New Solo Album (rock direction)

[Chris Poustie]

It totally saddens me to read that Glenn has decided that his next album will be purely "classic rock" in the BCC vein. Having read his fantastic autobiography it is clear that Glenn himself feels restricted by having to write/perform in this genre.

Let's get this straight...I own both the BCC albums and will continue to buy and support anything Glenn does, but I am a firm believer in him following his natural funk instincts.

This is what Glenn said in the interview...

Quote:

The 'F.U.N.K.' album was very well recorded and I love the songs, but that's for a cultured audience and a different kind of audience. It's more of a cult audience, if you will. But my audience now with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION and a lot of my fans are rockers, man, so it's time to rock.

Well, if that's so, then I'm one of the cultured audience. Someone who loves Funk, Building the Machine and Feel, and does not at all like BCC, Return of Crystal Karma and the like.

Please Glenn, fans of the "classic rock" Glenn are already getting their fix via the BCC vehicle. Why not use your solo career to satisfy the more
"cultured" audience? (Glenn's term not mine!).

Personally I feel, you would satisfy ALL your fans by recording an album in the vein of You Are The Music (WJTB). The perfect combination of rock, soul and funk.

Very few people, if any, got into Glenn Hughes because of his involvement in Black Sabbath. We love Glenn because he's different, he rocks, but he's funky. Same reason we love Tommy. People love artists because of what makes them different, what makes them stand out from the crowd.

Glenn, don't pigeon-hole yourself. There's no reason to make solo albums like BCC. F.U.N.K was utterly brilliant - would love you to continue in that direction.

Chris

[Marc Fevre]

Interesting post.

The way I see it, compromise is almost always the result where art and business intersect.

Albums like You Are the Music..., Play Me Out, Feel and F.U.N.K. are all magical albums, I agree, and I love it when Glenn allows the floodgates to open and give free reign to his own muse, but I also understand that BCC didn't simply happen by accident; there was a set plan, a vison if you will, for this band, and I think that Glenn is doing what he needs to in order to move that forward in every aspect on both a group and on an individual level, especially as his profile has been significantly elevated as a result of all the work he has put into that band these last two years.

For brand Glenn Hughes, it just makes commercial sense.

As much as I love his music on the albums listed above, speaking personally, I'd be less than honest if I were to say that I don't also have a soft spot for albums like Addiction or BCC's 2, both albums that rock hard and quite solidly in my opinion.

Guess that makes me an even rarer member of the cult audience; someone who likes both sides of the coin on display here...

In any case, and in the end, so long as Glenn honestly embraces and commits himself artistically to the project he is working on, that dedication will shine through on the finished product, and that is almost always where the real magic happens in my opinion...

We all have our favorites, of course, and I love the albums you cite, (we're in great company, I think), but I also recognize the fact that the business has changed a lot in the last decade or so. Unless you're U2, the basic reality is that there's less and less money and market share available to recording artists these days, so the the business aspect of everything has to be considered with far greater gravity where an album's commercial viability is concerned.

That's just the way it is...

Either way, (and as is always the case with a new GH album), one thing is for sure: we're all in for a real treat!

Happy Holidays!

[toadsterama]

With regard to BCC satisfying Glenn's rock fans' appetite for hard-rocking music, I will agree to a certain extent. Personally, I don't find the BCC albums to be nearly as satisfying as Addiction, The Way It Is or Songs in the Key of Rock.

I'm open to whatever Glenn wants to try. I love Feel and Building the Machine. F.U.N.K., Soul Mover and Music for the Divine round out the bottom of my list of preferences for Glenn's solo music. His sessions with Monkey Business and Geoff Downes are among my favorite things Glenn has recorded. I can't stand Play Me Out, but in that case it's because of the vocal style - same reason I never spin Soulful Christmas, even at this time of year.

Rest assured that, whatever your tastes, Glenn's style of the moment will probably shift to something else by the time his next album comes out. The guy is so diverse, it's practically impossible for him to stay happy doing just one thing.

One of Glenn's contemporaries, Jeff Scott Soto, released one of his best albums ever just a couple years ago. It was full of his musical loves - pop, soul and funk, all with a rock edge. It was creatively fulfilling, the songs were outstanding he was at the top of his game. It was also his worst selling solo album to date. Sometimes following your heart doesn't pay the bills. So I'm sure his next album will find a happy medium - he'll do what he enjoys in a way which will satisfy fan expectations, and weave those other influences into them in the process. Much like Glenn.

Going back to Glenn, I wish he'd properly record some of the material he wrote for the aborted Shape 68 project.

[willem]

GLENN'S Music is good because it's not always the same. Rock, funk, blues, soul. It's not only one genre (thanx for that). I personally like the rock side of his music a lot: BURN, COME TASTE THE BAND, SEVENTH STAR (rock but very soulfull Sabbath: one of the best albums ever made). BCC and BCC2 are definately some highlights.

I don't care if the next solo album is soul or funk or blues or maybe rock, as long as it is a GLENN album. He dares to be different

[geosoulberlin]

Thank you, guys, for the real interesting and honest statements! I enjoyed reading them a lot. I was also reading that comment of Glenn before and thought it's understandable that he wants to keep the rock machine going. BCC had a great start and the success proves the concept right.

But it would be a pity if Glenn would just stick to exactly the same music solo now. Back to the roots, back to the plain people with pure R&R. Okay, maybe with one record, why not. And if it contains 1 or 2 epic ballads to keep showing the great voice off I would love it.

But I'm also a very big Funk&Soul fan and hope to hear more of that stuff in future as well - or a good mixture of both which would keep it a unique style. Hoping that it will go well with commercial success. But you probably can't satisfy all the tastes.

I would also still love an accoustic solo album very much!

[Ken]

Glenn has soul, if he wants to rock it will still carry a soulfull element. Glenn might eliminate the funk but he can't escape the soul. Its in him.

[Stormbringer74]

Originally Posted by willem

GLENN'S Music is good because it's not always the same. Rock, funk, blues, soul. It's not only one genre (thanx for that). I personally like the rock side of his music a lot: BURN, COME TASTE THE BAND, SEVENTH STAR (rock but very soulfull Sabbath: one of the best albums ever made). BCC and BCC2 are definately some highlights. I don't care if the next solo album is soul or funk or blues or maybe rock, as long as it is a GLENN album. He dares to be different

what a good post Willem...

[Chris Poustie]

Dear all, thanks for all the replies....some interesting points made, especially about the state of the music business. We truly have been blessed over the last decade or so, with Glenn releasing so many albums and in various genres to satisfy all our tastes.

I understand why Glenn feels BCC should be a classic rock band, but I honestly feel, on the side he should be playing a different style of music, in the same way as Joe Bonamassa is a bluesman on the side.

I just feel Glenn is misguided in thinking that BCC was 'successful' because of the musical direction it has focussed on. I've bought both albums, and consider them worse than the average Glenn Hughes album. I imagine Joe Bonamassa fans have done the same, and feel the same.

I honestly think if BCC were to blend the influences of its component parts, rather than focus on pure rock, it would be much better for it. They should be looking at mixing things up a little on the next album, adding more blues and funk influences, and other influences to spice it up a bit. I find the first 2 BCC albums, totally bland, and that's what really frustrates me, if Glenn feels it is a winning formula.

I'm sure he feels if Purple had stuck to a pure rock direction, it would ultimately have been more successful. I personally feel, it is because Purple mixed classical, blues, funk and other influences that their legacy continues to this day. I love the component parts of Purple and the way, when mixed together, they created albums in Stormbringer and Burn particularly, that are utterly unrivaled.

Don't get me wrong, I love rock as much as the next man, I just feel success comes from quality, not from a preconceived notion of what will make people happy. If Glenn were to record the album he really wants to record, it would be a better album, and as such, 10 times more likely to be commercially successful.

My personal opinion would be to use YATM(WJTB) or Stormbringer as the template, but it should be what Glenn feels in his heart. I just don't think another rock album, similar to BCC, is what he feels in his heart, and that saddens me.

Dear Glenn, BCC has given you a platform, now go out and deliver. Call it a rock album if you will, but just make sure it's a 'black' rock album!

[Katy]

Marc said it all, already. That's precisely how it is. As a musician (or an artist in general), you are not living in a vacuum. You have to see what the market is doing and to react. Glenn and Joe brought out something, a brand, called BCC and this moniker stands for classic hardrock and it draw a lot of people who actually bought the record and many of them saw or heard Glenn for the first time. The reason they bought BCC is that they love this type of music and when they slowly get to know Glenn, they will see that he can embrace it all, funk, soul, blues, jazz, even near-metal-like heavy rock (Mollo projects). But it is the absolutely right move now to continue in that kind of vein, also with his solo record. Anything else would rather confuse the new fans and would possibly turn them away, but as potential new longterm fans, we have to get them slowly aquainted with the whole bandwidth of Glenn's music.

Beside that, I think Glenn can very well decide for himself what direction he might wanna choose, as he is home in all of them, as we all know.

Diversity is an ADVANTAGE and not a weakness, even many still don't get this. I see this in my friends circles too. Some people just don't get how I manage it to listen to Metallica, Madonna, Abba, Al di Meola, Mike Oldfield, Beyoncee, King Crimson and Symphonic Slam at the same day. To me, as to any real music fan, this is no contradiction at all.

Musicians don't draw these "borderlines" or "limitations", its always the fans first and foremost.

Also a musician wants to develope and to not repeat himself over and over again. Stagnation is going backwards. Another thing many "fans" don't get.

However, Glenn speaking about "funk for the more cultural audience" does not imply that the other groups, the rock-fans, are "not" cultured or low-lifes. He just meant it in a way of that being a bit more sophisticated music, which is what it is.

I for one do like whatever Glenn puts out and its also clear that he can't please everyone. We all have our favourite albums among Glenn's incredible back-catalogue and also have our "non-favourites" as well. No drama at all. We are all human beings. All different. Luckily

Merry Xmas!
Katy

[toadsterama]

Chris, I'm inclined to agree with your assessment of BCC's acceptance among Glenn and Joe's respective fans. I don't appreciate BCC nearly as much as I do the majority of Glenn's solo work. And as a big Bonamassa fan, I feel like BCC ranks well below most of Joe's solo work. I enjoy BCC, but ultimately I feel like it diluted or diminished what I enjoyed most about each artist as an individual.

I also agree with Katy. If Glenn were to follow up the hard-rocking BCC albums with an album full of funk and soul, many potential converts to Glenn's solo music may be turned away by the radical shift in style.

I personally like most of what Glenn has recorded. I buy it all - the solo albums, the band projects, the guest sessions, the tributes, etc. I appreciate his willingness to take chances and incorporate different influences into what he does.

[Chip]

I believe Katy is the first female I ever heard mention Symphonic Slam, let alone listen to it. The great Timo Laine on synth-guitar

[Katy]

Thanks Chip! I know

Not to forget David Stone on keyboards, who was later in Rainbow and who is featured on the DVD and live album which came out a couple of years ago, which was recorded in Germany in 1977 (Live in Munich).
Fantastic player in my humble opinion and an outstanding piece of music.
Thanks to Todd too

Hugs!

[geosoulberlin]

Originally Posted by Ken

Glenn has soul, if he wants to rock it will still carry a soulfull element. Glenn might eliminate the funk but he can't escape the soul. Its in him.

Thank you! That's a great statement, 100% agree. I was listening to the album Freak Flag Flyin' today on my way to work and back which has some pretty heavy rock songs. And even on them I could feel the soul which attracts me so much in Glenn's music.
And then I thought: doesn't really matter what style his new album will be, I just love any kind of his music and I would be happy with any new album because it will carry his handwriting with the melodies, lyrics and singing.

[chutsler]

Originally Posted by toadsterama

I can't stand Play Me Out, but in that case it's because of the vocal style - same reason I never spin Soulful Christmas, even at this time of year.

...and here I thought I was the only Hughes fan who wasn't OVERLY CRAZY about Soulful Christmas.........

[Katy]

You are definitely not, mate

[wolfysmith]

You've all made great points on this topic.

i think the biggest problem is the fickle nature of the press, record companies, radio and all other media - and also of fans too.

I've enjoyed the BCC albums as much as any GH album but there's a giant stack of solo songs that are as good or better than them. But BCC is a "supergroup" so gets guaranteed space in not just Classic Rock but all the mainstream press here.

If either album were billed as just Glenn Hughes (ex DP legend! ) then it would have sold a fraction of BCC and not got in any papers. Neither would a top spot at High Voltage have been on offer.

As for rock vs funk vs soul or whatever, i think all 3 are in Glenn's nature and there'll still be elements of each. A song like Steppin' On is heavy and funky and rocks like hell live. If it had been on BCC it would have been as highly rated as any other track. I'm sure we could all pick 10 solo "rock" tracks that could be on BCC3 without any problem.

Personally i'd like the next album to be Fused / Addiction meets Soul Mover/FUNK

[tony g]

whatever he does or where ever he goes im gonna jam to it

[cleanouttasight]

Great discussion. I love Glenn's funk side. I love Glenn's when he rocks. Some thing goes for: soul, hard rock, electronica, etc. In a nutshell, I love Glenn's music & am confident about the 2012 solo album's quality.

IMHO, he's been going from strength to strength as a solo artist since the early '90s: Blues/FNO/Feel/Addiction were great and I really appreciate their variety; TWII/ROCK/BTM/SITKOR had great rock tracks, some really funky numbers & gorgeous ballads; SM/MFTD/FUNK are simply magical & feature much more Hughes/Hughes writing credits than the aforementioned albums!

So maybe I'm too optimistic or perhaps my fandom is too extreme, but here's why I think the rock direction's a good idea: a perfect pure rock album by Glenn alone doesn't exist yet. Don't get me wrong; Addiction & SITKOR (for instance) are really close to perfection, but I believe Glenn can better them...actually, that's what he did with SM, but that album has "soul" in it!

I'm one of those fans that considers Play Me Out to be a genius record and, I may be wrong, but I don't see how Glenn could go any "blacker". On the other hand, I also happen to be a big classic rock fan & I find BCC 1 or 2 even better than Glenn's early '00s solo albums. Consequently, I'd love to hear an album in the same genre (or similar) in 2012 by Glenn alone.

Now this may seem farfetched or my reference points may be a little too proggy but in 1975, we had Steve Hackett & Chris Squire solo albums that were virtually hidden Genesis & Yes albums. They were followed by classic albums by the real Genesis (minus Peter) & Yes (with a returning Rick), but that's not my point. Well, not really...

...What I'm trying to say is this: if Glenn's 2012 album is a) a rock album as pure as Play Me Out (was a deep soul album) & b) the missing link between BCC 2 & 3, then I'm a happy man. If it's anything else, I'm most probably a happy man too!

*

A

[danielb]

Glenn mentions on Twitter he's currently writing for BBC3. Is the plan still to record a solo album in February?

[cleanouttasight]

Hallå danielb,

Well I'm far from being an expert but my educated guess is: yes. The solo album should be recorded and will be probably be released first. I'm happy to see Glenn's writing it now, but BCC 3 will take a little more waiting, at least as far as recording's concerned. Wouldn't it be nice to have both of them in 2012? Greedy me!

And now for something (almost) completely different...if I'm not mistaken, Glenn decided to "shelve" or "pull the plug on" Hughes-Thrall 2 (the newly recorded songs, not the demos from the '80s) around 2007 & also "scrapped" - sorry I'm not 100% sure about these quotes, I hope memory serves me well - a post-F.U,N.K. solo album in 2009. I may be wrong, but I assume Glenn started from scratch for his forthcoming album; he certainly can afford it when you consider the quality of his writing and the fact that he's creating more than enough not be forced to keep everything. Nevertheless, I wonder if any ideas from the previous decade (or even century!) will be featured on the rock album...

...If not, I'm positive I'm not the only one who'd say yes to "From the Archives Volume II". Speaking of which, weren't Pink Cloud Records relaunched on iTunes a couple of years ago? I hope A Soulful Christmas is selling well - I like it! Truth be told, not as much as Incense & Peaches, & substantially less than Glenn's regular albums, but it is the only Christmas album I seriously listen to &, once or twice every December, it brings me a bit of that feel-good feeling! Admittedly, "Ave Maria" gets more attention than the other songs; it's really moving!

Skål !

*

A, Ha en bra dag

[danielb]

I wouldn't mind those H/T tracks getting revisited (I have a feeling they're strong) but I'm sure writing for the new album will be from scratch, so to speak.

So, any votes on who should be in the band for the recording? Let's see: Gary Ferguson on drums (making sure the swing and groove dept is secured), JJ Marsh, maybe Hans Zermuehlen or Ed Roth on keys? I guess that's the early 2000s band I'd like to see reunited...

Overall, I kind of wish the new album will have a Building the Machine / Soul Mover kind of vibe. Don't Let it Slip Away, Feels Like Home, I Will Follow You, Beyond the Numb, Big Sky... Or Change Yourself, Let it Go, Dark Star, Isolation, Miss Little Insane... Some of Glenn's strongest and most emotional material ever, I feel. Let's not forget some of the tracks on HTP2. Quite underrated.

Glenn is at his best when he lets the music/vocals breathe, where there's a lot of dynamics and diversity. Check out Beyond the Numb or Change Yourself for cases in point. Glenn being 100% Glenn, if that makes sense. I haven't quite gotten that feeling from the BCC material, so I hope we get to hear it again on the new solo album.

[toadsterama]

Gary Ferguson on drums, JJ Marsh & Marc Bonilla on guitar and Ed Roth on keys. What a band!

And for crying out loud, keep Kevin Shirley far away from the producer's chair! Bonilla should produce with Glenn again...

[Paul J]

Would be nice to see JJ back, although unlikely to happen. Would be great to see someone like John Sykes play on the album, but i cant see anyone but his current touring band being on the album. And i wouldn't complain about that!

Paul

[Gatman]

If Glenn does a rock solo album, I'd love to see him reunite with Frankie Banali on drums! Frankie is a Bonzo freak, and nowdays has a HUGE drum sound and knows how to groove big time!

[willem]

Nice speculations about the SOLO album. I would like that GLENN will record it with a touring band: Gary Ferguson, drums and JJ on guitar (he was superb at the HTP tour) and Anders Olinder on keys. And of course to make it special some prominent guests (also good for the sales). Guests like David Coverdale on a few songs; Jason Bonham (son of the legend and becoming a legend himself) behind the KIT on a song; JON Lord on keys on a song (if his health let him do it); Jimmy Page playing a solo and yes.........a duet with good old LEMMY That would be nice!

[Modalconfusion]

Having been to the intimate acoustic evenings and watched the passion that Glenn puts into singing and playing some of his great songs I would be happy with an acoustic interpretation of either old or new songs.... Whatever At least we still have a GH to produce music for our ears, and long may that continue

[galleyfan]

If Glenn has to do just a "Rock" album, I wish it would be a mix of Hughes-Thrall/the album he did with Norum & the stuff he did with Iommi!

An album like that would kick big time ass!

I agree that the BCC albums are not that special! 2nd one is best, but most of Glenn's solo work is much better! Joe is just not a Rocker! If Glenn really wanted to put together a super group rock band, then Sykes, Malmsteen or someone like that should've been used instead! I even like the un-issued WB album from 1991 better than the first BCC one! Where are all the Pink Cloud rare archive releases? I also hate the Xmas cd! I am sure I will buy the new solo album as I always get everything the Man does! He is my musical addiction!

[danielb]

I wonder if the plan still is to record a new solo album in February? In responding to a question on what's next for him, Glenn responds he'll do shows in China in January, European festivals later on and BCC 3 in June.

www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=167583

[David]

Originally Posted by danielb

I wonder if the plan still is to record a new solo album in February? In responding to a question on what's next for him, Glenn responds he'll do shows in China in January, European festivals later on and BCC 3 in June.

Hmmm.... you'll just have to be patient... all will be revealed soon

[geosoulberlin]

Originally Posted by danielb

I wonder if the plan still is to record a new solo album in February? In responding to a question on what's next for him, Glenn responds he'll do shows in China in January, European festivals later on and BCC 3 in June. www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=167583

Thanks for the link to blabbermouth with that interview! Well, it is a bit surprising indeed that Glenn never mentioned a solo album. Maybe plans have changed again (from BCC3 to a solo album and now back to BCC3)?

We will never know what's happening behind the curtain (as we say in Germany), so we can just wait and see what's coming up next. I would love to get more reliable informations that won't change as often (especially regarding live acts) but that's the way it is and I'm just glad now with every new music (live or on cd) that Glenn will bring out (solo or with BCC)...