Aug 102 min read

Ian Hunter - 'Defiance Part 2: Fiction'

Both ‘Defiance...’ releases prove the musical climate of Hunter’s renaissance is a warm and welcoming soundscape to kick back to in the knowledge that Ian Hunter has your back if you lend him your ears.

In these turbulent times, another formidable show of defiance from the quadruple decade living paragon of Rock and poetry, Ian Hunter, is what the music world needs right now. This companion album recorded during the same period as its namesake released last year, has the similar cast of legendary musicians lending their hands and voices to the ten tracks compiled on the standard album release. What appears to be Jeff Beck’s final released recording on ‘The Third Rail’, in which Hunter chronicles a sad tale of a needless death, adds a vintage patina of poignancy, as does Taylor Hawkins’ probable final recorded contributions across four tracks herein. For this alone ‘Defiance Part 2’ is a must have.

It’s also slightly stripped back than Part 1 with more old school Rock’n’Roll flavours and, again, the lack of musical emulsion adds to the overall direct and life affirming quality of performances and compositional excellence served up by Hunter and his salubrious gang. You can hear Cheap Trick’s Zander, Neilson and Petersson have a blast on a mid seventies Glam- Pop chant and rant against modern social media on opener ‘People’. ‘Fiction’ further reveals Hunter’s defiantly old school Rock sensibilities with former Mott mate Morgan Fisher’s throbbing piano riff building up to a tapestry of strings and instrumentation.

Further musical splendours are revealed as, in a knowing flashback back to when Queen supported Mott on tour, Brian May straps on his guitar and plays bass on a dramatic Queen/Mott mash up on ‘Precious’. Also on the bill is the redoubtable presence of Alt-Country queen Lucinda Williams who rocks up on ‘What Would I Do Without You’ and ‘Hope’ (with Billy Bob Thornton). Plus, Waddy Watchel chops out gritty chords and on point snaky lead guitar on the lyrically humorous ‘Everybody’s Crazy But Me’. As ever, Def Leppard Hunter champions Joe Elliott and Phil Collen add their voices to choice cuts.

And there’s more...three further tracks will be added to the record store day vinyl release that includes The Black Crowes’ Rich and Chris Robinson on ‘Needle Park’ and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready strumming hard on ‘How’d Ya Like To Meet Henry’. Both ‘Defiance...’ releases prove the musical climate of Hunter’s renaissance is a warm and welcoming soundscape to kick back to in the knowledge that Ian Hunter has your back if you lend him your ears.