Black Country Communion – BBCIV

One Star

Audio CD (paid link)

Like many in the rock world, I was looking forward to this album. One of the rare super groups that actually work. Their self-titled debut album (2010) hit all the right bases. Glenn Hughes showed why he was called the Voice of Rock, Joe Bonamassa played like a guitar hero, and Derek Sherinian gave every example of why he was one of the most in-demand keyboard players in rock history. Jason Bonham (son of the great Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham) held down the drums as well as he ever had. The songs were also sensational and transformed magnificently to the stage.

The band was incendiary on stage, stealing the Sunday show at the prestigious High Voltage Show at Victoria Park in London in 2011. The band played most of the debut album, with the added bonus of the Joe Bonamassa’s song the ‘Ballad of John Henry’, plus a storming version of Deep Purple – Mark 3’s Burn, to close the show.

The second album a year later was a reasonable follow-up, whilst a live album –‘Live in Europe’ kept the fires burning. But when the band tried to record a third studio album, Afterglow, which was finally released in 2012, the apathy amongst the band members showed in the songwriting and playing. They split and perhaps that would have been the best thing.

Only last year, Glenn Hughes and Joe Bonamassa released splendid albums ‘Resonate’ and ‘Blues of Desperation’ respectively. Whilst it has been since 2011 since Derek Sherinian released his last album, ‘Oceana,’ which was a corker, but since then he has been supporting a list of bands that would fill an encyclopedia. Jason Bonham has also kept himself busy joining up with Glenn Hughes in California Breed, recording their album although not touring with them. He also joined Sammy Hagar’s band Circle, recording the album ‘At Your Service’ in 2016.

But as for this album, BBC4, at best it is Black Country Communion doing a paint-by-numbers job. At times the band sound like they are playing the same song, but at different times. Glenn Hughes stretches to sing, but his performance on his own solo album far outweighs this effort. Joe Bonamassa solos as if on cue from Kevin Shirley, the man who has been at the helm for all Black Country Communion albums. But even his undoubted abilities cannot save this mess. Derek Sherinian is completely submerged in the mix, and Jason Bonham drums as if he is hearing the songs for the first time, which of course may be the case.

Just because it was once good does not mean you can put them back in the studio and immediately more magic will automatically be created; in fact, far from it. By any consideration, this is a disaster. Why, on the third track, was Gerry O’Connor brought in to play some fiddle only to have it trampled over by some unnecessarily violent heavy metal is beyond me.

The band and producer proudly boast it only took them seven days to record this album. I’m surprised they could be bothered to spend that long. Maybe they just did it to create some money. Well, all I can say is, save yours.

The eighth song is called ‘Awake’ – you may well be awake by then. You won’t be interested.

I am giving the album a One Star rating to prove I have not forgotten to give it a rating.

This whole album is a terrible glitch in four otherwise glittering careers. All four have moved on from this debacle to much better things.

Written by Mott the Dog

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