Even within a decade -- the '70s -- that gave listeners arguably unequaled quantities of brilliantly gifted hard rock vocalists, former
Trapeze and
Deep Purple legend
Glenn Hughes was an instantly recognizable force due to his singular lung capacity and soulful tone. Oh yeah, and he plays bass, too, don't you know? And it may well be that second, less famous talent -- when paired up with
Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer extraordinaire
Chad Smith into a dynamite rhythm section -- that constitutes the real X-factor to the success of
Hughes' 2005 solo project,
Soul Mover.
Hughes' longtime guitarist, J.J. Marsh, and top session organist
Ed Roth also contribute to the album's heavy funk, and lead one to think that, were it not for
Smith's business and legal responsibilities to
RHCP,
Soul Mover would have probably been released under a proper band moniker -- such is the crackling electricity between the four men. But in any event (and on to the music), the opening title track piles on the star power with a visiting
Dave Navarro playing a pyrotechnic solo over the
Stevie Ray Vaughan-reminiscent, chunky guitar wallop, and the ensuing "She Moves Ghostly" is memorable both for its nearly overpowering Latin-flavored percussion and for
Hughes' multi-tracked vocals, which make it sound as if his old
Deep Purple foil,
David Coverdale, were also sitting in on the session. Numerous energetic fusions of funk and classic rock aesthetics follow, but the album's most memorable moments are reserved for
Hughes' most personal and heartfelt songs: "Change Yourself" and "Let It Go" are both poignant, darker, and slower soul-baring essays about his "wasted years" under the cloud of substance abuse; "Isolation" contrasts dreamy jazz with a big-ass '80s-flavored "rawk" sound; and the bluesy, organ-drenched and falsetto-laden "Last Mistake" precedes the all-styles-encompassing final track, "Don't Let Me Bleed." In sum, even more so than
Soul Mover's consistently interesting and strong songwriting, it's that aforementioned "band" vibe making this much more than a thrown-together star-studded solo outing: this is an album in the most satisfying sense. [This exclusive release includes a bonus CD of live material, as well as an interview with
Glenn Hughes and
Chad Smith.] ~ Eduardo Rivadavia