CD review - Black Country Communion - Four
Or BCCIV as it is billed on the cover which features a fiery phoenix rising from the flames - very apt.
A few years back it looked like that was it from BCC as they collapsed in a bunch of disgruntled tweets between band members. Essentially Joe Bonamassa saw his solo career as his prime objective, Glenn Hughes saw it differently and when Joe declined to extensively tour the last BCC album that became an impasse. Joe left, taking Derek Sherinan (keyboards) off into his solo band. Glenn and drummer Jason Bonham briefly rekindled in a band called California Breed which Jason then similarly didn't tour the album off before that collapsed.
We move on... Glenn gets inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of Deep Purple (he was in the post Ian Gillan Mark 3 version of the band. He was also in the short lived non-Blackmoore Mark 4 lineup). Joe calls him up to congratulate him, they make a dinner date and shortly they are talking about a new BCC album and at Glenn's writing material.
So - internal wrangling and reconciliations out of the way. What's the album like?
Flipping brilliant! I'd pre-ordered a while ago and also shelled out over £100 a ticket to get tickets for one of only 2 (currently scheduled) live gigs. I missed seeing them before, you only live once.. etc. etc. I then read some reviews seeming to say it was an inconsistent album, patchy and not full of drive. Well I'm here to openly disagree with all the above. It kicks off with the first single release, Collide, totally BCC. Booming rift, huge drums and Glenn's incredible vocals. Whilst that might be BCC by filling in the numbers a bit it is still a terrific track. Over My Head continues in great form. Then to one of my favourite tracks the Joe Bonamassa lead vocal track Last Song for My Resting Place. This kicks off with a strummed mandolin, features a fiddle player... "sorry was this a bluegrass album?" you might ask. No, no, thrice No. Actually this reminds me more of the folky Zep stuff and Tull etc. as other points, those UK bands that drew on folk themes into the rock genre. For me a really stand out track.
Other stand outs you should jump over to Spotify and listen to include Wanderlust and the simply brilliant Love Remains a heartfelt song from Glenn dedicated to his sadly departed parents. His vocals on this are just spine tingling and tear inducing.
For me ... possibly the best BCC album yet and that is high praise, I don't get the reports of inconsistency or patchy performance at all.
One ironic thing that raised my lips in a curl was that on the sleeve notes (that's one reason I still buy CDs guys... I know I'm sad) is where Derek Sherinan is now the one who clearly has another more vital agenda pushing his own new band Sons of Apollo who's debut album Psychotic Symphony hits the streets very soon. I'm presuming the lack of touring is driven as much by his issue there as it is JB's continual solo work ethic.
A few years back it looked like that was it from BCC as they collapsed in a bunch of disgruntled tweets between band members. Essentially Joe Bonamassa saw his solo career as his prime objective, Glenn Hughes saw it differently and when Joe declined to extensively tour the last BCC album that became an impasse. Joe left, taking Derek Sherinan (keyboards) off into his solo band. Glenn and drummer Jason Bonham briefly rekindled in a band called California Breed which Jason then similarly didn't tour the album off before that collapsed.
We move on... Glenn gets inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of Deep Purple (he was in the post Ian Gillan Mark 3 version of the band. He was also in the short lived non-Blackmoore Mark 4 lineup). Joe calls him up to congratulate him, they make a dinner date and shortly they are talking about a new BCC album and at Glenn's writing material.
So - internal wrangling and reconciliations out of the way. What's the album like?
Flipping brilliant! I'd pre-ordered a while ago and also shelled out over £100 a ticket to get tickets for one of only 2 (currently scheduled) live gigs. I missed seeing them before, you only live once.. etc. etc. I then read some reviews seeming to say it was an inconsistent album, patchy and not full of drive. Well I'm here to openly disagree with all the above. It kicks off with the first single release, Collide, totally BCC. Booming rift, huge drums and Glenn's incredible vocals. Whilst that might be BCC by filling in the numbers a bit it is still a terrific track. Over My Head continues in great form. Then to one of my favourite tracks the Joe Bonamassa lead vocal track Last Song for My Resting Place. This kicks off with a strummed mandolin, features a fiddle player... "sorry was this a bluegrass album?" you might ask. No, no, thrice No. Actually this reminds me more of the folky Zep stuff and Tull etc. as other points, those UK bands that drew on folk themes into the rock genre. For me a really stand out track.
Other stand outs you should jump over to Spotify and listen to include Wanderlust and the simply brilliant Love Remains a heartfelt song from Glenn dedicated to his sadly departed parents. His vocals on this are just spine tingling and tear inducing.
For me ... possibly the best BCC album yet and that is high praise, I don't get the reports of inconsistency or patchy performance at all.
One ironic thing that raised my lips in a curl was that on the sleeve notes (that's one reason I still buy CDs guys... I know I'm sad) is where Derek Sherinan is now the one who clearly has another more vital agenda pushing his own new band Sons of Apollo who's debut album Psychotic Symphony hits the streets very soon. I'm presuming the lack of touring is driven as much by his issue there as it is JB's continual solo work ethic.
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