I can’t tell you how much I wanted to dislike this.
The sheer concept of it felt a bit naff, the cover features what looks like a badly Photoshopped picture of Engelbert Humperdinck on a motorbike, leather jacket on, out in the desert, and there was every chance Faithfully was going to be one of those records where the idea was more entertaining than the execution.
Except it isn’t. It’s actually really quite good.
Humperdinck released his first album nearly 60 years ago. Now, at 90, having sold more than 140 million records, he’s decided to make an album of rock covers. And when you’ve spent six decades at the top, you can apparently phone up Jonathan Cain, Al Di Meola, Eric Gales, Harvey Mandel, Ian Anderson, Bob Daisley, Rick Wakeman, Steve Morse and George Lynch and ask if they fancy joining in.
He’s never going to sound like Steve Perry on Journey’s “Faithfully”, obviously, but with Cain involved it’s actually a really good start. Likewise, “Take My Breath Away”, featuring Al Di Meola, is never going to possess the outright sex of Berlin’s version, but crucially it adds something rather than merely copying it.
Eric Gales is the only artist I’ve ever seen cry onstage, so when he plays on “More Than Words” you know he means it. His contribution is excellent too, and somehow the whole thing ends up considerably less schmaltzy than Extreme.
George Harrison’s “Something”, with Carmine Rojas, becomes a rocking cover you didn’t know you needed, while frankly anything would be an improvement on the execrable KISS original of “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”. Harvey Mandel helps make sure this is.
The strings give “Mama, I’m Coming Home” something approaching a Wall Of Sound quality, while The Cars’ “Drive” was a staple of my childhood. Like so many of these songs, Humperdinck gets continued bonus points for refusing to make a facsimile.
Bad Company’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love” – with Ian Anderson and Bob Daisley – again lacks the outright horniness that the original possessed, but then comes “Heaven”. Look, if you had Engelbert Humperdinck covering Warrant on your list of things that were going to happen in 2026, you’re a liar. And I’d like to say a mate and I didn’t claim we’d written that song at school in the very early 90s, but we are where we are.
Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”, featuring Sonny Landreth, came over the tannoy at a gig I was at recently and, let’s be fair, it remains a banger. Then there’s a second KISS cover, “Beth”, and this time he’s got royalty playing piano in the shape of Rick Wakeman. Perhaps as you’d expect, it’s one of those that stays closest to the original.
“Always My Love”, featuring René Le Blanc, is the only newly written song here and is essentially a power ballad to end them all. Except “Alone” might actually be the power ballad to end them all, and Steve Morse and Jonathan Cain give the Heart classic suitably lavish treatment.
The only gig I’ve ever taken my dad to was Jeff Lynne – twice – so I’m predisposed to like ELO anyway. “Can’t Get It Out Of My Head” is a little slower, but still gives the original a respectful nod.
Then, because apparently none of this is weird enough already, guitar god George Lynch turns up for Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”, one of the best songs of all time. It’s brilliant.
I wanted to dislike Faithfully. The concept, the artwork, all of it suggested I probably would. Instead it has a charm all of its own.
People will ask why Engelbert Humperdinck needed to make a rock covers record at 90.
Why not?
After six decades, perhaps the thing to celebrate is that he still wants to make a record like this at all – and that he’s managed to make it this much fun.
Rating: 7/10
