Black Country Communion (album)

After forming Black Country Communion (BCC) in November 2009, bassist Glenn Hughes and guitarist Joe Bonamassa wrote the majority of the band's debut album together in a matter of days. Producer Kevin Shirley, drummer Jason Bonham and keyboardist Derek Sherinian later contributed to several tracks. Speaking about the writing process in an interview with EspyRock, Hughes explained that he wrote four songs in December 2009 and presented them to the rest of the band in the new year, adding that he later "locked Joe away in my house for three afternoons on three different Thursdays for three hours at a time ... and we just sat down and wrote all the songs you're hearing in my studio". Added to the original tracks was a cover version of "Medusa", originally recorded by Hughes' former band Trapeze in 1970. In the liner notes for the album, Bonham claims that "It took only 4 days to lay down the basic tracks and 10 days to record and mix the entire album". Similarly, Hughes claims that "The album was recorded, totally, in five or six days". Most of the recording took place at Shangri-La in Malibu, California, with additional overdubs tracked at Shirley's Malibu studio The Cave and Germano Studios in New York City. ==Promotion and release==

Black Country Communion was officially announced on June 10, 2010. The first song to be released from the album was "One Last Soul", which was premiered on British radio station Planet Rock on August 2. The track was later made available as a free digital download on the band's official website. The album was released in the UK and Europe by Mascot Records on September 20, 2010, and in North America by Bonamassa's own label J&R Adventures the following day. The performance was broadcast on Planet Rock that night, and again later on September 24. In promotion of the album, BCC played two shows in the UK at the end of the year – the first at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall on December 29, 2010, and the second at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London the next day. ==Reception==

Commercial Black Country Communion debuted at number 54 on the US Billboard 200, selling 7,100 copies in its first week. It also registered at number 6 on the Independent Albums chart (the joint-highest the band has achieved to date), number 18 on the Top Rock Albums chart, and number 19 on the Hard Rock Albums chart. In the UK, the album debuted at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart, number 15 on the Scottish Albums Chart, Mojo magazine's Paul Elliott differentiated BCC from fellow supergroup Them Crooked Vultures by praising the band's "great songs", particularly "One Last Soul" and "Song of Yesterday", concluding that "Black Country Communion is one supergroup that really lives up to its billing". Following the release of the album, BCC was recognised in several categories of the Planet Rock End of Year Poll 2010 – the album came third in the Album of the Year poll, while the band won Band of the Year and Best New Band. In announcing the results, Planet Rock praised the band by highlighting "An excellent album, several musicians at the top of their game and a bunch of songs that put the classic in classic rock". ==Track listing==

Black Country Communion • Glenn Hughes – bass, vocals (lead on all except tracks 6 and 9) • Joe Bonamassa – guitar, vocals (lead on tracks 6 and 9, co-lead on tracks 11 and 12) • Jason Bonham – drums • Derek Sherinian – keyboards Additional personnel • Patrick D'Arcy – uilleann pipes, tin whistle • Jeff Bova – orchestration • Kevin Shirley – production, mixing • James McCullagh – engineering • Eric Lynne – engineering • Bob Ludwig – mastering • Dennis Friel Art Studios – art direction, design, illustrations • Robert Knight – photography • Marty Temme – photography • Rick Gould – photography • Christie Goodwin – photography • Chris Callaway – photography ==Charts==