Review SIMON McBRIDE “Recordings 2020-2025”

When Simon McBride joined classic rock pioneers Deep Purple in 2023, he was suddenly catapulted into the limelight, but his career had already seen its share of highlights. The Irish guitar virtuoso is one of the best of his generation. Being a part of Sweet Savage was the first real milestone for the guitarist, who also worked with keyboard legend Don Airey. McBride has shared the stage with such greats as Joe Satriani, Jeff Beck and Joe Bonamassa, which speaks to McBride’s excellent guitar skills as well as his passionate guitar playing.

The guitarist has also worked on solo albums, the latest of which is “The Fighter”. With “Recordings: 2020-2025”, McBride is releasing a new album that includes cover songs as well as some additional songs from a special recording session at Chameleon Studios in Hamburg, Germany.

Musically, McBride covers a wide range of rock music. There is a very accomplished version of Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World” that is at least as great as the original. The rock vibes are there too, as the guitar virtuoso has recorded a blistering version of “Kids Wanna Rock,” originally by Bryan Adams. The bigger surprise is the new interpretation of The Cure’s “Lovesong”, which is a very emotional highlight of the album.

Another ear candy is the blues-soaked version of “Gimme Something Good,” which adds to the broader approach to rock music. McBride returns to the roots of rock with “Heartbreaker,” a song that showcases his excellent guitar playing. The stomping rock anthem is a real energizer, and the following “The Stealer” picks up the vibe. The latter is originally by Free and the version on this album is a great homage to the rock legends.

Slow and groovy, that’s “Hell Waters Rising” before “Dead Man Walking” is livelier than the title suggests.

Simon McBride’s new album contains great rock songs. The mix of cover versions and self-penned material is well-balanced and all songs fit together very well. It is the spirit of rock’n’roll that provides the flow on “Recordings: 2020-2025”. Simon McBride is much more than just the guitarist of Deep Purple. This man inhales the spirit of rock, and the album shows that passion in an excellent way.