Black Country Communion - Black Country (2010)

Sometimes music jumps out and grabs you on the first listen, other times it merely plants a seed that slowly grows inside you.  Black Country is an interesting mix of songs that do both. 

The opening title track, Black Country, grabs the listener and holds on tight with Glenn Hughes vocals and driving bass along with Jason Bonham's exceptional drumming leading the way for much of the song with Joe Bonamassa playing some solid guitar throughout.  This is the perfect opening track for the album as it is a force unto itself.  Hughes vocals are just as powerful as they were in his days in Deep Purple.

One Last Soul was the lead single released in mid-August.  While catchy with some killer vocals by Hughes, it's actually one of the weaker tracks on the album.  It lacks the punch and attitude of Black Country and some of the stronger tracks that come later on the album.

The Great Divide chugs along on the backbone of Hughes bass playing Bonham's drumming.  Hughes vocal wails are reminiscent of Robert Plant at his vocal peak in the seventies showing that even pushing sixty he still has a tremendous range and can still rock harder than many guys half his age.

While there are no weak tracks on the album and Black Country Communion is to 2010 what Them Crooked Vultures were to 2009 (THE supergroup of the year), easily the best tracks on the album are Song of Yesterday and Too Late For the Sun.  The latter of which features an extended jam that really shows what this band is capable of when allowed to stretch out and improvise, whereas the former is the antithesis of Too Late for the Sun, it's a beautiful and well constructed song from start to finish.  Where Too Late For the Sun has pure unbridled raw energy, Song of Yesterday has a more refined polish to it.  Joe Bonamassa shines throughout the album but Song of Yesterday is easily his best track on the album.  That's saying a lot given the overall strength of the album.

This album was recorded rather quickly, most songs were cut with as few takes as possible which gives the album a very pure energy.  There's a rawness to the material that speaks to the general spirit of classic rock and at the same time enough polish to really display the brilliant talents of each of the band members.

Black Country Communion has captured the spirit and vibe of the bands that inspired them.  If you're jonesin' for some twenty-first century classic rock this album should top your list!

Related Links
One Last Soul live

Interview with Glenn Hughes

Glenn Hughes & Joe Bonamassa performing Medusa

Black Country Communion (official site)
Glenn Hughes (official site)
Glenn Hughes (wikipedia)
Joe Bonamassa (official site)
Joe Bonamassa (wikipedia)
Jason Bonham (official site)
Jason Bonham (wikipedia)
Derek Sherinian (official site)
Dereik Sherinian (wikipedia)