Close The Club

by Rog & Glenn

Track listing: That's What You Get, Started Like This, One of Them, Good as Advertised, Notch, Have a Good Time, Thing That Goes, Hit the Wall, Uncool Party, Club Can't Handle, PR KMA, Fake It, Close the Club

Rog & Glenn had a blast with this one. Long-time friends and musicians, Roger Brandon and Glenn Hubbard essentially pulled a Blues Brothers and 'got the band back together' for one more hurrah. What resulted from that is their full-length semi-concept album, Close The Club.

Neither "Rog" nor Glenn had ventured into the realm of dance music before. So naturally, as musicians are wont to do, they set out to push the limits of their personal envelopes. Their initial session resulted in an amalgam of sounds—a mish-mash of prog rock, funk, fun, and jam-band. Yet what ended up comprising the album was far from an exploration into time signatures and key changes.

"[the two of us recording a dance album] was a bit like asking a science fiction writer to do a romance novel"
- Glenn Hubbard

Close The Club is fun. Is it destined for the Top 40? Not likely. Stylistically, the album has the feel of a recording done by two guys who first jammed during high school in the 1980s (I'm not knocking that either, since I first jammed during high school in the '80s). But don't look for Rog & Glenn to surpass Rihanna in album sales any time soon.

To their credit, Roger and Glenn are solid musicians. Their years performing are evident in the high quality of the musical performances on the album. It's tight, together, carefully arranged, and well-produced. Veterans of the studio, Rog & Glenn covered all their production bases.

Close The Club isn't as silly as Weird Al, nor is it as cliché as Steel Panther. But there is certainly a sense of humor in the album. These guys had a good time making this record. And if you're willing to travel with them down memory lane, Close The Club might just make you shake your booty in your day-job desk chair and think back fondly on your own 1980s high school dances.

Posted on 3/6/13