Hughes/Thrall (album)

Infobox Album | Name = Hughes/Thrall
Type = Album
Artist = Hughes/Thrall


Released = 1982
Genre = Hard rock
Length = 36:43
Label = Boulevard Records
Producer = Andy Johns Glenn Hughes Pat Thrall Rob Fraboni
Reviews = *"Allmusic" Rating|4|5 [http://wc05.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4791ADB47AD7E20CC972D41DA8B79FD01D04DE3D94F00425AC8B83041814375EE51E99A95E8A42CEA2EE3F731A75B10D1CAEE51B0DD66373D84E4A263285E36&sql=10:difpxq85ldse link]

"Hughes/Thrall" is the self titled, debut album by musical collaborators Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple/ Trapeze/ Black Sabbath) and Pat Thrall (Pat Travers / Asia/ Meat Loaf); it was released in 1982 on Boulevard Records. It is to date their only album, but a follow up has been recorded and is due for release in 2008.

History

After the break-up of Deep Purple, Glenn Hughes had not been prolific in his out-put, by 1981 he had only produced one solo album; 1976’s "Play Me Out", an album focused on Hughes’ love for soul and funk. By comparison, guitarist Pat Thrall had worked on several albums with Automatic Man and Pat Travers. Thrall had come to Hughes’ attention while he was trying to write new material in Los Angeles. The two got together and quickly struck up a working partnership. The result was the Hughes/Thrall album.

Hughes/Thrall marks a return to hard rock for Hughes, the album itself has a definite AOR sound, but with influences of new-wave and post-punk. Thrall makes good use of guitar synthesizers and many have cited the album as being quite influential to the direction of rock music in the 80s and it was critically well received upon its release. However, despite the positive reception from critics the album failed to sell well at the time. It has since become something of a cult album.

Along with Hughes and Thrall the album also featured keyboardist Peter Schless and drummers Gary Ferguson (who went on to work on many of Hughes’ albums in the 90s and 00s), Frankie Banali of W.A.S.P. and Quiet Riot fame and prolific session player Gary Mallaber.

The album was co-produced and mixed by Andy Johns, who had previously worked with the likes of Led Zeppelin, Free and The Rolling Stones.

The song Coast to Coast had originally featured on the Trapeze album "You Are the Music...We're Just the Band"; the version on the Hughes/Thrall album is similar in arrangement to the original.

Promotional videos were shot for the songs The Look in Your Eyes and Muscle and Blood, these received some airplay on music channels at their time of release.

In January 2007 the album was reissued. This new version featured the original album, fully remastered as well as two bonus tracks, both outtakes from the original sessions. The first bonus track, Still The Night originally featured on the first Phenomena album, which featured Hughes, but not Thrall, another version appeared on the John Norum album "Face the Truth", again featuring Hughes. This is the first time the original version has been released.

An immediate follow up to the Hughes/Thrall album was planned and some tracks were written and demoed, however the project did not go any further and the album was scrapped.

In 2006 it was announced that a follow-up album was being written and recorded and is due for release in 2008.

Track listing

#"I Got Your Number" – 3:37 "(Hughes, Thrall)"
#"The Look In Your Eye" – 3:51 "(Hughes, Thrall)"
#"Beg, Borrow Or Steal" – 3:47 "(Hughes, Thrall)"
#"Where Did The Time Go" – 2:59 "(Hughes, Thrall)"
#"Muscle And Blood" – 4:21 "(Hughes, Thrall)"
#"Hold Out Your Life" – 4:47 "(Hughes, Thrall)"
#"Who Will You Run To" – 3:43 "(Hughes, Thrall)"
#"Coast To Coast" – 3:55 "(Hughes)"
#"First Step Of Love" – 5:35 "(Hughes, Thrall)"

2007 Remaster Bonus Track

#

"Still The Night" – 3:50 "(Hughes, Thrall)"
#"Love Don't Come Easy" – 5:49 "(Hughes, Thrall)"

Credits

Performers

*Glenn Hughes – Vocals/ Bass
*Pat Thrall – Guitar/ Guitar synthesizer
*Gary Ferguson – Drums
*Frankie Banali – Drums
*Gary Mallaber - Drums
*Peter Schless - Keyboards

References

[http://www.glennhughes.com/hughesthrall_index.html Hughes/Thrall entry at glennhughes.com]