Over the course of over thirty years the former Mott the Hoople frontman has delivered some truly fun straight forward rock with touches of social commentary and self deprecating humor. With Mott the Hoople we got such gems as "All the Way From Memphis" and "All the young Dudes." Even solo he proved just as relevant with singles like "Cleveland Rocks" and the famous covered but never equaled "Once Bitten, Twice Shy."

His new effort is no exception. After losing a friend and collaborator in Mick Ronson nearly a decade ago people thought some of the magic in Hunters solo albums would be lost - given Ronson was such a legendary guitarist in the glam movement. But aside from some temporary setbacks Hunter has enlisted an enthusiastic group of musicians who rock like it was 1975. And what should be wrong with that, given many classic rockers have compromised their skill over the years for the sake of sounding current. Hunter sees no
such need to stay current as rocks inherant power remains constant.

That is evident in surefire rockers like "Words" and "I Am What I Hated" where Ian lets his glam rocking hair down while coming to terms with the fact that his generation that railed against the older establishment has in fact become the establishment. "When the World Was Round" sums up Hunters world weary view of the government and it's treatment of the Katrina disaster. And "Soul of America" has shreds of hope and longing with a strong melody, and you will find the rest of the album to be grounded in sonwriting just as strong. The songwriting itself sees it matched by the energy of his backing band and by this account he should be a good concert draw. Take a chance and pick this one up.