THIS WEEK I’M LISTENING TO...SOREN ANDERSEN – Live In The Homeland (Mighty Music)

Almost certainly best known in the UK as the ever-smiling virtuoso guitarist backing Glenn Hughes, Soren Andersen has a healthy track record of working with a who’s who of other artists and acts like Mike Tramp, Pretty Maids, The Dead Daisies, Joe Bonamassa and Miles Kennedy. He’s also a renowned producer and, when time permits, has a solo career boasting a couple of albums, 2011’s ‘Constant Replay’ and ‘Guilty Pleasures’ which followed in 2019. 2021 saw a tour in support of this latter album and ‘Live In the Homeland’ was recorded on 28 May in Andersen’s home town of Fredericia, Denmark.

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Soren Andersen with Glenn Hughes at Frome, October 2023

With the guitarist ably supported by bassist Michael Gersdorff and Pretty Maids’ drummer Allan Tschicaja the trio rip through eleven superbly constructed and supremely executed instrumentals (plus intro and outro tracks), including the ‘Guilty Pleasures’ album in its entirety and the obligatory crowd-pleasing and technically outstanding guitar, bass and drums solos. Although guitar-led instrumental albums aren’t everyone’s cuppa, the utter joy and exhilaration of the night shines though across the board with songs like ‘Agent Wells’ and the elegant ‘Birdfeeder’ really coming to life onstage. And following a tape of the late John Peel’s introduction to Deep Purple’s 1970 BBC ‘In Concert’ set the lively nine-minute closer ‘The Man In Black’ unsurprisingly reveals itself to be a medley of Blackmore’s Purple solos, bookended by ‘Burn’ and also featuring ‘Stormbringer’, ‘Sail Away’, ‘Mistreated’, ‘High Ball Shooter’ and ‘Highway Star’.

Modelling Tschicaja’s moment in the spotlight around Van Halen’s ‘Hot For Teacher’ and Mr Big’s ‘Addicted To That Rush’ riffs puts a spin on the drum solo, and Gersdorff’s four-and-a-half minutes is tastefully delivered. But at the end of the day ‘Live In the Homeland’ is all about Soren Andersen, and his fluid playing and effortless style show why he’s such an in-demand player. Often seen over here with Hughes his fretwork has won him numerous compliments over the years, but in stepping out of the shadows he demonstrates just what a talent he possesses. Available on CD / digital and also as a very limited edition vinyl release this is a great album from a phenomenal player.

‘Beirut’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypvwzJARIPA
‘The Kid’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiVb4my0QTY