Review: Simon McBride – Recordings 2020 – 2025
Simon McBride – Recordings 2020 – 2025
Format: CD – Vinyl LP – Digital / Label: earMUSIC
Release: 2025
Text: Martien Koolen
The first time that I heard/saw Northern-Irish guitar picker Simon McBride was at Bospop 2009 where he was the opening act at the Mainstage and from then on, I was a fan and admirer indeed. Since joining the notorious hard rock band Deep Purple in 2023 McBride captivated audiences worldwide and now he releases Recordings 2020-2025, a collection of his personal favourite tracks; featuring original material and covers.
So, in fact, this is NOT a new album, but rather a compilation, as lots of tracks can be found on older McBride albums such as ‘Since Then’ (2010), ‘Crossing The Line’ (2012) and Singles & Eps 2020-2022. Just three songs were completely re-recorded for this album, being: Don’t Dare, Heartbreaker and So Much Love To Give. The latter is truly one of the highlights of the album, as it is a fan-bloody-tastic guitar orgasm jam session, clocking in over nine minutes, displaying McBride immaculate guitar playing!
This compilation album also features a couple of covers – I am sad to admit that I really do not like covers – such as Duran Duran’s Ordinary World, Bryan Adam’s Kids Wanna Rock or Mr. Mister’s Uniform Of Youth. However, I have to say that especially Ordinary World with McBride’s more than excellent guitar picking is a very decent cover, almost forgetting me the original poppy one. Grandma’s Hands, originally recorded by Bill Withers, is funky as hell, but The Stealer, originally by Free is not really my cup of tea.
Highlights for me are McBride’s originals such as Dead Man Walking (Singles & Eps 2020-2025), Fat Pockets (‘Since Then’, 2010), Heartbreaker (‘Crossing The Line, 2012), Don’t Dare (” The Fighter’, 2022) and of course the earlier mentioned So Much Love To Give; songs where McBride highlights his guitar playing, featuring a mix of blues, blues rock and hard rock with brilliant soaring, goosebumps guitar solos. This man plays a mean guitar indeed, so bring out your air guitar and play it LOUD!!
Tracks:
01. Uniform Of Youth
02. Kids Wanna Rock
03. Ordinary World
04. Grandma’s Hands
05. I Gotta Move
06. Lovesong
07. Dead In The Water
08. Gimme Something Good
09. Don’t Dare
10. Heartbraker
11. The Stealer
12. Hell Waters Rising
13. Dead Man Walking
14. Fat Pockets
15. So Much Love To Give
Website: https://www.simonmcbride.net/