Hungary for the Blues

Album Review

Still possessed of one of the crunchiest growls in rock, Chris Farlowe divides his time these days between the sporadically re-formed Colosseum and a solo career that just won't quit. Hungary for the Blues spotlights the latter, a live set recorded at the Gastroblues Festival Parks in Hungary (hence the awful pun of the CD title) back in 2000, and it's as powerful a representation of his live show as you could hope for. Spinning back and forth throughout his career, the repertoire hits all the high spots. "Out of Time," "Handbags and Gladrags," and a terrific take on the Small Faces' "All or Nothing" spin him back to the days when he was a bona fide pop star; a clutch of bluesier numbers (a deliciously protracted "Stormy Monday," "This Guitar Don't Lie," "Lonesome Road") exemplify the music that he's always loved the best; and Randy Newman's "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" and Glenn Frey's "Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed" remind listeners just what a great ear for a song Farlowe's always had. It's a terrific-sounding disc, all the more so if you can listen to it just a few decibels below the pain threshold. Farlowe's vinyl recordings have always lacked a certain something; they have never truly captured the might and magic that goes into his performance. Hungary for the Blues, on the other hand, smells of hard-rocking sweat before you ever open the jewel case.