Glenn Hughes. They had me at "Glenn Hughes." If you announce a new record coming out with this man on the mic, I'm immediately interested. And why wouldn't I be? Mr. Hughes has had a varied and majestic career that's involved fronting bands like Deep Purple, Trapeze, Black Country Communion and even a little band you may have heard of called Black Sabbath.
Now, at 70 years old(!), Glenn is both playing bass and handling all lead vocals on the latest record from critically acclaimed supergroup the The Dead Daisies. Does he still got it? Hell yeah he does. Radiance is a thick and meaty deep-in-the blues rocker that satisfies on every level. Expertly recorded, this record epitomizes no-gimmicks-needed hard rock with solid songwriting and stellar performance.
This current iteration of The Dead Daisies also features Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio, House of Lords) and the group's founder David Lowy (Mink) on guitars and Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Foreigner, Billy Idol) on drums. The collective experience of these four gents is difficult to actually imagine, yet here they all are together. Each of the band members shine in their own way without overpowering one another. It's such a great mix of instrumentation.
The record opens with an absolute banger called "Face Your Fear." The guitars and bass play off each other so very well as The Dead Daisies seem to put on a literal rock n' roll clinic. Hughes demonstrates his dynamic vocal range in a way that excites, entertains and erases any doubts you might have had. I mean… this man is just so incredible to listen to.
"Shine On" is a banger that feels warm and comfortable. Clearly showcasing the solid songwriting and feel good vibe this band brings us. Think of this as a proper introduction to this latest iteration of the band if you haven't been keeping up.
There's some really old school blues with both "Roll On" as the albums closer and the soon-to-be crowd favorite "Born to Fly." "Courageous" also has this hefty blues riff that makes you want to just crank up your speakers and start playing air guitar while doing a solid footstomp (maybe don't do all this if you live in an apartment building with poor soundproofing).
"Hypnotize Yourself" hypnotizes the listener with it's dyed-in-the-wool rock and roll chops. This is really pure hard rock on expert level. It's the perfect tune as you get into your classic Ford or Chevy coupe, roll down the windows and just enjoy the ride with these sweet tunes providing the perfect soundtrack on a warm late summer day.
Ten slammin' songs that will get you amped up and ready to go. This is music to really enjoy and share. It's blues that makes you feel good and, in today's world, that means an awful lot. Fans of Glenn Hughes will absolutely adore this record as much as I have. Its accessibility is sure to get some new folks on board as well.
