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Photo credit CONNOR ELLMANN LONGFEATHER

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DUFF MCKAGAN
‘Lighthouse’
Album Review

(26th October 2023)

Review by Colin Reid

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Praise for LIGHTHOUSE

“McKagan’s recent solo music channels the same outlaw spirit, but instead through acoustic twangs and a weathered voice – a lively meeting of reflective Americana and sonorous rock’n’roll.” – THE GUARDIAN

“Guns N’Roses bassist delivers full-beam brilliance on his third solo album.” – CLASSIC ROCK

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If you’re a member of one of the biggest bands in the world it must be hard to have a solo career that has great merit and doesn’t sound anything like the band that bought you fame.  Guns ‘n’ Roses off and on bassist Duff McKagan has achieved it and has just released a third solo album “Lighthouse” featuring a batch of songs he wrote and recorded during the Covid pandemic. It follows close on the heels of the “This Is The Song” EP that he released last month to coincide with World Mental Health-day.  Apparently, Duff recorded around 60 songs during the pandemic so he had plenty of material to choose from for these two releases.

STREAM/PURCHASE LIGHTHOUSE here

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Photo credit: Tom Barnes

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Rather than heavy rock n roll, searing guitars and soaring vocals, Duff’s solo work is a gruffer more weathered voice over a stripped down acoustic reflective slice of Americana.  I need to say this up front, I’ve never been a G’n’R fan and as such I didn’t really expect to like this record all that much.  Probably because it is so different is part of the reason why it has really broken through to me and why I wake up with it as my morning ear worm.

The title track both starts the album and its reprise featuring the even gruffer voice of Iggy Pop closes it out.  Duff clearly has a connection with Iggy’s music and has been playing a cover of The Stooges whilst on tour with G’n’R. The title speaks to the need for guidance and strength and hope and meaning as well as Duff’s personal Lighthouse, his wife.

Not only does Iggy provide a cameo, Lighthouse also features guest spots from McKagan’s G’n’R bandmate Slash as well as Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell who contributes an acoustic duet on the wonderful “I Just Don’t Know” the video for which has already racked up over 130 thousand views on You Tube within 5 days of release.

There many great tracks on this record. ‘Longfeather’, ‘ I Saw God on 10^th St.’, ‘Hope’ ‘Just Another Shakedown’ as well as ‘I just Don’t Know’.  Give this a listen and really let the songs get into your brain, you’ll be glad that you did.

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LISTEN to LIGHTHOUSE

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LIGHTHOUSE
Track Listing

LIGHTHOUSE
LONGFEATHER
HOLY WATER
I SAW GOD ON 10TH ST
FALLEN
FORGIVENESS
JUST ANOTHER SHAKEDOWN
FALLEN ONES
HOPE (FEAT. SLASH)
I JUST DON’T KNOW (FEAT. JERRY CANTRELL)
LIGHTHOUSE (REPRISE) (FEAT. IGGY POP)

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Follow DUFF MCKAGAN
Website – Instagram – Facebook
Twitter – Youtube

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Photo credit: Charles Peterson

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Press Release 24th October 2023 (below) HERE

DUFF McKAGAN
proudly presents
third solo record 
LIGHTHOUSE

+ New features special guests including
SLASH, JERRY CANTRELL,
and
IGGY POP

+ Watch new video for
I JUST DON’T KNOW 
(FEAT. JERRY CANTRELL)

+ LIGHTHOUSE
available now in
WIDE RANGE OF FORMATS

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Photo Credit Charles Peterson

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AMNPLIFY – DB