Music For The Divine

  • Free at last, free at last :) YES, this is Glenn Hughes at his very core and an album I've been waiting on from him for a very long time - it has everything! Soul, funk, rock and so much more - all delivered with the highest quality vocals and musicianship we've all come to enjoy.

    With nods to his musical heroes, as well as his own humble beginnings, right through to the modern day "sure fire" hits - Music For The Divine - has every element that should make this epic stand out from the crowd.

    You quickly get a sense of what is to come with the opener, The Valiant Denial, with JJ Marsh and Chad Smith's epic opening chords and hard rockin' drums, it sets us up for what must surely be the opening live number - a masterpiece if ever there was one. The chorus gets your blood pumping and what with the rousing string arrangement, it's final sonic-laden moments bring us down and you're left wondering what just hit you!!

    We're then thrown head over heels into Steppin' On, with the first of the hard funk moments which are scattered throughout the album and the welcomed introduction to the "green goblin". You won't be able to get the chorus out of your head and with the tip of the hat to Zeppelin and Purple MK.III; it won't go by, without leaving a smile on your face. This is of course, a "must play live" song. No questions asked, ok :D

    Next up, Monkey Man, kicks straight in with a funk laden riff that get's those dancin' shoes dusted off and ready for some action!! With the chorus in full swing, you'll be jumpin' around before you know it. Awesome performances by all involved with JJ and Chad getting a well deserved airing, while Glenn commands the helm to perfection, right through to the final moments.

    We're given a breather with This House, even with it's Beatles-esque qualities, you still walk away in sheer breathlessness with the vocal delivery. At the halfway mark, the string section kicks in and Glenn and JJ deliver stellar guitar performances throughout.

    Ok, time to get off you seat! You Got Soul gives us a nod & wink to Trapeze with a harder funk rock edge, which I'm digging more and more on every listen! This song has it all, hard rock, funk, wailing guitars, passionate hard rockin' vocals - 10 out of 10 - it would be a crime not to play this one live ;)

    Next up, Frail, brings us down to earth and with it's soaring and melancholic mood, it brings to the forefront Glenn's vocal and lyrical abilities. The string section really sets the mood, both celebratory and mournful at the same time. Perfection!

    To get us back in the groove, Black Light kicks your butt back in gear! Again, an absolute "must play live" song - the green goblin is in full effect again here and with a fantastic vocal bridge to boot - this should really be considered as a "single" release - it's got everything. Glenn pulls out all the stops and JJ and Chad shine through with big Cheshire cat grins, at least I did! Again....perfection :)

    Things slow slightly with Nights In White Satin which is up next, but not for long, what with Glenn's thundering vocals keeping you on your toes - this isn't just copied from the Stealth soundtrack or the Australian Soul Mover release - but in fact, a remixed version - you can definitely hear the difference, with the vocals sounding like they were brought forward which definitely improves it overall. John Frusciante is still stellar on this rendition. And yes, it fits in very well with the new songs, which I must admit, pleasantly surprised me.

    No, not a Stevie Wonder cover! Too High is next and that's where you want to be on this one - up and rockin' out! From introductory drum chops and thundering bass line, this one kicks you in the face - fantastic guitar and drums from JJ and Chad, with another sonically delivered chorus from Glenn - his bass playing is just perfection! There's going to be lots of sweat flowing from both the stage and crowds when this one gets going - trust me! Another 10 out of 10 from me! This is the funk rocker that I've been waiting on from Glenn for a long, long time - again, a "must play live" song :)

    A change of pace, takes us into a trippy late 60's/early 70's number with This Is How I Feel, which would fit right at home on an early Trapeze album - this is Glenn Hughes at his finest, again it has every element, old and new, with some surprises thrown in. Imagine Hendrix with a sultry splash of early Free and Floyd! John Frusciante is an absolute star on this song - another "must play live" addition.

    To close out the album, The Divine, exemplifies Glenn Hughes - a straightforward acoustic & strings based number, with lyrics and a vocal delivery that is everything Glenn - as he pours his heart out, it's like he's standing right next to you as he sings just for YOU! Marvelous.

    In summary, this is a very different album from his past releases, but at the same time, it's not! You can definitely feel the personal and honest nature of the songs and as listener you will easily appreciate each one on it's own, but soon afterwards when you stand back, you'll see it's a very cohesive release. Maybe it'll take you a couple of listens to fully appreciate it, but I think in the end, you'll agree me.

    Special mention goes to Chad Smith, JJ Marsh, John Frusciante and Mark Kilian. Chad is an animal on the drums, JJ and John make a great team and both give us award winning performances. Mark gives us the string arrangements and oh how he nailed it, creating the perfect atmosphere.

    So bring on the live show - I think the time has finally come to drop the older material and throw in the ones mentioned here, plus some from Soul Mover and other more recent gems and we'll finally reach the perfect and ever controversial Glenn Hughes setlist :) :thumbup:

  • Here's another review, as more come in will put them here too :cool:
    GLENN HUGHES `Music For The Divine'

  • So David....what you're saying is...play the whole damn album LIVE!! ;)

    Thanks for the great review. I'm sure it's making everyone want it even more. I know it did me.

    Now if only NEH would pick up their phone so I could pre-order it :D

    Chip

    Chip

  • One for the archives.....

    Having already reviewed Soul Mover last time around (see reply #14 in this posting here), Austrian journalist Guido Tartarotti was kind enough to review M4TD in Austria's Kurier newspaper today. This is the 2nd biggest daily newspaper in the country btw.

    Here's a rough English translation: ;)

    Glenn Hughes, bass player and singer in Deep Purple's second best incarnation, 1000 years and a day ago, releases another Solo Album. Accompanied by Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith (Drums) and John Frusciante (Guitar), "Music For The Divine" sounds like a good Chilis-Coverband.

    While this might not be the most accurate review ;) it might well help the album's sales, since the Chili Peppers are HUGE (no punt intended) here in Austria - Stadium Arcadium has shot to Number 1 here in its first week and will definitely stay there for a couple of weeks.

    Cheers,
    Christian

  • Can't imagine this guy has actually heard M4TD - it sounds nothing like a RHCP record! Although it's a stretch, I would say a couple off Soul Mover might only just fall into that category, but certainly not this new one.

    Think he must have been reading too much into the promo sheet while he was in the library :P

    But like you say, as long as the RHCP fans pick it up and buy out of curiousity, that's the main thing :cool:

  • This past Saturday I got a copy of “Music for the Divine”. I was at a party and had a chance to hear some of it in bits and pieces throughout the day. I certainly liked what I heard of it. I knew that I would have to give it a proper listen before I could begin to form any real opinion of it. So needless to say that is exactly what I’ve been doing since then! And I must say that as has been stated by those who’ve heard it, a little time is required to fully absorb it all. Don’t get me wrong here, it is very interesting the first time around. I think it is the fact that there are so many dimensions to it. For comparison sake, Soul Mover was much more one dimensional in it’s approach. There is a lot more texture and subtlety here and it takes many listens to pick up on them. It’s definitely one of those albums where you notice new things with each listen. A good thing!

    So is this album as good as we’ve all heard it would be? Or is it just hype coming from Glenn and those close to him? Well I think I’ve had enough listens to say YES! It is a great album and one that just seems to get better with each listen. It’s really got it all. It’s got lots of funk, a little soul, and it’s played with a hard rock edge throughout. There are twists and turns as well that don’t in any way diminish the flow. There is a certain psychedelic vibe that flows through much of it and this adds a new flavor.

    So to sum it up, I’m really liking this one. It’s that good! Is it Glenn’s best ever? I don’t know. Music is like food. Some will think it is and some won’t. But it is good enough to even have that argument in the first place. Not a bad place to be! For me it’s one of the “good” ones for sure. Glenn, a job well done! The future only looks bright with new music of this quality. To anyone who may have doubts, no worries. Buy it, buy it, buy it!

    I know I’ll be getting multiple copies as soon as it’s out. Gotta a lot of people to turn on!

  • Quote from Forever Young

    So to sum it up, I’m really liking this one. It’s that good! Is it Glenn’s best ever? I don’t know. Music is like food. Some will think it is and some won’t. But it is good enough to even have that argument in the first place. Not a bad place to be! For me it’s one of the “good” ones for sure. Glenn, a job well done! The future only looks bright with new music of this quality. To anyone who may have doubts, no worries. Buy it, buy it, buy it!

    I know I’ll be getting multiple copies as soon as it’s out. Gotta a lot of people to turn on!

    Thanks for that input FY, summised nicely ... new music ... quality ... Glenn :D

    'You thought that you could take me for granted, but I couldn't take it no more. Better run if you see me coming ... '

  • Opened the mailbox today and SURPRISE!!!. Music for the Divine shipped a week early from NEH :bouncer:

    After one initial listen all I can say is :bow: This is the Big One.
    A pristine recorded Funkfeast.
    Big Daddy, You Got Soul.

    so light a candle in the window.......
    i will be coming home tonite

  • Well I've lived with the album for almost 2 weeks now and I must say yes it is indeed "The Big One!"

    Wow! It is great! I knew I liked it but man oh man, what a great bunch of songs. The playing is absoluetly stellar throughout. The production as advertised is outstanding! Just listen to the clanking bass on The Valient Denial!!! Killer!!!

    The songwriting is superb and it combines all of the elements of funk, soul, hardrock and even a bit of psychedelia.

    And of course the voice! The guy sings his ass off on it! For me his best sounding vocals since at least SITKOR if not before.

    This is a classic album. A bold statement yeah. But this is a bold musical statement by the Voice O Rock!!

    Glenn you can be very proud of this one! It lives up to all the pre-release hype. It just may be your very best!

    If you haven't yet heard it, you are in for a great experience. Just give it some time to fully absorb. There is a lot of flavor there but it all fits perfectly!

    Cheers!

  • Just got my copy from NEH today - WooHoo! Haven't spun it yet, but I'm getting ready to fix lunch and give it a whirl.

    What a great feeling tearing off the cellophane wrap, opening up the disc, placing it in the CD player and waiting those few seconds before the magic happens.

    By the way - the liner photos are EXCELLENT! Fun, casual and lots of them. Got it right this time!

    Cheers...Todd

  • Another great review, this time from mr.com....:thumbup:

    http://www.melodicrock.com/reviews/glennhughes-musicforthedivine.p3

  • Hey!

    Today I finally got my copy of M4TD.
    After giving it such a spin that my CD player was already dizzy, I have to admit that its a very good record, surely much better in everything concerning songwriting, production and feel than Soul Mover.
    Those who did expect a too much funky album I can assure it is very heavy as well. It´s kind of "best of both worlds". It sounds like a huge step forward regarding SM, although this wasn´t a bad album at all, of course. There are parts which are reminding of the very composed and melodic "The Way It Is" album, which I always considered as one of the best. The balance of songs material of M4TD also reminds me of the well-balanced "BTM" album, another still underrated album of GH.
    It´s very hard to pick a specific songs from the record, they are all really very good, in my opinion. But songs like "You got soul" or "Frail" just send shivers down my spine. The bottom line is, that I didn´t expect a bad album but its much better that I expected.
    Congrats, Glenn! Another great piece of music!

    cheers, Achim :claphands :claphands :claphands :claphands

  • Well, I gave M4TD several listens and I have to say,Papa layed it down! Already my favorite songs are:The valiant denial,you got soul,frail and nights in white satin.The valiant denial reminds me of the song easy lover by phil collins and phillip bailey from the 80's.Frail made me cry and nights in white satin soothed me.You got soul moved me. The rest of the songs are good but, these songs are my favorites.However,SOUL MOVER ,ADDICTION, SLITCOA,PLAY ME OUT,MEDUSA,INCENSE AND PEACHES and FEEL will always be my favorites. Although I know he can't go backwards,I'm happy that papa is confident,happy and comfortable in his own skin and making the music he wants to make.What a great rendition of nights in white satin and the strings are well placed as well!It gives the album a certain cache. It seems with each album he is constantly doing something different.I like that!You never know what to expect!
    :claphands :claphands :claphands :claphands :thumbup:

  • As others have said before...this one gets better and better with every play....also louder and louder :D

    Yet again, Glenn has put out a fantastic album.

    Too bad the closest shows to me, so far, are in England.
    Better go dust off the 'ol passport and book my room at Wolfy's Bed & Breakfast ;)

    Chip

    Chip

  • The Ultimate Glenn release. Its Groove from start to finish.

    Glenn puts a smile on your face no matter what style he delivers on this disc. He's the same Glenn we have been listening to forever, but this time everything seems to shine a whole lot brighter.

    Hail The Funkmeister.

    so light a candle in the window.......
    i will be coming home tonite

  • Sunday, June 11th 2006

    ... and I still haven't got my copy of M4TD :mad:

    It appears that everything in Vienna is running back towards the stoneage, since none of the stores in town seem to have received their stock of the album by friday!!!??? :huh:
    The big one near the place where I work is expecting delivery on Monday - they ordered 25 copies and where actually expecting them friday.
    It's probably the World cup's fault, but then again I'm a huge football fan and can't blame it, can I? ;)

    Monday, Monday.... hope springs eternal.....


    MEDUSA

        

  • dont feel so bad chris- im waiting for that and moonstone (neh wrote to me yesterday that it was sent back to them) :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: i dont blame them just the postoffice

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