Since the mid-1990's, Glenn Hughes has enjoyed an active career. Following the demise of Deep Purple in 1976, his recording career was sporadic and most of his endeavors abortive. An attempt to reunite with his Trapeze bandmates went nowhere. His solo career, which began with intense promise, stalled after a single album. A collaboration with guitarist Pat Thrall didn't last beyond a single album. Even a promising start with a "new" Black Sabbath in 1986 ended in disaster and his ouster. With the release of 1994's From Now On, he had shaken off the drugs and developed a more worldly outlook, then began making up for lost time in a major way.
Soul Mover follows a long string of solo releases and in many ways represents the culmination of this period of intense recording. It's not just the gem of his career, but in fact the entire Deep Purple family tree. His ongoing collaboration with Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers brought in a little extra help from Dave Navarro on the two opening tracks. All of the songs are well-developed and sophisticated without sounding stale. While this isn't a funk album, there's enough of Glenn's trademark "funky" in the trimmings to make it a fun and energetic album as well.
The album was immediately followed with two more funk-oriented solo albums, before Hughes transitioned from solo to supergroup with Black Country Communion and its successor group, California Breed. Although the road hasn't been easy and success in his adopted home country remains elusive in spite of key friendships, it is clear that Glenn is satisfied with where is has ultimately ended up.
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