Simon RushworthGlenn Hughes – Resonate (Frontiers)
Genre: Classic Rock
Perhaps the biggest tragedy to come out of the unseemly collapse of Glenn Hughes’ co-headline tour with Living Colour is that there will be no opportunity for fans of the former to hear choice cuts from Resonate.
And with a Black Country Communion reunion and new album set for 2017 there is a genuine fear that these songs will never see the light of day live.
In a recent interview with RUSHONROCK – prior to the decision to shelve this month’s tour and an eagerly anticipated show at Hard Rock Hell X – Hughes revealed Resonate would feature prominently in his classic rock-focused set. The evocative My Town was one of the tunes mooted for inclusion and missing out on hearing that magnificent song live can only be described as a massive kick in the teeth.
It’s just the tip of the iceberg where Resonate is concerned. Hughes has never sounded more relevant or more revved up. Surrounded by equally talented musicians eager to feed off the man himself, the record is rich in classic rock authenticity and yet refreshingly new. Let It Shine shimmers with that heady fusion of new and old and would surely have been a contender to open this month’s shows.
It will be a crying shame if one of the standout records of a glittering career is destined for a life on the shelf – contained and controlled rather than unleashed in front of Hughes’ friends, fans and critics. This is an album primed for the live arena in spite of its pin sharp production and studio sheen.
Against a backdrop of bitter recriminations and wild rumour, Resonate‘s release could have been better timed. Should the embarrassing disintegration of a hotly anticipated tour overshadow a potentially seminal album it will be the worst timing imaginable. Fingers crossed Hughes’ disappointed fans can see through the fog of disenchantment and find it in their hearts to give this remarkable record a chance.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 8/10 Resonate Out Of 10