Thirty-eight years into their career, Foghat is still on the road and in the recording studio. Original members and guitarists Dave Peverett and Rod Price have passed away, but drummer Roger Earl and a rotating cast of musicians have carried on. Today, Earl is joined by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Charlie Huhn, who has played with Ted Nugent and Humble Pie, lead guitarist Bryan Bassett of Wild Cherry and Molly Hatchett, and bassist Craig MacGregor, who has been a member of the group on four separate occasions. MacGregor was not available for the recording of this album, so former member Jeff Howell returned to provide the bass work.
Last Train Home is for the most part a rock/blues album. While Foghat may be best known for such hard rock hits as “Slow Ride,” “Fool For The City,” and “Third Time Lucky (First Time I Was A Fool),” the group has always been rooted in the blues, and so it was not a big stretch for them to release an album that reflects that sound.
The good news is that it’s an excellent album. It retains a hard edge, which should please their fans, but their immersion in the blues should gain them new ones. Roger Earl was a member of the British blues band Savoy Brown before he helped form Foghat, and this release reflects that influence.
They combine original compositions with some classic blues songs on this disc. The slow blues tunes “So Many Roads, So Many Trains” by Otis Rush, “Shake Your Money Maker” and “It Hurts Me Too” by Elmore James, Muddy Waters’ “Louisiana Blues,” and the Willie Dixon medley “Rollin’ & Tumblin’/You Need Love” are modernized yet still retain a connection to the originals.
But the album’s best track may be its original composition “Born For The Road.” Written by Bassett and Huhn, it is the disc’s first track, and their combined guitar attack launches out with a thunderous performance.
Another highlight is the appearance by Eddie “Bluesman” Kirkland, one of the last blues masters. He was the second guitarist for John Lee Hooker from 1949-1962 and has gone on to a stellar solo career. Now pushing 87, he is still on the road. He composed and performed on the albums final two tracks, “In My Dreams” and “Good Good Day.”
Last Train Home finds Foghat alive and well in 2010 while still exploring their roots. It is hopefully a career direction they will continue to travel in the future.
