Customer Reviews

Return of Crystal Karma

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4 star:		(6)
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It's pretty amazing that when you first heard a person, almost 30 years ago, that 30 years later they can still amaze you, and actually sound better than what you loved them for in the first place.

This is the case with Glenn Hughes.

Everyone deserves a second chance, and hopefully the Red Hot Chili Peppers association with his new album SOUL MOVER (2005 - March 15th - it's already available in Europe), will give a much deserving musician/vocalist some notoriety and success. Some may say the Chad Smith/Dave Navarro inclusion on this new album makes it sound much like The peppers. But then again, they need to know that Hughes sounded musically like The Peppers back in 1974, when he was forcing Ritchie Blackmore to play 'shoeshine music' in DEEP PURPLE. Hughes hommages to Black Artists, and the huge influence they have had on him, has truly survived much longer than Blackmore's ignorance, and talent.

Which brings me to the reason you must purchase this album, even if it's for this one song.

THIS LIFE, written by Hughes and Hans Zermuehlen, I swear could be done by ANASTACIA, and be a hit. I'm only familiar with some of her material, but hearing 'This Life' was like hearing something she's been trying to do for years, and I swore that she had already covered it already. Checking through her catalogue, she hasn't yet. But she should. 'This Life' is one of the best songs in Glenn's career, but it's not the only shining moment on this CD.

It truthfully is an album with 10 tracks, that are all great. If one thing that attracts you to it is his 'Voice of Rock' claim, please do listen to those that say it. For years, my favourite vocalist in the 2-man vocal Deep Purple was Glenn. No offense to David Coverdale, but I just thought Glenn could have been the vocalist for Deep Purple MK III all on his own, and the recent release of the final DP tour in 1975, shows how talented this man is as a vocalist. I've gotten used to the fact that age often makes people lose the strength and range in their voices, which is totally expected.

I don't think Glenn Hughes knows that.

Because this guy is singing better than he ever did when he was 27, or 37.Glenn Hughes was born in Cannock, in Staffordshire, on August 21st 1952, which makes him British and almost 53 years old. Listening to this album, you would swear the man was hitting his mid-20's, so powerful is his voice. But voice does not make an album alone.

Return of Crystal Karma has an incredible amount of great material, from start to finish, including the aforementioned 'This Life'. It borders between heavy Funk, and Hard Rock/Metal, so SOUL MOVER and it's Pepper connection hopefully won't get criticism from that association. Hughes already sounding like this, as said before, in the 70's, particularly with his first solo LP ''PLAY ME OUT - 1977). The blending between Funk and Hard Rock is something Hughes has been doing for most of his life, and one addition to his tremendous voice is that he is one of my favourite Bass players. Having first heard him play on the MADE IN EUROPE live album with Deep Purple (1974), his influence on my bass playing was right there from the start. Another standout track in Bass is from the 1975 Deep Purple album ''Come Taste The Band'', with the Hughes & Tommy Bolin composition 'Gettin' Tighter'. A funk workout all it's own, easily as catchy as anything done by The Average White Band.

Glenn Hughes has had the fortunate ability to always hook up with a great guitarist and/or writing partner. His first was Mel Galley (in TRAPEZE), but his association with Tommy Bolin could have turned into something quite extraordinary, if not for drugs, and the unfortunate death of Bolin to heroin. Hughes had his own bouts with drug addiction, which plagued his career throughout the late 70's and 80's. It didn't stop him from meeting PAT THRALL, and together they recorded one of the best 80's 'metal' albums, entitled HUGHES/THRALL(1983). He then became associated with Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, though this wasn't as fully realised as it could have been, due to Glenn's problems at the time.

With Glenn Hughes now is JJ Marsh, who also works with him on SOUL MOVER. Marsh is a great guitarist and co-writer of songs, and Hughes, quite frankly, has been blessed in having such a talented musician work with him for 9 years now. R.O.C.K. is as much Marsh's album as it is Hughes's. Song after song, Marsh delivers what Hughes delivers vocally. The first 4 songs are Hughes/Marsh collaborations one after the other, and by the time you get to 'Switch The Mojo', you're wondering if they put it all in the first four songs just to convince you the whole album was worth purchasing.

They didn't.

An album full of great material, and right now I still think it edges out the new album SOUL MOVER by a song or two. Until you get to SOUL MOVER's ''High Road'', which as soon as that album gets released in the USA, I'm going to be pushing that song everywhere I go on the internet. HIGH ROAD should be in heavy rotation, and is quite literally, one of the best things Hughes has ever written. But you'll have to see when SOUL MOVER comes out in March.

Until then, please purchase Return of Crystal Karma. It's a man who has been doing music for over 30 years in the business, and he seems to be getting better and better the more time goes on.

Forget what they say about too old to rock and roll. That's all marketing anyway.

Glenn shows once again the power of his music in an album made of pure hard rock. Like in Deep Purple years, his voice has power, melody and the charisma of the greatests hard rock voices of the world. Is not another more album of Glenn Hughes, is his best and more powerful album in his career.

Oh...I`m astonished!!!! This must be the ultimate album ever recorded by an old star in music. I think of many of the old rockers that try to make new records without sucsess but this is on top of anything. Hughes is playing and singing like he never have done and the songs are just tremendous. That man is a genius!!!! He has created a album that is better than most records of today!!!

Here comes Glenn Hughes in his funky man guise, dressed in leather and small specs looking like he's 30-something. I'm not exactly sure what krystal karma is, or if that's what is in the silver "thermos" Glenn is holding, but if it's represented here then it sounds just fine to me! Going for more stylistic extension than on "Addiction," Glenn hits more highs and lows than on recent outings. "State I'm In" kicks off in typical post 90's hard rock fashion, sounding like it may have come off any one of Glenn's last several records. But starting with "It's Alright," and carrying through "Switch the Mojo" (Austin Powers influenced?) and "Angela" it's apparent that Glenn intent is on upping the funk ante. The bass lines are fun, and run playfully alongside the spirited drumming. Occassionally slipping back into heavy rock, the album maintains a sensible balance between an updated "Stormbringer" and Sabbath's "Seventh Star" (Tony Iommi cowrites "Gone"). The album winds out with "Owed to J," a funky instrumental, apparently a tongue-and-cheek respin of "Owed to G" from Purple, and trademark Hughes baladry of "Days of Avalon." The later is one of Glenn's finest and most heartfelt, on par with "Blue Jade" from "Addiction." One thing you have to give Hughes credit for is his adventurous spirit and youthful ambition, and the fact that he doesn't employ the turnstile of famous session musicians to back his work. *The limited edition double album features a live from Brazil (circa '99) six song concert containing excellent renditions of "No Stranger to Love" and "First Step of Love," as well as 2 Trapeze songs and 2 new ones.

If you're into melodic, funky and hard-driving rock with incredibly soulful vocals and tasty musicianship - - Glenn Hughes "R.O.C.K."(Return Of Crystal Karma) is, without a doubt, the best thing to come out in perhaps a decade. Not since LIVING COLOR's "Vivid" has an album been more complete in all of these points, and it actually eclipses the monumental release by LC in all areas mentioned. Glen Hughes is downright schizophrenic in regards to being musically multi-dimensional, and approaching different genres on different albums with the same reckless abandon and supreme competency (whether it be R&B, Funk, Blues, Rock, Hard Rock or Heavy Metal). If you are a fan of any of these musical catagories, Glenn Hughes' offerings in each are sure to make you nod your head and go "Yeh!" while you listen (sometimes screaming your affirmation). On this album, you'll hear what I feel are some of Glenn's best bass work and best vocals (no small task) to date. The drumming of Gary Ferguson is about as in-the-pocket as humanly possible, and the production on the drums are outstanding. The guitar work of J.J. Marsh cooks with some serious grease, and solos on "This Life" and "Days Of Avalon" can only be described as actual pieces ripped from this man's soul (while the instrumental "Owed to 'J' " is like the listening equivalent for guitar of watching an olympic gymnastics event). Go to "It's Alright" as the first cut you listen to, and work your way around from there. All 10 cuts are great, but if that one doesn't hook you... give it up 'cause you aint got NO soul at all!

R.O.C.K. is the hardest solo project of Glenn one can ever heard before, but it isn't a pure hard rock. The music of this album is far enough from that one from Deep Purple, Black Sabbath or Gary Moore projects featuring Glenn Hughes. Despite of the years passed his voice is still wonderful and full of power and energy and seems to be in the best mode. This album is the next logical step from Glenn participating at Stuart Smith project, tribute to QUEEN and of course THE WAY IT IS (you can find two songs on the bonus disc) to more hard sound. At the same time it's impossible not to recognize Glenn at this album and mix him up with any other musician. R.O.C.K. keeps all specific features. Unrepeatable pure voice, blues intonations and funky sound - all that can be heard at this CD. Such crazy mixture forms a new style - HUGHES ROCK. Listen to 'Switch The Mojo' and 'Gone' to fill an intellectual rock of the XXI century. The only instrumental 'Owed To J' could be considered as a late answer to 'Owed To G', underlining that Glenn doesn't want to be only a "man from deep Purple", but... as you wish. Order this album now and take a chance to listen to 6 additional live compositions from the bonus disc. Switch on your player and enjoy the real Hughes Rock!

I've got alot of Glenn"s Cd's, but I have to agree, this is his best work in years. Glenn and his band are tight throughout the whole disc, checkout the instrumental "Owed to J",man do these guys got the groove on! Glenn has got the groove back! Don't miss out on this CD!

Glenn Hughes has dropped the blues! Well, for the most part anyway. "Crystal Karma" is all about Glenn's first and true love... funk, funk and more funk! Yeah, that's right - your body will go into uncontrollable convultions (not in a bad way, mind you) when you hear the rhythms on this one. The band is tight as always, Glenn being a man who very much believes in the old band ethic. (ala Deep Purple in their early '70s heyday). Actually, the disc starts off quite similarly to "Addiction" from '96 (haven't heard "The Way It is") in straight ahead rock stomper "The State I'm In." But then the FUN(K) really begins in "It's Alright" and especially "...Mojo." I just imagine Austin Powers in the background saying "yeah baby, yeeeeaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" every time I hear this track. And the above (or below?) reviewer is right in his critique of "Owed to J," simply an awesome bass-thumping (yet spunky an' saaauucccy) instrumental. The final song is a vintage Hughes ballad... "Days of Avalon" and as the man himself says at the end of the song "it is beau-ti-ful!" If you love Glenn's older stuff, particularly songs like "Gettin' Tighter" and "This Time Around," CRYSTAL will not disappoint!

Great album! the band sounds much more confident and tight than with The Way it Is! the Hammond sounds so cool! and Glenn bass playing is so amazing!! Not much to say bout the vocals! all u expected and more! years seem not to touch Glenn's throat! AMAZING!

Highlights!

State I'm In : great start for a CD powerfull and rocking to the bone!

I'm Gone : I like more this version than the one in the Iommi/Hughes bootleg, JJmarsh does a great Iommi impression here!

Owe to j : Great piece of Music! and the only instrumental in thje CD! the band just delivers the goods! with Hughes bass leading a very cool song!!

get it!! and the live CD....well if u haven't seen Glenn Live....u should hear it! though the Burning Japan Live had a better Band IMO!

Thanxs Glenn!!!

With the exception of "Play Me Out" and "Hughes/Thrall" albums, I have all the others. Some are american, others are european editions. Which is the case of this one. I bought the german edition, which includes a bonus CD with 6 songs performed in "Tom Brasil" in São Paulo, Brazil, on November 25th, 1999. As a fan from a long time, I was there in line, just waiting for the openning of the doors. Then, all of a sudden, at 5 pm or so, a blue van stops and "The Voice Of Rock" came out for the sound checking. WOW! Needless to say that everyone already in line (I was number four) got very excited and asked for pictures and authographs. I got an autograph on my ticket and a chance to say "Welcome to Brazil, Glenn, we love you!". His response: "Thanks, my friend". Yes, he is a sweet person, a fantastic bass player and also the best rock vocalist of all time (my oppinion, folks). About the studio CD, all the tracks are very, very good. A special feature is "Owed To J", an instrumental track that could easily be included in some action video games. In fact, it reminds me of "Sonic" by Megadrive (hey, I'm 51). This double pack is outstanding and I love it.