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Holy Ground in the charts
The recent Dead Daisies release — and their first with Glenn Hughes — charted quite respectably around the globe.
Click on the poster to enlarge.
Disclaimer: no attempts were made to verify validity of these claims.
Thanks to BraveWords for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
This album kicks some A***
February 7th, 2021 at 02:45My problem with Glenn is that he talks too much about DP.
He should just keep out of talking about DP and he will be great.
Well done Glenn and the rest of The Dead Daisy members.
Awsome stuff
Deservedly so. I think it’s one of Glenn’s strongest collaborative works. And yes, I share Adel’s very learned legal qualification how it kicks some serious butt.
Much as I like Glenn’s singing and bass playing as well as writing, I think he works better in a band setting (he’ll always stand out anyway) than as a solo artist. And Holy Ground benefits hugely from the songwriting input of the other three, especially Aldrich’s contribution stands out (taste- and powerful), but I also like Castronovo’s backing vocals (that’s a color even a multi-tracked Glenn can’t achieve) and his propulsive drumming as well as Lowy’s more trad. rhythm than second lead guitar work. (Glenn is generally never heard together with a rhythm guitarist, but here the combo of his aggressive bass playing and Lowy’s rhythm guitar gives the album real balls.)
The band scenario also has another positive effect … now you wouldn’t want to use the term “subdued” with Glenn except maybe in the combination of “subdued modesty”, but nowhere on Holy Ground does he oversing und throw everything but the kitchen sink in vocally. I caught myself a couple of times while listening to the album thinking “ok, now watch him do a few vocal acrobatics …” – and then he doesn’t! Mind you, he’s of course assertive and his vocals tower over all songs (in a way that all production trickery cannot get DC’s voice to sound anymore). There is no other hard/heavy rock singer of Glenn’s age whose vocal chords are still as flexible, period.
Musically, The Dead Daisies’ riffage and chord structures are more akin to Led Zep than DP – but that has been the case with Glenn’s harder music since the 90ies. Living in America and stemming from Birmingham/Midlands comes at a price I guess … That ballad at the end of the CD could have been on Coverdale Page’s outing. But you also hear some Trapeze influences and the Humble Pie cover exudes Mk III charm with its joint lead vocals of Glenn and Deen on the chorus. (Contrary to the lockdown sessions unplugged version of the song available on youtube, Deen sings lead on the verses of the album take and it’s a nice contrast, Glenn “crowds in” on the chorus a bit like he did on Trapeze’s Send Me No More Letters – where Terry Rowley was the lead singer – which drew a smile to my face.)
What else is there to (app)laud? The production again kicks the proverbial rrrump and rrrumbles rrraucously out of the speakers. Glenn’s bass playing is a wet dream – his totally gung ho, yet skillful solo on track 2 worth the price of admission alone.
Even if you are largely critical of Glenn’s work, listen to this album with open ears and an open heart.
February 7th, 2021 at 15:47This is interesting, worth your time:
https://youtu.be/tpQYasznSw4
February 7th, 2021 at 18:07Oooooops, so it goes:
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/deen-castronovo-quits-dead-daisies/
Now don’t you anti-GLENN-ists here blame him for this turn of events too! : – )
February 7th, 2021 at 19:24Come on Uwe, you know someone is going to say it. Oh very well I will then. The CURSE of Glenn Hughes strikes again………………………….someone should make a movie about all this………… only joking. I am sure it will work out fine, you know what us drummers are like, not knowing if we are coming or going. Cheers.
February 8th, 2021 at 08:16Judging from the vid, good old Deen gave ADHS as a condition new meaning – but then that is drummers for you! It’s simply NOT NORMAL to experience joy while banging on things.
I’ll miss him, liked both his drumming and singing. I did see, however, Tommy Clufetos on the Sabs’ farewell tour, and he really drove the old warhorse und was fun to watch.
February 8th, 2021 at 18:06I don’t know much about Castronovo, I have heard of him from years ago. If he sings also he is partaking in the most ancient of musical heritage, vocal & rhythm. Then along came the guys strumming animal gut ‘strings’ tied to wooden things & nothing has been the same since. Ah, those primordial pastimes, waffling on & hitting things & look where it has led us to.
February 9th, 2021 at 09:16Regarding Clufetos, I didn’t like his drumming on Sabbath’s 2013 tour, too much crash & bang, no swing so to speak. He did get the job done I guess. Vinnie Appice is that way inclined also but at least he had the 80’s feel down for the Dio era. Bill Ward had that jazz influence for the Ozzy Sabbath era.
Continuing on about guys who ‘enjoy’ hitting things, Iommi apparently wanted Carl Palmer for the 13 album & tour. Unfortunately Asia commitments prevented that from occurring. Reading a Palmer interview back then, I remember he said that back in the 70’s he had no time for Sabbath & that sort of music. However with time passing, he started to enjoy it immensely & found the Iommi riffs & the feel of Sabbath very enjoyable, addictive even, or words to that effect. For me that would have been awesome, Carl Palmer in Sabbath playing all that 70’s material. It is sort of hard to imagine in a way.
Oh well, it was not to be. Cheers.
Gees, I’m happy Deen just quit. Sometimes drummers eliminate themselves by exploding on stage or choking on someone else’s vomit.
February 9th, 2021 at 09:16@7: Whoa! CP in BS sounds really interesting! More swing and feel than Clufetos.
February 9th, 2021 at 10:28@MacGregor: Much as I always find it disconcerting and unsettling when we two agree. ; – ), I’m with you all the way re Bill Ward! He had incredible swing and it was a strange, yet highly potent combination: Tony and Geezer oozing those heavy slo-mo riffs and Bill skipping through it all with his swing feel slightly ahead of the beat. They totally lost that with Vinnie Appice’s skillful, yet heavy-handed, behind-the-beat drumming.
I never thought Ozzabbath mindless or musically limited. Ok, those first two albums (everyone raves about, I find them charming, but formative compared to what came after) sounded a bit like lobotomized Cream on downers, but starting with Master of Reality the band branched out and I love every subsequent album up to and including Never Say Die. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is their Sgt. Pepper.
And Bill’s It’s Alright is actually my favourite Sabbath tune.
February 9th, 2021 at 15:10Yes, Sabbath really nailed it with Master of Reality & the big 3 following. I do really like Never Say Die also. Bill Ward indeed, a major disappointment at the 1980 gig to see a different drummer on stage. We had no way of knowing back in the dark ages out here in the Antipodes, that Ward had left the band. The difference between H&H & Mob Rules is enormous. Vinnie is a very good drummer, just not to my taste in many ways. Ward was back for Born Again, however he is drowned in the mix by guitar & vocal & the intensity of those songs, a poor mix that album to say the least. As we know Sabbath & Iommi’s approach changed with Dio & the 80’s. I think Geezers did also. I remember reading about the Cozy horse accident where it broke his hip, he was out & Vinnie back in. Reading about the sessions for Dehumanizer, Geezer said Cozy’s playing was too busy. he didn’t like that approach. I wonder if he would have liked Palmer if that had unfolded in 2012, I reckon he wouldn’t had. Just my thoughts on that ‘busy’ drummer comment. Clufetos would have suited Geezer. Interesting that Brad Wilk recorded the 13 album, maybe the producer had a say in that & I am glad Wilk is on that album & not Clufetos. At least Wilk had some swing etc. Cheers.
February 9th, 2021 at 20:27