists doomed simply to retread the achievements of yesteryear before they get a five star review? Should I be cooking my dinner instead of writing this? Probably but when you care about something, dinner can wait.

[profusion]

This reviewer pretty much lost me with calling Living Colour "clumsy." Really? I call them one of the best rock bands of the last 20 years and underappreciated...much like GH, come to think of it. Some people need genres, and other people just need music. You see the same attitude in jazz or classical reviews, too.

Another funny thing about the review--has he noticed that Deep Purple also does not make music that sounds much like the old DP anymore? Times change, people evolve, and thank God for that.

As for Whitesnake, I agree that GTBB sounds straight outta 1989, but there is some very good songcraft there, and I've been enjoying it.

[Keith Thompson]

I agree with that Profusion. That casual assumption that Living Color weren't commercially viable because they played funk is simply armchair logic. Genres are created by the media. Music is for listeners.

[Arjen]

We all should try out the Russian version of Classic Rock. They have better covers too

http://www.classicrock.ru/buy/

[profusion]

Originally Posted by Keith Thompson

I agree with that Profusion. That casual assumption that Living Color weren't commercially viable because they played funk is simply armchair logic. Genres are created by the media. Music is for listeners.

The funny thing is, only a person who knows nothing about funk would say that Living Colour was a funk band. They are a hard rock band who throw in some funk occasionally. All of those guys are more than capable of laying down some serious funk, but that's never been the point of Living Colour. For the funk-minded, Vernon Reid has a new project called the Free Form Funky Freqs that smacks down some serious grooves in an heavy jazz/instrumental context:

http://www.myspace.com/freeformfunkyfreqs

I thought of another point after I made my original post. Both Stormbringer and CTTB have a strong funk element to them, and any fan who is even passingly familiar with Mk. III and IV would understand that Glenn has a funky soul. Heck, he even managed to coax some funk out of Ritchie Blackmore, and *that* is a serious accomplishment

I doubt that Glenn's tour is going to be full of disgruntled fans expecting to hear "Space Truckin'", ferchrissake.

[David]

Originally Posted by profusion

For the funk-minded, Vernon Reid has a new project called the Free Form Funky Freqs that smacks down some serious grooves in an heavy jazz/instrumental context: http://www.myspace.com/freeformfunkyfreqs

Thanks for the tip profusion - simply awesome stuff Just picked it up over on iTunes

[captmidnite1962]

Classic Rock may have lost the plot but Simon Robinson clearly "gets it". His review over at the Deep Purple Appreciation Society website;

Quote:

First Impressions: "When you produce a track as fully charged as Never Say Never, and then slap it bang into the middle of your new album, then you run the risk of making everything else seem like a prelude to and coming down after. For me it just takes everything Glenn has been working with and for over the last three decades and gets the balance of metal, funk, soul and fab retro sound effects so absolutely right that quite frankly I'd be more than happy to have paid the price of admission for this one cut alone. Indeed I am more than happy to have paid, because Frontiers doesn't feel we're worth a review copy (which is why this is a tad late!). But as a bonus there's also the almost equally great Oil And Water, and the just about as excellent title track as well. Play them all very loud and revel in the power. What a rush. The rest? I'll have to think about it for the magazine, but trust me on those three tracks alone it's more than worth it (despite the impression the 3 for £20 Trance Nation '50 chillin' greats' type sleeve might give you!). I'm already hyperventilating over the thought of hearing them live." SR"

Turn it up!

[chutsler]

Originally Posted by Arjen

We all should try out the Russian version of Classic Rock. They have better covers too

.....only problem is.....I don't understand Russian......

[Weissheim]

I really can't get too worked up about this. It's one review.

I'd much rather read a fresh viewpoint on Glenn, than see yet another review by Dave Ling. No disrespect to Dave, but let's face it we know what his opinions on Glenn are.

It's only an opinion, and he does make some good points and draw some valid comparisons. Jamiroquai was what came to my mind when I first heard the album too.

[Paul J]

Terry Staunton

Please listen to some of the albums from Glenns past.

The three Trapeze albums, which he made prior to his tenure in DP. Lets just pick one track-What Is A Womans Role? Would this track look out of place on his current album? Hughes /Thrall. A seminal album by all accounts. The three middle tracks of 'side 1'. The Look In You Eye, Where Did The Time Go, and Beg, Borrow And Steal.

Have you heard of these, or even [i would be very surprised] listened to these albums??

Lets also speak about his stint in DP, which the so called 'journalist' was barking on about in his interview. On Burn, two tracks, Might Just Take Your Life and Sail Away. On Stormbringer, Hold On, Love Dont Mean A Thing, And Holy Man.

Terry, please listen to these tracks and tell me whether Glenn is ignoring his musical heritage.

I agree with you David, it is not so much that it was a bad review, lets face it, Glenn has had a lot of those with his solo career, it was the ill informed comments that were made.

Paul