Review Summary: "I'm going back! To the Black Country..."
Black Country Communion is a supergroup of incredible pedigree. Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham, and Derek Sherinian are all accomplished musicians in their own right, but together, their collective talents fuse into something extraordinary. In the age of post-grunge drivel domination on the airwaves, here is a band that is taking things back to rock's '70's heyday.
Glenn Hughes is a bassist/singer best known for his work with Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, and on Black Country Communion he takes center stage. His signature soulful vocals are in tip-top shape, as the powerful chorus of "The Great Divide" shows. Joe Bonamassa also sings on several songs (Song of Yesterday, The Revolution In Me). Bonamassa as a guitarist is good-to-great on Black Country Communion depending on the song. On cuts like "The Great Divide", he lights up the track with blazing blues solos and a soul-laden guitar riff. On other tracks, like "Down Again", his guitar playing feels a bit dull. Hughes's bass lines partner with Jason Bonham's drums to form a solid backbone for the guitars and vocals. Unfortunately, Derek Sherinian and his keyboard lines sometime feel lost in the fog in comparison to the rest of the instruments. He does have the spotlight to himself occasionally, but mostly it feels like Sherinian is there to simply add atmosphere to the tracks.
Really, on Black Country Communion, Glenn Hughes is the star. I suspect this is because Hughes is the oldest and most musically experienced member of Black Country Communion, so he probably took charge songwriting wise. It could also be because this is the group's first album together, and most supergroups take a while to completely gel into one cohesive musicial unit. It never feels like the separate parts were forced together, but it also doesn't always feel like Black Country Communion is playing in complete synergy with one another on their self-titled debut. Again, it is their debut album, so you can't fault them too much, but it is overall the weakest of the three Black Country Communion albums.
