Music for the Divine

Glenn Hughes has always seemed to surround himself with the greatest guitarists and drummers of rock, including Ritchie Blackmore, Tommy Bolin, Ian Paice, Tony Iommi, and Kenny Aronoff. And on his 2006 solo outing, Music for the Divine, the string of strong supporting players remains intact, as Hughes is joined by a pair of current Red Hot Chili Peppers — guitarist John Frusciante and drummer Chad Smith — and an ex-Pepper, Mr. Hollywood himself, Dave Navarro. Music certainly has a funkier edge than, say, the last few releases Hughes has collaborated on with Iommi, but this should certainly not come as a surprise to longtime fans, as his funk roots trace all the way back to his Deep Purple-era releases. Arguably, he has not played alongside musicians as fluent with the funk as his fellow travelers here, especially on the leadoff single, "The Valiant Denial," which rocks and slithers the way only a Peppers groove can. The funk continues on such selections as "Monkey Man," but just when you think you have it all figured out, Hughes and company hand in a surprise reading of, um, "Nights in White Satin." All in all, Music for the Divine is another fine release from one of rock's great (and criminally underrated) voices.