Glenn Hughes: Chosen Review

As a bereft Birmingham and the heavy metal masses struggle to come to terms with a world minus the beautiful chaos and lovable menace of the colorful yet inimitable Ozzy Osbourne, another rock ‘n’ roll survivor has emerged from the solo wilderness to give us his first collection of ‘deeply personal songs’ in almost a decade. 

While bat-chomping might be absent from the Glenn Hughes memoirs, his own rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle reads like an action film guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Pistol-whipped. Check. Shot at. Check. Stabbed. Just the once. Run over in a car. Obviously. Oh, and don’t forget the debilitating drug addiction he nipped in the bud either. 

When you put things in perspective, it’s a miracle the ‘Prince of Darkness’ managed to make it well into his 70s. While Hughes, at the comparatively adolescent age of 73, still has a few years to go, it’s nothing short of a revelation he’s still penning one of the greatest recovery stories in music history. And his latest LP, Chosen, is a powerful statement that acknowledges the joy and pain of being human, as well as the marvel of still being here to tell the tale.

While ‘Mr. Funkenstein’ and ‘Old King Soul’ have always been monumental to Hughes’s melodic hard rock puff, this ten-track affair well and truly removes all ties with his two long-time companions. Think explosive, heavy, crushed motors being dropped piles-high in a car scrapyard kinda noise, that’s far more in-keeping with his more recent bombastic work in the supergroups Black Country Communion (BCC) and The Dead Daisies.

The title track’s solid musicianship and Hughes’s outstanding dynamic vocal range are a rich starting point, while the old school punch of “In The Golden” has the kind of mighty riff and soaring guitar solo to divert my attention from a fully-stocked fridge. Its light and shade arrangement aren’t galaxies apart from the BCC epic “Red Sun”, only lacking in the scale of musical transitions. 

While it’s the astonishing voice that typically hogs all the plaudits, we seldom mention the bass playing brilliance of the ageless Hughes. On “Voice In My Head,” the thundering bass marries perfectly with the earnest pipes, before the band whizzes their way through the swaggering riff-monster “My Alibi.” Relentless and extremely tasty, it’s always satisfying hearing ‘proper rock’ again.

“Hot Damn Thing” is another smoking four minutes of hard rock, flanked by a crushing woman’s choral section, while the heavy, wicked basslines and glorious hooks keep the fires burning home to the album’s finale “Into The Fade.” Even though I’d argue it’s the weakest of the three singles released so far, it’s still very catchy, shifting from a steady groove to a rousing chorus that will stay stubborn in its refusal to leave your head.

Would this album benefit from a bluesy edge or even the odd Herculean ballad or haunting guitar that we’re accustomed to hearing from  BCC? Quite possibly. Other than the soft acoustic guitars of “Come And Go”, this is ‘classic rock’ revitalized and sounding fresh, driven by melody, a little swing, and a hefty ton of weight.

But when you’re heralded as the ‘Voice of Rock’, why bother going off the beaten track? More to the point, how on earth does Hughes sound this good at 73? Akin to a fine wine that’s only getting more quaffable with age, he can still hit notes today that many great rock vocalists of his time stopped hitting 10-20 years ago. I’ll have what he’s drinking.

Powerful and phenomenal with a production that’s second to none, Hughes has hinted that this is likely to be the last rock album he makes. If this proves to be farewell, then this true rock legend, survivor, and indisputable force of nature has chosen well. Very well indeed.

The Review: 8/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Chosen
– In The Golden
– Hot Damn Thing

The Big Hit

– Chosen