Simon McBride: Recordings 2020 – 2025 Review

Best known as the new kid on the old man’s block, I wonder how many Deep Purple fans have taken the time to rattle the cage of guitarist Simon McBride’s solo work. A precious talent, McBride was just 15 years old when he won the ‘New Guitarist Of The Year’ award in 1996, before going on to release his debut album Rich Man Falling 12 years later.

While being in the band that wrote arguably the most famous (and annoying) guitar riff of all time is as dizzy as heights come, there’s still plenty of highlights to uncover from his years on the other side of the road.

While hype around this collection of personal tracks (a original material and covers) has been very much hush hush (Deep Purple pun intended), it’s an exciting and intriguing glimpse into McBride’s accomplished, passionate, and versatile guitar playing,

The reincarnations on this LP are certainly a tick for the latter, with the Belfash native taking a straight ahead rock approach to songs by the likes of Free, Duran Duran, and…..Bill Withers. Funnily enough, it’s the Withers cover “Grandma’s Hands” (originally recorded by Bill Withers) that’s the biggest triumph. McBride’s hands and creativity bring funk, groove, and bluesy lines, without pumping out that all-so-important heart and soul. 

McBride and his band give “The Stealer” a fair crack of the whip too, backed by an excellent rhythm section and a fast stinging vibrato. Of course, the swag in the singing is something very few (if any) can get close to, and to be fair to McBride, he doesn’t use his powerful pipes to try and channel his inner Paul Rodgers.

While I was never a big fan of the original, McBride’s rendition of the very catchy and commercial Bryan Adams’ “Kids Wanna Rock” crunches the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll. “Ordinary World” in my humble opinion is the best composition Duran Duran ever did, underpinned by prophetic words and a melancholic sound that speaks to you like a love song. You can’t argue with McBride’s guitar picking and the mesmeric solo, but it’s his blistering playing on the originals here are what keep me coming back for more. 

Initially released as a single in 2022, “Dead In The Water” is high-energy, with the soaring chorus adding coral and clarity. There’s the twists, turns, and titanic riffery of “Heartbreaker,” while “Fat Pockets” adds musical weight with its meaty drum fills and mean guitar.

There’s always a raw fluidity to McBride’s playing, which is captured in spades on these intense studio sessions. No more so than on the slow, groovy burn and snarling vocals of “Hell Waters Rising, or the just over nine minute dynamic jamming and guitar-gasming plowed into “So Much Love To Give,” which sees McBride cut his teeth and then some.

I remember listening to McBride’s first LP in the first decade of the millennium, and I’d argue he was a brilliant songwriter (not just guitarist) even then. Undoubtedly one of the best of his generation and a fully-fledged blues-rock virtuoso, this is as good a starting point as any if you’re seeking an unfiltered introduction to McBride’s high-class blend of blues, hard rock, and jaw-dropping guitar.

The Review: 8/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Grandma’s Hands
– Hell Waters Rising
– So Much Love To Give

The Big Hit

– So Much Love To Give