First Underground Nuclear Kitchen

Glenn Hughes, bass player, ex Deep Purple, singer of legendary status and a man of more come backs than most, delivers an album with an amazing cachet. There is not one song on it that I can recall when not listening to it!

Is it funky? Yes, it has moments of great funk.

Is it rock? Yes, at times there is no doubt.

Is it good? Well, that is a harder question to answer. I have listened to it all the way through at least 5 times, it is easy to throw on and let run, and yet I cannot recall any of the tunes afterwards. This is most unusual. I have an iPod with over 4500 songs on it that I can recall with ease and be able to name within seconds. That just is not happening here.

Plus points are - good playing, good singing, good use of brass-although more would have been better, decent production.

Minus points - none of the tunes are catchy/memorable and a terrible sleeve design.

If you are a fan I am sure this album will be worth getting, if not check out Glenns tremendous contribution to Deep Purple.

Wow, what an album, its superb, rock with funk, I love it, I love his voice and I love Mr Hughes.

Surely, Glenn Hughes, more than any other member of the Purple family, or indeed any member of the '70's rock fraternity, has been the hardest working musician of the past 2 decades. Perhaps his being AWOL in the '80's was a blessing in disguise, because he is more than making up for lost time now, and FUNK is probably, and quite amazingly, his greatest solo release yet !

Not surprisingly, given the acronym, this album is very much in a funk rock direction, but there are also three very tasteful soul ballads, and a couple of heavy rockers. I always get the sense that when Hughes leans towards his natural funk/soul tendencies, you always get the better, more honest material out of him. Although he can be over-the-top at times vocally, he doesn't over-do it on the ballads this time, which makes them all the better and closer in vibe to his ballads of the 70's !

Glenn's voice is as superb as ever and the production is first class. The addition of horns, electric piano and strings, all add to the wonderfully warm and retro feel of the album. The bass playing is just pure OTT funk - just how you want it !

Here's the track by track low-down;

1. Crave. One of the heavier tracks on the album, with funky, chilli pepperish verses and classic, trademark commercial modern-day GH choruses. Wonderful funky bass runs, nice "take-it-down" section, a variation on the chorus towards the end, with double-speed drumming, that brings to mind Hughes/Thrall, and a brilliant acapella ending. A great opener.

2. First Underground Nuclear Kitchen. A fantastic funkfest of a song with a brilliant groovy chorus complete with retro-brass and electric piano (?) If you like mid-'70's funk, you will love this song. Great song structure, embellished brilliantly by brass. Get on down with Glenn.

3. Satellite. The first of three, very tasteful soul ballads. Although nicely retro, probably more similar to his more recent ballads, or the vibe on Music For The Divine, than to his 70's soul work. This is an exquisite song and undoubtedly up there with his best ever ballads.

4. Love Communion. Fantastic, catchy, funky pop-rock. This is really good-time music that should put a smile on everyone's face. Again brilliant brass and wicked bass fills. Totally retro late-70's. If you have seen the video on You-Tube this version is longer with an extended soul section and excellent guitar solo that don't appear in the vid. This will never be a big hit, but it deserves to be. Fabulous !

5. We Shall Be Free. Just when you think the album is due a filler-song up pops another little gem ! That's the beauty of really great albums; there's not a filler in sight. This is a very retro funky, slightly soul-edged track that stylistically is the closest it gets to both Feel (on the choruses) and Play Me Out on the instrumental sections and all round song structure. Only Glenn is capable of this kind of stuff, and thank God he's treating us funk aficionados with what we have been missing for such a long time. Another ace guitar solo too ! Brilliant.

6. Imperfection. The second soul ballad; this is probably the most melodic moment on the album and stylistically reminiscent of Big Sky/Beyond The Numb from Building The Machine. Lovely lush production again. Glenn's vocals are beautifully delivered without going over the top (as let's face it, he often does !)

7. Never Say Never. The heaviest song on the album with mad choruses that probably put this song beyond categorization, although funk-metal probably fits best !

8. We Go To War. This is very definitely funk, and perhaps sadly, the last pure funk song on the album. Verses in the Incense & Peaches vibe with the choruses pure Stevie Wonder. As I'm writing this my 2-year old daughter is dancing along with a smile on her face ! This would appeal to '70s Stevie Wonder fans, reminds me a little of Tuesday Heartbreak. Again, great use of brass.

9. Oil & Water. This is dark and slightly grungy but again manages to funk on the verses. The falsetto on the choruses has to be heard to be believed. Insane stuff that should please the fans of the heavier stuff.

10. Too Late to Save The World. This song very much reminds me of the direction of Music For The Divine and would have fit far more comfortably on that album. Probably my least favourite track on the FUNK album, but still a decent melodic rock song with very tasteful performance and production including strings; I just find it slightly out of place on this more funky album.

11. Where There's a Will. It's hard to decide but this is probably the best of the three excellent soul ballads on FUNK. This is somewhere between Smile and Coast To Coast ! Just gorgeous. Don't get better than this.

In conclusion, this is one of those albums you love from first listen, and then just grow on you. I can honestly say I like every song on this album, albeit with one or two songs, slightly below the average. By the end of the album I can't help feeling that Glenn has produced an album that he surely won't be able to top. This is that good. It staggers me that Glenn can keep on producing album year after year and can keep amazing us with his genius like this. At this late stage in his career he is once again at his peak. I just hope that like after other great albums like Feel and Building The Machine, that he doesn't fall for record company pressure and release another bland, generic rock album next.

Thanks Glenn. This is the greatest album of the decade !