Foghat: Last Train Home

Metal boogie monsters reconfigured but resilient.

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Fronted by Charlie Huhn since the death of founding members Rod Price and Dave Peverett, Foghat’s first studio album in seven years signals a somewhat unlikely revival.

Huhn’s rasping force and presence takes centrestage on the self-explanatory opener One For The Road. Thereafter, title track and rollicking instrumental 495 Boogie aside, blues covers provide the revival key.

Though the line up is now predominately American the ‘Hat specialise in the grind and bombast school of Brit blues, particularly evident when Huhn and Bryan Bassett’s guitars duel on It Hurts Me Too and the fast paced, eight minute plus mash up of Muddy Waters’ Rollin’ & Tumblin/You Need Love.

A slow-burning two-song guest appearance from Eddie Kirkland – a sprightly 87 – makes a stirring contrast, and seals a fitting tribute to Peverett.

Gavin Martin
Gavin Martin

Late NME, Daily Mirror and Classic Rock writer Gavin Martin started writing about music in 1977 when he published his hand-written fanzine Alternative Ulster in Belfast. He moved to London in 1980 to become the NME’s Media Editor and features writer, where he interviewed the Sex Pistols, Joe Strummer, Pete Townshend, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Ian Dury, Killing Joke, Neil Young, REM, Sting, Marvin Gaye, Leonard Cohen, Nina Simone, James Brown, Willie Nelson, Willie Dixon, Madonna and a host of others. He was also published in The Times, Guardian, Independent, Loaded, GQ and Uncut, he had pieces on Michael Jackson, Van Morrison and Frank Sinatra featured in The Faber Book Of Pop and Rock ’N’ Roll Is Here To Stay, and was the Daily Mirror’s regular music critic from 2001. He died in 2022.