Black Country Communion 2

[marnold]

I just picked Black Country Communion imaginatively-titled "2" up from Amazon's MP3s store yesterday. When I first heard the clips on Amazon, I was a bit nonplussed. I had a chance to listen to a couple of tracks all the way through (via the Man in the Middle video, etc.) and was convinced to buy it. It sounds quite different, IMO, from their first album. This one sounds more cohesive, like a real band record, like they have found their sound. There's a lot of Led Zeppelin/Deep Purple influence in here. They even plugged in the mic for Derek Sherinian's keyboards this time. You can definitely tell he's there now, although this is not a keyboard-driven album by any means. In general, it seems to rock a bit harder too. The mix seems to be a old-school too, more muted than the first album.

On the first album, there were a couple of tracks that sounded like they could just as easily have been on a Bonamassa solo album, especially my favorite track from that album, "Song of Yesterday". While there can be no doubt that Joe is in the band and an integral part of it, this is a BCC album, not a solo record with a different label. It's a modern take on a 70s-era rawk album. I'll have to give it a few more listens before I can say which tracks are my favorites. In the meantime, here's the aforementioned video:

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And a bit of "The Outsider"
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[Robert]

Full song here


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1kQfnk2CtU&feature=watch_response

[Spudman]

I got it today and just sat and listened to the first half. Wow! It's a much better sounding album. Fuller production and they are indeed sounding more like a unit. I am just blown away that Glenn at 60 plus years old still has that amazing voice. I'm also glad that they brought Derek up in the mix too. He can flat out play. I wonder why they don't turn him lose? Ever hear any Planet X or his solo albums? The guy has chops and style. Maybe on the next record we'll get more interplay between him and Joe. That would be really cool.

[marnold]

Maybe on the next record we'll get more interplay between him and Joe. That would be really cool.
Yeah, although the part where they trade solos in "The Outsider" is pretty cool. The first album had to grow on me. This one I like from the get-go.

[Tig]

While BCC2 hasn't grabbed me completely, it sounds better than the first release by a good margin.
I'll need a few more listens to get a better feel for it...

[Robert]

The Outsider is a good tune. Sometimes their tunes needs more melodic hooks, I think.

[Spudman]

The more I'm listening to this the more I like it. It's a very good sounding record for one thing. Excellent engineering. I also like the energy of almost all the songs. Hooks? Ya, I think some improvement could eventually happen here, but I am really liking how they are starting to come together as a unit. Top album of all time? Probably not. Yet it is still worth having. Even though it is strong out of the gate, it still keeps unfolding for me. I think this will become a favorite for years to come for me.

[Spudman]

I love this riff. It's heavy and infectious. Cool tune.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy6WLBvBXaI

[Spudman]

I really got a good listen to the whole album while in the mountains and it really is an amazingly good album that keeps growing on me with every listen.

BCC also has a double live DVD coming the end of October. When you go the the web site they are giving away a free track from the DVD.
There is a video promo for the new dvd here http://www.bccommunion.com/

[Gibbo]

I come from the same town that Glenn Hughes grew up in. I'm a big fan of Joe Bonamassa. Jason Bonham also comes from my part of the UK, known as the "Black Country", and is the son of the late John Bonham...drummer with my all-time favourite band, Led Zeppelin.
I thought the first BCC album was a great retro rock album. BCC 2 surpasseses the first album, and makes me damn proud to come from the Black Country !!!!! If you asked me to pick a top track from 2, gotta go with "The Battle For Hadrian's Wall" closely followed by "The Outsider"......but dammit, every track is a gem. In Black Country dialect, this album is " Bloody bostin'" !!!!!!